The Student Conservation Association Blog

In honor of World Sea Turtle Day on June 16, we're celebrating our SCA alums who were inspired to protect this special creature through their service at the Student Conservation Association. Matthew Botello grew up hunting, fishing and exploring t ...

They are all winners! In anticipation of our 67th anniversary on June 24, 2024, we are digging up old photos of our crews from parks across the country to share with the Student Conservation Association (SCA) community. Take a look at our crews from ...

In honor of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month this May, we are highlighting three parks rich in AANPHI history and culture that our SCA crew members are helping to protect. 1. Ala Kahakai National Histori ...

What is it that’s so calming about nature? May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and at the Student Conservation Association, we have seen firsthand the benefits of nature on our young members through hands-on service to the land. Ninety percent o ...

The SCA ended Earth Month with a bang! Our tree planting event at Proksa Park on April 28 brought more than 70 volunteers together to plant 30 new trees, including Aerie Real Foundation Ambassador Aly Raisman, gold medal gymnast and advocate. Togeth ...

International Bat Appreciation Day on April 17 celebrates the important role that bats play in our lives. Due to threats from disease and climate change, bat populations in North America and beyond are considered to be endangered. Student Conservatio ...

At the Student Conservation Association, we are continuously inspired by our program participants' efforts to make a difference in the world around us. This Earth Month, we are highlighting our dedicated crew members, past and present. From the Gulf ...

In honor of Earth Day, the SCA encourages you to "Do One Thing" for the planet. As a nationally recognized leader in providing hands-on environmental conservation programs for youth and young adults, we want to inspire those in the communities we ...

In honor of World Water Day (March 22, 2024), the Student Conservation Association is highlighting the work done by our program participants doing their part to protect this crucial resource. This important work includes managing natural resources ...

We asked our Student Conservation Association community to vote on their favorite park photo from three finalists. The winning photo is of Mt. Rainier National Park, which will be featured on a set of limited-edition SCA postcards this summer. Read o ...

In honor of Women’s History Month in March, we reflect on the life and legacy of our fearless founder, Liz Putnam. As a 20-year-old student at Vassar College in 1953, she outlined the idea for the SCA in her senior thesis. Modeled after the Civi ...

Vote for your favorite photo from these three beloved national parks where you can find SCA crews hard at work this year. Your support fuels our mission to nurture a deep-rooted love for nature among young leaders. The last day to vote is March 15. T ...

For Black History Month, we reflect on defining moments where courageous individuals stood up to injustice and advocated for equity. We also look back on those who are seldom recognized for their contributions to society. Commemorating the people and ...

With National Invasive Species Awareness Week (Feb. 26 - March 3, 2024) just around the corner, we wanted to call attention to the hard work our members are doing to combat these invaders. Lining roads, populating waterways and lurking in your own ...

For decades, those who care about the health of our environment—the Student Conservation Association—have fought to protect our parks and public lands from development, deforestation, pollution and other destructive threats. Today is no differ ...

To honor the life and dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the SCA partnered with the Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and Casey Trees to host a clean-up event at one of the most biodiverse natural areas in the nation’s capital, Kenilworth Aq ...

SCA participants have completed several essential restoration projects within the last month. We also have teams actively working on critical conservation efforts this winter. Below are some highlights from crews working to restore and improve green ...

What better way to kick off the new year and bid farewell to the last than to relive and review top SCA moments from 2023? We've rounded up 10 of the SCA's social media posts that our audience engaged with the most. From adventures in Alaska to our b ...

To celebrate Native American Heritage Month, we are sharing ways the Student Conservation Association has worked to honor Native American culture and preserve green spaces and their cultural significance for generations to come. Musconetcong Comm ...

National Take a Hike Day (Nov. 17, 2023) encourages getting outdoors and exploring some of the over 60,000 miles of trail across the nation. Year-round, SCA crew members work to improve trails for visitor use at national parks, state parks and more. ...

We asked our SCA community to vote for their favorite fall photo and the results are in! Cleveland received the most votes. But Cleveland isn't the only location where you can find SCA crews in action. At the Student Conservation Association (SCA), ...

You’re invited to get outside the day after Thanksgiving as part of a larger effort to turn #BlackFriday greener. In honor of #GreenFriday, we’re highlighting three parks and programs with “green” in their name where you’ll find SCA crews ...

