SCA Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Serving D.C., Maryland and Virginia

The SCA is a national non-profit changing lives through hands-on conservation work in the outdoors. Our program participants protect and restore national parks, marine sanctuaries, cultural landmarks and community green spaces at various locations across the country. After a summer working with the SCA, program participants emerge with increased environmental awareness, social responsibility and leadership skills. 

Through its Urban Green Program, the SCA provides young people with paid green jobs, including single-day service projects, seasonal work and year-long internships or fellowships. In Washington, D.C., the SCA began fielding local community conservation programs starting in the mid-90s. Since then, more than 2,000 high school students ages 15-19 from around the capital region have built and maintained trails, constructed boardwalks, managed invasive species and completed countless other projects. Thousands more (ages 5-19) have participated in environmental education activities and completed service projects through the SCA’s D.C. Urban Tree House Program.

For more than 20 years, and with generous support from donors, the SCA has provided young people from the District of Columbia, Virginia and Maryland with opportunities to serve their broader community by completing conservation projects in national, state, and regional parks while participating in valuable environmental education and recreational activities.

Current Opportunities

Charles County Resilience Authority Youth Tree Corps (Maryland)
Crew members will assist Charles County Resilience Authority with long-term maintenance of native urban tree canopies in the County’s urban heat islands. Expected dates:  Nov. 4, 2023 – June 16, 2024. Pay: $15.00/hr.

Our Programs

High School (Ages 15-19)

  • Volunteer School Year Programs – These programs typically occur on weekends during the school year doing a variety of environmental education and service-related projects. High school members earn volunteer hours towards their required community service hours to graduate.
  • Summer High School Conservation Crew – These paid programs occur during the summer June-August season and offer members a transformative experience outdoors learning about the conservation job field.

Young Adult (Ages 18+)

  • Team-based Programs – Young adult crew members are supervised by an adult Crew Leader and as a team they complete an array of field-based conservation projects. Each crew has its own goals, including removing invasive plants from specific areas in a park, restoring dams, clearing downed hazard trees and more. Past Young Adult Crews include Maintenance Crews, Invasive Plant Removal Crews, Towpath Crews, Wayfinder Crews and more.

Internships (Ages 18+)

  • Urban Tree House – A valuable environmental education resource for youth in the Metropolitan D.C. Area. The Urban Tree House Program is the SCA’s environmental education program located in Anacostia Park in Southeast Washington, D.C., where SCA staff provide free environmental education programs and activities for area youth (ages K-12) covering an array of topics, including urban ecosystems, watersheds, stewardship, conservation and sustainability, environmental ethics, wildlife and ecology. The Urban Tree House Program includes hands-on and interactive components to complement an active outdoor environmental curriculum. For questions or interest with the Urban Tree House, please email: [email protected].
  • Tree & Fire Internship – Interns work alongside professional arborists with the National Park Service and are responsible for conservation projects, including assisting journeyman-level tree workers to move, remove, and prune hazardous trees to preserve the natural spaces. Fire Fighter Type 2 training is provided and there is the possibility to participate in a two-week wildfire detail. 
  • Coming Soon: Roots Together Program

Professional Development and Trainings 

  • Resume Building
  • Leave No Trace (LNT) Outdoor Ethics
  • Project WET/Project WILD Training
  • Financial Literacy
  • Habitat Restoration
  • Trail Skills
  • CPR

Key Partners

  • D.C. Aquatic Resource Education Center
  • District Department of Transportation
  • District Department of the Environment
  • National Capital Parks-East
  • US Forest Service
  • National Park Service
  • Rails to Trails
  • Maryland National Capital Parks and Planning Commission

Contact

SCA Washington, D.C. Office
Email: [email protected]

Student Conservation Association