As they burst to life each spring, deciduous trees fill us with hope. They provide a secure canopy through summer and bring splendor in the fall. Evergreens, on the other hand, are constant. Unlike their cousins, they retain their foliage through multiple seasons and in winter, when most other trees...
Every year, SCA provides training, tools and projects that place motivated teens and young adults in the field to effect changes great and small. How do we measure the effects? Sometimes its through decreased CO2 levels or by the tons of trash collected or in the number of trees planted. Our success is also measured by the lessons learned, the perspective gained and the lives we transform—today and into the future. Often when the SCA project is over, the success story is just beginning. Take a look at some of our most recent accomplishments.
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Friday, December 11, 2020
If you are searching for a simple way to support conservation efforts this winter, creating a bird feeder for your backyard is the perfect option. These animals play a vital role in the ecosystem by controlling pests and helping pollinator communities thrive. When food sources become scarce during the cooler...
Posted by Kevin Hamilton | Friday, December 4, 2020
Suzanne Tarkulich arrived at Big Hole National Battlefield in Montana in October, and already she’s visited Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier National Parks, as well as Craters of the Moon National Monument and many of the surrounding towns. “I’m trying to do as much as I can before winter really...
Posted by Kevin Hamilton | Tuesday, December 1, 2020
This is our second in a series of SCA winter project profiles.
In recent years, SCA’s long-running summer-fall Adirondack Corps has added a smaller winter program in the William C. Whitney Wilderness, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and AmeriCorps. We spoke with Program Coordinator Rebecca...
Posted by Kevin Hamilton | Wednesday, November 25, 2020
As the seasons turn, SCA is turning our spotlight on members working in winter conditions.
Sled dogs have always been part of Denali National Park and it seems like SCA interns have always helped care for the “canine rangers” that symbolize such a wide swath of Denali’s history and heritage. This...
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Wednesday, November 18, 2020
All photos and captions courtesy of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
The SCA Adirondack Corps wrapped a successful summer season in October. It was a learning curve of how to adapt the program to many new Covid-19 guidelines, but the crew members were on board every step of...
How to Reduce Waste this Halloween
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Wednesday, October 28, 2020
The spooky sight of jack-o’-lanterns glowing in the nights leading...
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Thursday, October 15, 2020
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From left to right, first row: Brianna Amingwa, Marcus Rosten. Second row: Melanie Quiñones Santiago, Olivia Walton.
by Trisha Malizia
Each year the North American Association of Environmental Education (NAAEE) names a list of 30 people under 30 years of age who are change-makers within the field. The recognition “celebrates the unique and...
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Thursday, October 15, 2020
by Lou Lunte SCA ‘77, ‘78; Alumni Council member
How many captive tigers are there in the U.S? If you joined SCA’s Fifth Friday presentation on July 31st you might have been shocked — like I was — to learn there are an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 captive tigers in...
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Thursday, October 15, 2020
Fall is here and you’ve spent time harvesting your garden of different fruits and vegetables. But you don’t want them to go to waste. You want to enjoy them during the long winter months ahead, so how can you make the most of your homegrown produce while also keeping the...
Second Annual Alumni Engagement Week
Posted by Ally Ratliff | Tuesday, October 6, 2020
The Student Conservation Association (SCA) hosted its second annual Alumni Engagement Week (AEW) from September 21-26, 2020. The week was full of exciting opportunities to engage our network of 95,000 alumni, partners, friends, and more. SCA community gathered, virtually, to support conservation, network, and have fun!
To kickoff the week, over...
Education, Parks, Trails and Hiking
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Monday, September 14, 2020
by SCA Alum, David Kurapka
It was paradise. My two stints with SCA account for a mere few months of my life, but their importance to me far outweighs the relatively brief time I spent in the program.
Dave pictured top row,...
Posted by Kevin Hamilton | Tuesday, September 8, 2020
By Grace O’Hara, Richard J. Guadagno SCA Conservation Fellow
Nineteen years ago on September 11th our nation changed forever when four planes departed from various East Coast airports and never made their destinations. Hijackers took over the aircraft with the intent of crashing them into key locations. Two struck the Twin...
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Thursday, August 20, 2020
“Get some fresh air.”
This phrase is commonly used during times of stress. There may be no time in history when getting outside has been more powerful for our health, both physical and mental, then through the COVID-19 pandemic.
But what is it that’s so calming about nature? The truth is –...
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Wednesday, August 19, 2020
By Cecilia Aleman
It’s not often that legislation affecting conservation and young Americans is signed into law. So when one of the most pivotal conservation bills in nearly 50 years crosses the finish line – it calls for a celebration.
The recent passage of the Great American Outdoors Act, a bipartisan...
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Tuesday, August 18, 2020
The overlay of past and present quite often astounds.
One hundred years ago on August 18th, America ratified the 19th amendment granting women the right to vote. A century later, a woman – a Black woman – is poised to accept her party’s vice presidential nomination for the November election.
...
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Wednesday, June 24, 2020
by Pia Yarnell
If you’re just starting out in your pollinator garden journey, check out some of our resources on pollinator habitats and growing wildflowers. If you already have an efficacious garden full of native flowering plants, what’s next? Here are a few steps you can take to turn...
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Thursday, June 18, 2020
Last week we asked our alumni, supporters, and staff to offer our SCA members who are graduating from high school or college in 2020 their best advice as they enter into a world demanding justice and equity.
We know their graduation ceremony will be different this year, but we can promise...
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Wednesday, June 17, 2020
There are probably a few specific critters that come to mind when you first hear the word pollinator. Maybe you picture the well-recognized colors of a Monarch fluttering through your backyard. Or, honeybees and wasps buzzing from flower to flower. Unfortunately, we tend to overlook some other key members of the...
Posted by Cecilia Aleman | Wednesday, June 17, 2020
The next few days will be significant. Tomorrow is a somber Juneteenth. Summer officially arrives on Saturday. And June 24th is SCA Founder’s Day, marking 63 years since Liz Putnam launched SCA and a national movement. So climb aboard the WABAC Machine for a whirlwind tour of SCA history. Be...