fiftyandfifty

Last summer, a trail crew was hard at work in Rock Creek Park, completing multiple restoration projects to enhance trails for visitor use.

And the winner is…Colorado! This year’s fall photo contest was certainly a tough competition.

From banding puffins for future monitoring to locating endangered sea turtle nests, SCA members work to preserve some of the most critically endangered and vulnerable wildlife populations and their habitats.

In support of this year’s National Public Lands Day, SCA hosted a Day of Service at Riverview Park in Pittsburgh, PA.

Some historic sites have a haunted history and are known to be frequented by spirits and unexplainable occurences.

Last month, we shared some of the great conservation work SCA members completed at green spaces across the country during the summer season. So much was accomplished that we have even more to share this month. Here are four additional snapshots of what SCA members were up to! 1. Alaska Not all conservation work is …

From tree planting in Northwest Indiana’s local parks to trail work in Vallejo, California, SCA members have been busy protecting public lands and greenspaces across the country. Here are four snapshots of the amazing conservation work accomplished. 1. Northwest Indiana The Calumet Tree Conservation Corps is working to plant 500 trees in the Grand Calumet …

Since its inception, SCA has provided opportunities for generations of young environmental stewards to step foot into our country’s national parks.

Mud says I look like I have leprosy. Personally, I don’t think he quite understands what leprosy looks like, but even I have to admit, I look bad.

Two-time alum Elijah Pineda-Rodriguez is sharing his experience serving with SCA and the poem he was inspired to write after his time as an apprentice crew leader in Houston. Howdy Everyone! My name is Elijah Pineda-Rodriguez and I was an apprentice crew leader this past summer with the SCA. I am eighteen years old and was …

Clara Jessup is an SCA Bear Management Intern currently serving at Yosemite National Park. As destructive wildfires continue to blaze through many iconic landscapes in the west, we took some time to learn more about her experience at the park during the recent Washburn and Oak Fires.

We were told we would be staying at a place called Trees for the Future, or something of the sort. Probably a cult-y little community up in the woods of Northern Wisconsin with eerie, half-there people who talk about how they have been “saved.” At least that is what we hoped. 

Everything smelled of deet and peanut butter. 

The scent had worked its way into everything we owned and by that point, our PB&J consumption had become so high that I imagine our bodies were at least 1% Skippy.

After several days of heavy rain, SCA bison intern Bennett Collins and others noticed last weekend that the Gardiner River on the north end of Yellowstone National Park was running higher than usual. Yet there seemed to be no reason for concern. That rapidly changed.

I have fifteen mosquito bites on my face, twelve on my neck, and some weird red marks on my collarbone which may or may not mean I’m dying of iron poisoning. 

Earlier this year, SCA placed prescribed fire crews with the U.S. Forest Service at Kisatchie National Forest (Louisiana) and Davy Crockett National Forest (Texas), and with The Nature Conservancy in Alabama and Florida.

Throughout the summer, SCA will periodically feature the exploits of our Roving Resource Crew, serving the needs of the U.S. Forest Service. Here’s the team’s first entry, written by Leader Alexandria “Alex” Ness, a/k/a Slug.

By Elyria Rose Little, SCA Alum and Alumni Council Secretary

Eighteen years ago, I was about to join my first SCA backcountry trail crew. This year, for Earth Day, I co-led a volunteer trail day in an ecological restoration project at Cleveland Metroparks, where I work on the Trails team. 

At SCA, #EarthWeek reminds us of where conservation begins. It can be in nature, parks, or even your own backyard.⁣⁣ For SCA alum Ingrid, it begins in Houston, Texas! Where does it begin for you? Let us know in the comments below.

During its second annual run, SCA’s Parks Pandemonium Tournament proved once again how much people love public lands.

During the pandemic, Madera Canyon saw a record number of visitors using the trails, especially the popular Old Baldy Trail. It was already in need of restoration and the additional heavy traffic led to further erosion. For the last two years, the Friends of Madera Canyon and the U.S. Forest Service, along with volunteers and …

In January, the inaugural cohort of SCA Alumni Fellows began their three-month remote internships supporting different SCA departments on a national level. Now in the second month, the seven Alumni Fellows are collaborating and connecting over the research, writing, and video content that makes up their respective projects. In a recent cohort meeting, Alumni Engagement …

Is it surprising that one of the more memorable parts of serving on an SCA crew is the food? From learning new recipes to connecting with others, mealtime is a huge part of the SCA experience!   Over the next three weeks, follow along on TikTok as SCA alum Ingrid Piña cooks up three popular …

Photo: Stewart’s Canal, Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park (NPS) In United States history, countless critical moments have resulted in significant change. Economic pathways emerged, citizens became liberated, and movements were established. While new generations continue to learn of these milestones, many key change makers tied to historical shifts are commonly absent or minimized …

The Student Conservation Association will achieve a major milestone this year when we place our 100,000th service member! We will mark this momentous occasion with a year-long #SCA100K celebration, one that showcases SCA members, alumni, and others as they shape stronger communities and a more resilient world. Throughout this, our 65th year, there will be many opportunities …

The U.S. Forest Service places the number of trees in and around Chicago at 157 million. These trees store 62 million tons of CO2, annually remove another 677,000 tons of carbon from the air, and are valued at over $50 billion. SCA crews are helping to maintain these extraordinary ecological assets. In nearby Indiana, SCA’s …

