Field Notes

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 ...

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 knew we were also in the presence of a future ...

These are the photos that the SCA Instagram community liked best and the top SCA blog posts from 2021! Instagram Posts Whether you're looking for stunning outdoor landscapes or stories of adventure from the field of conservation, our Instagram post ...

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 mul ...

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 communitie ...

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. � ...

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 Departmen ...

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 ...

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 guidel ...

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From left to right, first row: Brianna Amingwa, Marcus Rosten. Second row: Melanie Quiñones Santiago, Olivia Walton.by Trisha MaliziaEach year the North American Association of Environmental Education (NAAEE) names a list of 30 people under 30 ...

by Lou Lunte SCA '77, '78; Alumni Council memberHow 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, ...

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 produ ...

Second Annual Alumni Engagement Week 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, part ...

by SCA Alum, David KurapkaIt 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, 2nd from rightI served in the ...

By Grace O’Hara, Richard J. Guadagno SCA Conservation FellowNineteen 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 aircra ...

“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 ...

Great American Outdoors Act 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 celebration. ...

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 p ...

If you’re starting 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 to ...

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 d ...

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. ...

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 Machi ...

by Kate HagnerLike many youth-serving organizations, SCA had to cancel or postpone a number of its programs as a result of COVID-19. Our mission hasn’t changed, however. Our members are counting on these experiences to gain new skills, explore cons ...

by David KurapkaLike so many SCA alumni I was deeply moved by Sarah’s reflections on how her SCA experience prepared her for being isolated and sheltered in place during the current crisis. It made me think of my own experiences with the SCA, both ...

SCA's Response to World Health Regulations During these uncertain times, many organizations must adapt to a new kind of normal. It is imperative to update our regulations and behaviors as social distancing practices con ...

Since 2018, SCA has engaged local young adults in GulfCorps, a program in which members restore coastal habitats damaged by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill while developing valuable career skills.Since mid-March, however, SCA’s GulfCorps teams in A ...

March 16th marked Zack Rowatt’s and Erica Watkins’ first day as interpretive interns at Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve. That’s also the day the White House issued a work-from-home advisory, the Dow fell 3,000 points, and America mo ...

by Kevin Hamilton, SCA VP for CommunicationsOn April 21, 2009 – barely three months after his inauguration – Barack Obama planted native trees with SCA volunteers at Washington, D.C.’s Kenilworth Aquatic Garden, an event that would mark hi ...

The coronavirus outbreak has brought hardship and heartbreak to many, and we hope you have been spared the worst.At SCA in recent weeks, we have suspended some service programs, delayed others, and provided support for volunteers who remain in the fi ...

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (which was after we took the photo above), SCA alum Sarah spoke about how her SCA experience helped to build coping skills like, “how to make bread. how to spend time alone, in the forest in quiet contemplation ...

SCA hopes you are in good health and spirit. The Covid-19 pandemic has, for the time being, redefined everyday life. Yet even as we practice social distancing, the American people have come together by running errands for the elderly, staging balcony ...

This. This post is everything right now. These are trying times indeed, but if we sit back and reflect on the words Sarah recently posted in SCA's Alumni Facebook group, we will know we are well-prepared and will get through this together. We are gra ...

It’s no secret that many of us are feeling confined right now. Between anxiety-inducing headlines and canceled social gatherings, our mental health is taking a hard hit. Aside from listening to podcasts, reading new books, and learning recipes, you ...

In continuing our celebration of AmeriCorps Week 2020, Alumna Simone Maule reflects on her SCA AmeriCorps experience that provided the opportunity to serve a local New Hampshire community and created a path towards a career in environmental education ...

To celebrate AmeriCorps Week 2020, we are sharing the service stories of SCA AmeriCorps alumni and how their experiences impacted them. Anna Kellner took the plunge and explored challenges she had never encountered before, and those challenges ultima ...

In February, we introduced SCA interns – and twins – Megan and Katie Woods, who are researching underplayed yet essential moments from Boston’s past at the National Parks of Boston. In her blog, Megan examined the presence of African Americans ...

SCA Alum Jacob Solon acquired many skills from his time as a member of the Excelsior Conservation Corps that are now applicable at his current professional role.HOW I FOUND IT AND WHY I JOINEDI found the ECC while attending the spring 2018 job fair p ...

This year’s The Corps Network conference recognized two SCA alumni that have made significant contributions to the conservation community and have demonstrated outstanding leadership skills. Chicago’s Luis Cabrales (pictured left) was recognized ...

SCA interns – and sisters – Megan and Katie Woods are researching rarely recognized yet essential moments in US history at the National Parks of Boston. In a fortuitous turn, their work coincides with this, African American History Month, and Mar ...

Few, if any, calendars note it, and Hallmark has no greeting card for it, but February is National Youth Leadership Month. It is a time to advance and celebrate the rising leaders among us who are making a difference in our communities and the world ...

Jane Clark's experience as a member of SCA's Excelsior Conservation Corps provided valuable leadership skills, the opportunity to work on a team, and how to balance heavy workloads. How I Found It and Why I JoinedI joined the Excelsior Conservat ...

SCA volunteers are known for their contributions to America’s parks and forests, but often less recognized is the extraordinary influence site supervisors have on these young stewards. Rangers, biologists, trail foremen, and others instruct, advise ...

Service in Honor of MLK Jr. Day On Monday, January 20th, Student Conservation Association (SCA), in sponsorship with American Express and Southwest Airlines, teamed up with National Park Service (NPS) to serve at Anacostia National Park. In honor of ...

Joining Forces to Expand Support for Youth Programs Across the Country We’ve teamed-up with 12 of the nation’s leading youth programs to launch Be a Champion, #InvestInKids to raise awareness and increase support for youth programs across the c ...

By Nancy FernandezJessica Zamudio and I first met in 2015 when we were both selected to participate in a special internship program run by the Student Conservation Association that introduced undergraduate and graduate students to career opportunitie ...

These are the photos that the SCA Instagram community liked best in 2019! Whether you're looking for stunning outdoor landscapes or stories of adventure from the field of conservation, our Instagram posts had something for everyone last year. You can ...

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 cr ...