Moving Conservation Forward

Working Together to Strengthen the Future of Conservation

SCA and its members are Moving Conservation Forward. What does that mean? It means they’re gaining the experience they need to be tomorrow’s conservation leaders. It means they’re finding new ways to tackle our biggest environmental challenges. It means they’re forging ahead, realizing their goals to improve the world and strengthen the future of conservation.

The members and alumni highlighted in the stories below embody these ideas.  Volunteering as interns and trail builders on public lands–from national parks to city parks and everything in between–they’re working with experts, learning from nature, sharpening their focus, and expanding their sense of what’s possible.

They can’t do it without your help though. By donating to support members like Stacey, AmaRece, and Eli, you too are Moving Conservation Forward.

Go on and read their stories. We think they’ll leave you confident that the future of conservation is in good hands. 

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Stacey Kinney – All Her Ducks in a Row – 

Have you ever held a wild duck in your bare hands? How about put a tiny metal bracelet onto its twiggy little leg? Neither had self-described city girl Stacey Kinney until this past summer. “This was my first time ever holding a duck, and I must say, their outright refusal to cooperate made me feel like I was dealing with a bunch of tiny, outraged humans.” Let her tell you about the experience on Open Spaces, the official blog of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 

AmaRece Davis – Finding Purpose & Perspective in Service– 

Growing up in one of Pittsburgh’s poorest neighborhoods, AmaRece Davis saw two of his older brothers sentenced to life in prison for murder. He felt trapped on the same path until he joined a local SCA crew at age 15. A couple years later, a service trip to Sequoia National Park showed him a vast, beautiful world, brimming with possibility, and completely changed his perspective. Let him tell you about it here.

 

Marinell Chandler – Raising Canine Rangers & Inspiring Wilderness Protectors– 

Marinell spent her summer helping out at Denali National Park’s sled dog kennels and venturing into the Alaskan wilderness at every opportunity. As the kennels prepared welcome a new resident (puppy!), Marinell had a realization. “I celebrate knowing that Denali’s wilderness will continue to remain as beautiful and grand as I have seen, and as others have seen for generations before me. But this isn’t going to happen without us. Like the next generation of Canine Rangers expected this week, wilderness protectors continue to be born and inspired every day.” Read More.

 

Quincy Swatson – Opportunity Swims into Troubled Pittsburgh Neighborhood– 

Sometimes opportunity knocks. Other times it swims and poops, providing nutrients for the plants growing atop its aquarium. SCA alum Quincy Swatson is determined to establish the latter, more rarefied kind of opportunity in the place where he grew up, Pittsburgh’s often troubled Manchester neighborhood. Read More.

 

Eli Livezey – Wherever These Boots Take Him– 

Seeking summer employment, Eli joined a local SCA crew because the job came with a free pair of boots. Three crews and 300 miles later, the boots are worn out, but Eli’s more “confident, resilient, and imaginative than ever. He’ll tell you about the transformation in his own words here.

 

PaHoua Lee – What’s a Little Poison Oak When You’re Saving the Planet?– 

When PaHoua Lee led an SCA crew in Richmond, CA this past summer, she journaled the experience, documenting the transformation of her crew members. They braved poison oak, enjoyed a trip to the aquarium, & bonded over their trials & accomplishments. Get the full story in PaHoua’s own words here.