By Melanie Smollin, takepart.com [1]
Protecting America's natural resources is a huge job. Forests and national parks, community green spaces and marine sanctuaries all need massive husbandry efforts. An army of conservationists works across all 50 states to preserve and restore these national treasures.
The Student Conservation Association (SCA), headquartered in Charlestown, New Hampshire, is the only national organization with the mission to develop tomorrow's conservation leaders-right this minute.
According to Valerie Bailey, SCA's vice president for strategic planning and development, that mission is about to go into overdrive.
"The agencies that care for our public lands are losing significant numbers of employees in the next 10 years because of retirement," Bailey tells TakePart. "Tens of thousands of people will be retiring from the ranks of rangers, field technicians, and biologists. There is a need, and there is an opportunity to match it."
The SCA is up for the challenge. ...continue reading [1]