The Student Conservation Association had several crew members improving public lands across Alaska this past season. From sites like Kenai Fjords National Park to Tongass National Forest, SCA teams worked hard to complete much-needed trail projects ...

America’s National Parks have always been home to wildlife species, plants, water bodies, and natural wonders of many kinds. But these are not the only inhabitants of countless outdoor spaces across the country. For years, both hikers and park ran ...

Swooping in just in time for Halloween is Bat Week (Oct. 24 - 31, 2023), a week to bring awareness and recognition to these often misunderstood animals that play a vital role in the ecosystem. Bats act as a natural pest control, with some species kn ...

It’s been a busy summer of conservation in cities nationwide! From Pittsburgh to the Bay Area, Student Conservation Association crew members have worked to improve local green spaces and parks and engage with surrounding communities. Here are a fe ...

The National Park Service turns 107 on Aug. 25. The National Park Service was created by Congress in 1916 to “preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and insp ...

Women’s Equality Day is celebrated on Aug. 26 to honor the work and achievements that paved the way for women’s rights today. This celebration commemorates the ratification of the 19th Amendment in the United States, officially granting women th ...

Did you know the Student Conservation Association has special roving crews that travel frequently within a state or region? Roving crews are assigned to various projects throughout an area and typically spend 10 days at a time (also known as a hi ...

It’s no secret that SCA founder Liz Putnam is one of the most influential leaders in the conservation world. In 1957, she launched a movement that has inspired several generations to serve the planet and continues strongly today. Because of her id ...

National Pollinator Week is an annual event celebrated June 19-25, 2023, to support and promote pollinator health. From monitoring pollinators at risk of being endangered to maintaining the habitats pollinators thrive in, SCA participants work ye ...

June is Great Outdoors Month, and that also means it’s time for the Great American Campout, typically held on the fourth Saturday in June. In honor of celebrating camping safely and responsibly, the Student Conservation Association (SCA) offers ma ...

On Endangered Species Day, we recognize thousands of different species across the globe that need our help. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has listed several species as federally threatened or endangered in the United States. Their habitats are ...

Every May, we highlight the significance of historic preservation. From landscaping to window restoration, maintaining historic sites gives us glimpses into the past that can be shared with future generations. The Student Conservation Association ...

Across the nation, Student Conservation Association crews are working to protect public lands, and the 2023 summer season will be no exception. With projects ranging from trail maintenance to removing invasive plant species, SCA members will work ...

We love planting trees at the Student Conservation Association. With National Arbor Day coming up on April 28, we’re shining a spotlight on our Urban Green Program, which provides young people with paid green jobs, including single-day servic ...

National Park Week (April 22-30) is a time to honor all things parks. With more than 400 national parks across the country, there is a lot to love. The Student Conservation Association (SCA) has partnered with the National Park Service since our ...

To celebrate Earth Day, the Student Conservation Association (SCA) is hosting multiple events across the country throughout April. Join The Crew and participate in a day of service cleaning up litter, planting trees, removing invasive species and ...

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 ac ...

It was one of the tightest calendar cover races in SCA history! But grizzly bears received the most votes from our online community, so they will grace the cover of the Student Conservation Association’s 2024 calendar. Thanks to the thousands of S ...

The more you learn about the Student Conservation Association’s founder, Liz Putnam, the more you are in awe of her greatness. We are especially proud to honor her during Women’s History Month, and we also want to celebrate her birthday on Ap ...

As one of Earth’s most abundant and precious natural resources, water is vital for a healthy and sustainable planet. Water is critical for nature’s many different ecosystems and its quality impacts all living things. With rising challenges posed ...

Women have always led the way at the Student Conservation Association (SCA). Starting with a movement launched by the SCA’s inspirational founder, Liz Putnam, young women have continued to break down barriers within conservation and service work, ...

Even though summer reigns supreme for travel, winter brings its own unique experiences for every level of outdoor enthusiast. Check out these destinations for your favorite cold-weather activities: Clay Pit Ponds State Park, Staten Island, New Yo ...

Get out your binoculars! Even though the Great Backyard Bird Count (Feb. 17-20) is over, any time is a good time to celebrate birds and showcase threatened bird species that the Student Conservation Association is working to protect this year. Ha ...

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. Lining roads, populating waterways and lurking in your own backyard, n ...

