Sarah Hoye

Guardians Of The West

A collage of SCA crew members in hard hats while working in the wilderness

Off the Grid, On the Front Lines: Meet the SCA Crews Protecting Idaho’s Wild Side For nearly two decades, members of the SCA’s Idaho Corps have worked alongside federal and state agencies in the Gem State to deliver essential land management services while serving from the Salmon-Challis AmeriCorps Forest Training Center. The Idaho Corps is

The SCA’s Urban Forestry Crew In Northwest Indiana Receives Critical Last-Minute Funding To Support Watering And Planting Trees

Student Conservation Association News Release

HAMMOND, Ind. – The Student Conservation Association (SCA) today announced receiving much-needed support from two foundations that helped to restore lost federal funds and enabled the Urban Forestry Crew to complete their tree watering and planting season, which typically lasts until early November. The first award came from the Legacy Foundation’s Lake County Resilience Fund,

Answering The Call Of Nature

A lake with trees in the background

Standing For Conservation A lifelong relationship with the land, forests, and ocean led Dr. Jody Thomas to become a dedicated champion of the Student Conservation Association for over 32 years. Drawn to the beauty of the northeast, Dr. Thomas spent her career practicing family medicine in New Hampshire. Having grown up on a rural Ohio

Alum Spotlight: Sara Wettekin

SCA alum Sara Wettekin taking a selfie on the shore of Lake Erie at Presque Isle State Park in Pennsylvania.

From The Corps To A Career Sara Wettekin grew up playing on the beaches of Pennsylvania’s famed Presque Isle State Park and swimming in Lake Erie. Following her love of the outdoors, she majored in Environmental Geology in college. After graduating, she worked as a water quality specialist for an industrial company. Unfulfilled, a friend

A Decade Of Partnership In Pennsylvania

SCA crew members in the woods wearing hard hats and smiling

A Conservation Milestone This year marks a decade of impact through the Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). With the largest program year in the Corps’ history, 207 participants served on 11 young adult and 18 summer youth crews, including an American Sign Language crew. “It

National Park Service Birthday

Single Joshua Tree in the moonlight

Decades of Partnership In honor of the National Park Service’s 109th birthday on Aug. 25, we are highlighting our long-standing partnership of making an impact at parks across the country. The Park Service reported a record 331.9 million recreation visits in 2024, an increase of 6.36 million visits, or 2%, from 2023. That’s almost equal

Student Conservation Association Celebrates 10th Anniversary Of The Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps

Student Conservation Association News Release

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Student Conservation Association (SCA) is celebrating a decade of impact through the Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). This year was the largest program year in the Corps’ history, with 207 participants serving on 11 young adult crews and 18 summer youth

SCA Alum Spotlight: Julia Taboga

Group photo of crew members standing in a stright ling outdoors holding red shovels

New To Nature Julia Taboga has always considered herself an indoors person. “I do orchestra and a lot of art stuff,” said the senior in high school. “I was never really a nature person.” That all changed at the start of her sophomore year of high school when her guidance counselor told her about a

SCA Alum Spotlight: Chris Hensley

SCA Alum Chris Hensley wears a firefighting uniform while sitting on a rock near the edge of a cliff

Life In The Forest SCA alum Chris Hensley dedicated his entire career to forest conservation. After completing two back-to-back programs with the SCA, he immediately took a job with a federal trail crew in Big Sur, California, and never looked back. Today, he’s a wildland firefighter in southwest Colorado. “Where I live, I’m surrounded by

Student Conservation Association Welcomes New Board Members & Board Leadership

Student Conservation Association News Release

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Student Conservation Association (SCA) today announced the appointments of three new board members and leadership positions. These appointments will help support the nonprofit’s mission to build the next generation of conservation leaders. “We are excited to announce our new board member appointments and board leadership. Their wealth of experience and unwavering

Student Conservation Association Names Kelly Runzel Vice President Of Philanthropy

Student Conservation Association News Release

ARLINGTON, VA. – The Student Conservation Association (SCA), the largest provider of hands-on environmental conservation programs for youth and young adults, is pleased to announce the appointment of Kelly Runzel as Vice President of Philanthropy, effective Dec. 20, 2024. “We are thrilled to welcome Kelly Runzel as our new Vice President of Philanthropy. Kelly’s extensive

Climbing To New Heights

NYC Urban Green Acadian Exploration Crew members hiking in woods at Acadia National Park

Urban Green Crew Tackles Erosion At Acadia National Park The SCA’s 2024 Urban Green Acadian Exploration Crew from New York City completed a special mission. The crew made the trek from the Big Apple to Acadia National Park in Maine to help preserve local plant life and combat erosion caused by decades of trampling by

Student Conservation Association Names Anne Morrison Director Of Risk And Safety Management

Student Conservation Association News Release

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Student Conservation Association (SCA), the largest provider of hands-on environmental conservation programs for youth and young adults, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Usha Chaudhary as Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective Dec. 13, 2023.