Over the summer, the Student Conservation Association (SCA) and the National Park Service Youth Programs Division were excited to visit SCA’s Battery Kemble crew at Rock Creek Park on July 29, 2021 to check out the hard work they had been putting in for the past seven weeks. This crew worked for ten weeks on …

As we approach the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, SCA shares a collection of unique perspectives. Most are tied to Richard Guadagno, who in 2001 was manager of Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge and among the courageous passengers on United Flight 93. Since 2015, the Guadagno family has generously funded Richard J. …

The final diary entry from a melancholy Team Leader Jake Westrich: I can’t believe it’s over. One guy on my team asked Patrick [Gallo, SCA program manager] very early on how long the season might feel, and he was told it depends on his experience. We had times where life was slow and times where …

It has been quite an eventful summer season for SCA crews! From clearing trails in the Atlanta area to rebuilding bridges in Washington, DC, SCA members helped protect parks and public lands across the country. Here are six snapshots of the amazing work they accomplished! 1. Arabia Mountain Crew – Georgia Five SCA interns from …

Here’s the very latest from Team Leader Jake Westrich: After finishing up our work on the Golden Gate Trail, we transitioned to another neat locality called Marmot Hill. One of Rainier’s most popular trails is called the Skyline Trail, also based out of Paradise, and Marmot Hill is just one half-mile section of it. That …

Just a few days after getting back in from Bonny Lakes, we hitched up our trailer and drove Dusty five hours from Enterprise, OR to Longmire, WA: the Park Service’s main hub for Mount Rainier. Unlike our time in Oregon, our work in Mount. Rainier National Park is all in the front country. This means …

To celebrate #LatinoConservationWeek, meet SCA Alum Luis Cabrales! Luis (pictured above on the bottom right) is a Natural Areas Worker at the Chicago Park District and is also an Environmental Organizer for the Southeast Youth Alliance.   SCA: What is your first memory of nature/spending time outdoors or do you have a specific memory?   …

In celebration of Latino Conservation Week, we are recognizing SCA staff, members, and alumni who identify as Latinx. Meet SCA’s Chicago Program Manager, Samuel Vergara! About Sam Sam (pictured above in the middle) is a native Chicagoan who grew up in the Greater Lawndale Area. He strives to rebuild connections with nature through experiences and education. He loves …

By Jake Westrich, Team Leader So for our final hitch in the Oregon Wilderness, we went to work on trails near Bonny Lakes in the Eagle Cap Wilderness. We had been running out of gas on Day 6 of our previous 10-day hitches, so I decided to split this last one into two 5-day ones. But …

The world’s seven-warmest years have been the last seven (2014-2020) and should this trend continue, heat waves are likely to become more frequent, more severe, and more extended. As heat waves continue to blanket the country, it’s never been more important to focus on heat safety and taking precautions while outdoors. SCA crews spend hours …

By Jake Westrich, Team Leader This hitch, they sent us to the aptly-named Hells Canyon National Recreation Area/Wilderness for more trail clearing. An intense heat dome that affected much of the Pacific Northwest. One day we worked in 105+ degree conditions, and the next day we had to leave because we ran out of water. …

Imagine being part of a roving SCA backcountry trail team, working six weeks at Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in northeast Oregon followed by five weeks in Mount Rainer National Park south of Seattle. You live in tents, hike from worksite to worksite, and spend your days maintaining trails in the wild. Well, we’ll try to help …

As we approach SCA Founder’s Day on June 24, we always like to look back at the woman who started it all. Liz Putnam launched a movement that has continuously inspired young people to make their mark and serve our cherished public lands. During her first year at Vassar in 1951, a course called “Conservation …

On June 24, SCA will celebrate its 64th birthday! It all started when our beloved founder, Liz Putnam, envisioned a way to enlist student volunteers to assist with the upkeep of national parks and public spaces.   Liz is an active member of the conservation community to this day, so we thought it would be …

All across the nation, SCA crews are working to protect public lands, and the summer 2022 season will be no exception. With projects ranging from trail maintenance to removal of non-native plant species, SCA members will work to improve parks and greenspaces in multiple U.S. cities. Here’s a glimpse of the conservation work taking place …

AS SCA commemorates Earth Day, we’re sharing nationwide youth perspectives through The SCA Climate Survey, tales of SCA members’ service across the country, and virtual #SaveOurSphere programs online. We also have a poem from Ida Lewenstein of San Mateo, CA. Ida, who turns 90 next month, adopted a conservation ethic as a child, one borne …

Spring flowers fill us with hope, engender feelings of renewal, and delight our senses. Their bright colors and velvety textures are a feast for the eyes, their smell can be intoxicating, and the sounds of bees buzzing and birds chirping among their branches is like nature’s symphony. As warming weather and longer days beckon you …

Sometimes storylines just write themselves. The inaugural SCA Parks Pandemonium tournament, a decidedly non-scientific survey to determine “America’s favorite outdoor playground,” came down to the first national park vs. the most recent one. The trailblazer vs. the trending. Old guard vs. next gen. And, in the end, New River Gorge National Park bested Yellowstone by …