Now in its 6th Season, the GulfCorps Conservation Crew is hard at work in Alabama and Texas. Since 2018, the SCA has been partnering with The Nature Conservancy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, The Corps Network and a host of loc ...

The SCA will be expanding its wildland fire management work in 2023. Last year, we piloted our first women’s fuels management crew with the National Park Service in Alaska. The members of the crew gained skills that would allow them to progress ...

To honor the life and dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Student Conservation Association partnered with the Friends of Anacostia Park and the National Park Service to host the MLK Day of Service litter cleanup event on Jan. 16 along the ...

During the cold and dreariest times of the year, evergreen trees provide much-needed color among the otherwise monochrome landscapes of winter. Like deciduous trees and their leaves provide refuge from the sun during the summer, evergreens are a crit ...

Bison, like those pictured above, are often mistaken for buffalo. Most have heard the song “Home on the Range,” painting a scene of buffalo roaming while the deer and antelope are playing. But are these creatures that we mention truly buffalo � ...

And the winner is...Colorado! This year's fall photo contest was certainly a tough competition. With each landscape's foliage being uniquely beautiful, it's almost too difficult for us to choose a favorite. The Student Conservation Association ( ...

A huge component of SCA's conservation efforts centers on protecting wildlife across the country. From banding puffins for future monitoring to locating endangered sea turtle nests, members of the Student Conservation Association work to preserve som ...

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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 wh ...

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 ...

Blue Glacier. (Chip Freund)Since its inception, SCA has provided opportunities for generations of young environmental stewards to step foot into our country's majestic and awe-inspiring national parks. It also just so happens that many SCA members ca ...

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. I have scars all over my arms and legs in various stages of healing from the skeeter bites that ...

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 c ...

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 du ...

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.” A ...

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. The mosquitoes and ticks were s ...

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 ...

Hanging out in Bemidji, MN (Left to right: Zircon, Rock, Moss and Mud) I have fifteen mosquito bites on my face, twelve on my neck, and some weird red marks on my collarbone. Over the course of three weeks, I’ve written over a dozen incident r ...

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. After five months in the fiel ...

*Pictured above (L-R): Zircon (Grace), Moss (Lina), Mud (Jonathan), and Rock (Aidan)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 fir ...

By Elyria Rose Little, SCA Alum and Alumni Council SecretaryEighteen 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 M ...

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! https://www.youtube.com/embed/lyD2stAUbgQ Where does it begin for y ...

During its second annual run, SCA’s Parks Pandemonium Tournament proved once again how much people love public lands.   While there were several Cinderella runs like Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge and Valley Forge Nation ...

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 Frie ...

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 re ...

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 ...

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 we ...

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, ...

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 ...

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 i ...

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 pas ...

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. ...

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 w ...

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 ou ...

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 Nat ...

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: Wha ...

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 SamSam (pictured above in the middle) is a native Chicagoan who grew u ...

By Jake Westrich, Team LeaderSo 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 t ...

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 mor ...

By Jake Westrich, Team LeaderThis 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 cond ...

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 worksi ...

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 ...

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 co ...

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 gre ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

­Women’s History Month has a rather fleeting history of its own.According to the WHM website, Congress approved a Women’s History Week in 1981 and, six years later, in response to a petition from the National Women’s History Project, authorize ...

The SCA’s NH Conservation Corps Digital Educator Naturalists have been hard at work creating and delivering remote environmental education lessons for students across New Hampshire. The new position was created to continue SCA’s Education Service ...

Do you remember the times you had to cook during your SCA hitch? Are you curious about some of the meals SCA members have cooked while serving? Listed below are some delicious recipes and helpful tips for cooking in the field!BREAKFASTApple Cinnamon ...

When we first spoke with Caleb Miguel Awe last November, he admitted to some trepidation. “Nobody likes 40 below,” he noted.Caleb was just beginning his second straight winter as a sled dog intern at Denali National Park and Preserve, so he was a ...

“Few if any calendars make note of it, and Hallmark has no greeting card for it, but February is National Youth Leadership Month.”  If that sentence seems familiar, it’s because we posted it last year as part of the promotion behind t ...

Joe Biden pictured above (bottom row on the left).As special events go, this one was transcendent.In 2009, SCA hosted the then-current U.S. president and a former U.S. president in a tree-planting project to commemorate Earth Day. At the time, no one ...