Student Conservation Association Names Zachary Bolick As Vice President Of Partnerships

Student Conservation Association News Release

ARLINGTON, VA. – The Student Conservation Association (SCA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Zachary Bolick as Vice President of Partnerships. “We are excited to name Zachary Bolick our new Vice President of Partnerships. His background managing critical relationships with our network of partners, coupled with being a three-time SCA program participant, makes him

Protecting Indiana’s Natural Wonders

Northwest Indiana Dunes Restoration Crew walking together at Indiana Dunes National Park

Remarkable Restoration As one of the most industrialized parts of the country, Northwest Indiana is no stranger to environmental concerns ranging from poor air quality to contaminated waterways. To help preserve and protect the region, the SCA fielded its first community conservation program there in 2016. Since then, more than 10,000 trees have been planted

SCA Alum Spotlight: Anna Tripp

SCA Alum Anna Tripp wearing her National Park Service ranger uniform.

Taking The Leap When Anna Tripp graduated from Jacksonville University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in marine science and a minor in photography, the nation was in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. Struggling to find a full-time job after an unpaid internship at Mote Marine Laboratory, her college professor pointed her to the

Young Conservationists Leave Lasting Impact On Bay Area

Bay Area Peninsula Climate Resiliency Crew Member Zoey Lee installing protective cattle fencing in a field.

At Work For The Planet The SCA fielded its first conservation program in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1977. Since then, hundreds of Bay Area youth have participated in SCA programs. Now under the banner of Urban Green, program participants support urban forestry initiatives in equity-priority communities, maintain trails to improve access to green

A Summer Of Service

SCA Olympic National Park Backcountry Trail Team Member Chance Kernan

Continuing Liz Putnam’s Trailblazing Work At Olympic National Park As the sun rises over the Bogachiel Rain Forest Trail at Olympic National Park in Washington, the sound of sleeping bags and tent zippers unfurling joins the melodies of songbirds, the rustling of wind, and the ever-present pitter-patter of raindrops. The SCA’s Olympic National Park Backcountry

Student Conservation Association Names Jaime González Urban Green Director

Student Conservation Association News Release

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Student Conservation Association (SCA), the largest provider of hands-on environmental conservation programs for youth and young adults, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Usha Chaudhary as Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective Dec. 13, 2023.

Student Conservation Association, Preserve Montana Announce Launch of the Preservation Trades Corps

Indiana SCA crew member wearing hat removing invasive plant species

Helena, Mont. – The Student Conservation Association (SCA) and Preserve Montana today announced the launch of the Preserve Montana Trades Corps. From June to August 2024, this eight-week pilot program will support a four-person crew dedicated to exposing young people to the historic preservation trades. The corps will experience a diverse array of preservation trades

Comic Relief US Awards Student Conservation Association $315,000 To Expand Urban Green Programs in Atlanta and Houston

Calumet Conservation Crew members wearing safety gear smiling

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Student Conservation Association (SCA) today announced that Comic Relief US awarded the organization a two-year grant of $315,000 from its Red Nose Day campaign to help continue expanding green conservation jobs and environmental education for youth in Atlanta and Houston. The Red Nose Day Campaign is dedicated to raising life-changing funds

Student Conservation Association Welcomes New Board Members

Student Conservation Association News Release

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Student Conservation Association (SCA) today announced the appointments of four new board members who will help support the nonprofit’s work of changing lives through service to nature. “As we embark on a new chapter, we are thrilled to welcome to the board these knowledgeable and accomplished professionals who bring immense expertise

Student Conservation Association, U.S. Forest Service Announce Wildland Fire Academy Program

Wildland firefighters wearing protective gear digging a trench in a forest.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Student Conservation Association (SCA) today announced that the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) will award the organization $12 million over the next five years to launch a Wildland Fire Academy Program.

KeyBank Foundation Awards Student Conservation Association $300,000 to Expand Green Jobs Program for High Schoolers 

SCA Crew Members Walking

ARLINGTON, Va. — The SCA is excited to announce that the KeyBank Foundation will award the organization $300,000 over two years to help provide green conservation jobs for high school students in Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

Student Conservation Association Joins 2023 Leave No Trace Hot Spot Program at Goldbug Hot Springs

Host springs water in a mountain valley

North Fork, Idaho – The Student Conservation Association (SCA), in partnership with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics Hot Spot Program, will host clean-up service events open to the public on June 1-3 at Goldbug Hot Springs in the Salmon-Challis National Forest near Salmon, Idaho.

Student Conservation Association Selects Lidia Soto-Harmon As New President And CEO

SCA President and CEO Lidia Soto-Harmon.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Student Conservation Association (SCA) today announced that its Board of Directors unanimously selected Lidia Soto-Harmon as the organization’s next president and chief executive officer.

Student Conservation Association Announces Four New Board Members And Names New Board Leadership

Group of SCA members and partner staff viewing presentation

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Student Conservation Association (SCA) today announced the appointments of four new board members and a new board chair who will each help support the nonprofit’s work of changing lives through service to nature.

National Invasive Species Awareness Week (Feb. 20-26, 2023)

With National Invasive Species Awareness Week (Feb. 20-26) just around the corner, we wanted to call attention to the hard work our members are doing to combat these invaders.

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