SCA Earth Day service events to activate over 2,000 volunteers

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Events planned in 16 cities

(WASHINGTON D.C.) April 9, 2015 — Two-thousandvolunteers in 16 cities will make for one very big Earth Day.  The Student Conservation Association (SCA), the national leader in youth service and stewardship, today announced itsslate of Earth Day service projects, to take place across the country over the next two weeks.

“By serving our city environments this Earth Day, SCA is renewing the connection between urban populations and our natural world, while empowering young people from diverse backgrounds to take on leadership roles within their own communities, ” states SCA President and CEO Jaime Berman Matyas.  “Conservation begins at home, and the support of so many youth on this forty-fifth Earth Day is awesome.”

SCA Earth Day sponsors include American Express, Exelon Foundation, Johnson Controls, Inc., Southwest Airlines, and United Water, while projects include:

Saturday, April 11

  • Auburn, NH: SCA and New Hampshire Audubon willhike the Massabesic Audubon trail system and install metal blaze signs to help visitors navigate trails; 26 DeerneckRoad from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 18

  • Houston, TX: With Houston Parks and Recreation, SCA will plant native trees and remove invasive species to strengthen Herman Brown Park, in partnership with the National Environmental Education Foundation.  400 Mercury Drive from 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
  • Hyde Park, NY: Volunteers are invited to join members of SCA’s Hudson Valley Corps and Scenic Hudson in repairing worn and eroded sections of the Hyde Park Greenway Trail, 4079 Albany Post Rd. from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
  • New York, NY: more than 300 volunteers will converge onhistoric Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, as SCA teams up with Friends of Van Cortlandt Park to plant new seedlings and clear invasive plants from sites throughout the park. 246 Broadway from 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
  • Philadelphia, PA: SCA members, alumni and others will help with the annual waterfront clean-up along Darby Creek at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge.8601 Lindbergh Blvd., 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  • Riverdale, IL: SCA and the Forest Preserve District of Cook County will restore Whistler Woods by clearing invasive species and removing litter as part of the LitteratiProject.  678 W. 134th St. from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • Redwood City, CA: Volunteers from SCA, Acterra and the City of Redwood City will restore Stulsaft Park by clearing invasives, removing litter, constructing new trail, monitoring stream water quality and removing social trails around the park. 3737 Farm Hill Boulevard, 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 22

  • Hawley, MA: SCA Massachusetts AmeriCorps members will host 90 local K-3rd grade students at Kenneth Dubuque State Forest for Hawley Nature Days.  Activities include lessons about animals, habitats and outdoor skills, and environmental-themed skits.  Route 8A from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Friday, April 24

  • New Paltz, NY: SCA’s Hudson Valley Corps and the NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program’s will pot and label hundreds of saplings for planting on streamside properties to protect water quality, fish, and wildlife as part of the “Trees for Tribs” initiative.  21 South Putt Corners Road from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 25

  • Bear Mountain, NY: Join SCA’s Hudson Valley Corps and the Trailside Museums and Zoo at Bear Mountain State Park for a day of family-friendly activities intended to foster environmental awareness related to local wildlife, human impacts on the environment, and more. 1 Seven Lakes Parkway from 10:30 am to 3:00 pm (rain date: Sunday, April 26th).
  • Detroit, MI: With the Belle Isle Conservancy and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, SCA will remove invasive plants, clear brush, and clean up trash atBelle Isle Flynn Pavilion. 1 Loiter Way, from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  • Forks, WA: SCA and the National Parks Conservation Association will partner with other environmental groups to remove debris from Washington beaches in the largest coastal cleanup event of the year. Last year, 1,000 volunteers removed over 15 tons of oceanic garbage! Olympic National Park’s Kalaloch Campground from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  • Milwaukee, WI: members of SCA’s Milwaukee Conservation Leadership Corps will join Urban Ecology Centers of Milwaukee at UEC Washington Park to remove invasive species, mulch tree pits, and build new garden beds and compost bins. 1859 N. 40th St., 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
  • Pittsburgh, PA: celebrate Earth Day with SCA and the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy by clearing invasives, removing litter, and maintaining trails at the Bandi ShaumCommunity Garden in Southside Park.  Mission Street & S. 18th Street, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • Seattle, WA: SCA volunteers will improve the health of Washington Park Arboretum and the UW Botanical Gardens through a variety of hands-on projects around the arboretum. 2300 Arboretum Drive East, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
  • Washington, DC: SCA will partner with the National Park Service at Rock Creek Park to close social hiking trails,revegetate damaged areas, and clear trash and debris at the Fort Totten Civil War Defense Area.  5170 South Dakota Drive NE from 9:30am – 1:30 p.m.

Those wishing to participate are asked to register and find more information online at https://www.thesca.org/events.

About the Student Conservation Association

The Student Conservation Association (SCA) is America’s oldest and largest youth conservation organization. SCA transforms lives and lands by empowering young people of all backgrounds to plan, act, and lead, while they protect and restore our natural and cultural resources. Founded in 1957, its mission is to build the next generation of conservation leaders, and seven in 10 of SCA’s 75,000 alumni worldwide are employed or studying in conservation-related fields.  Headquartered in Washington, DC, SCA also maintains regional offices in Charlestown, NH, Chicago, IL, Houston, TX, Oakland, CA and Seattle, WA. For more, visit www.thesca.org.

Student Conservation Association