Every April, Earth Month serves as a vital reminder of our collective responsibility to protect and preserve the planet. It also inspires action and reflection, highlighting the critical role our dedicated program participants have in fostering environmental stewardship while engaging the communities we serve.
From Maine to California, SCA program participants are leading the way in improving our nation’s public lands and preserving wildlife for future generations. Read on to learn more about their work and how their experiences also have a personal impact.
SCA Bay Area Urban Forestry crew member Erin Gamboa uses a chainsaw to cut through a tree limb. (Photo Credit: James Martin)
Cities thrive when trees are part of the story. Trees transform urban spaces into vibrant, healthier, safer and more resilient communities. In 2024, the SCA launched the Bay Area Urban Forestry Crew, which planted 150+ trees and native plants while removing 118,000+ sq.ft. of invasive species across the region.
The crew also had the opportunity to travel to Joshua Tree National Park to assist National Parks Service staff with a revegetation project for ongoing wildfire recovery efforts by planting Joshua Tree seeds in the desert, cultivating the next generation of the iconic California endemic species.
Sadly, the SCA’s urban forestry programs, like this one just starting to take root across the country, are now at risk of being canceled. Due to federal funding cuts, nearly 130 young people will lose out on jobs and vital training opportunities.
While we remain committed to building the next generation of conservation leaders, we cannot do it alone. Your generosity can help keep our program participants at work for the plant. In honor of Earth Month, donate by April 30 and your gift will be matched dollar for dollar.
The SCA New York City Urban Green Acadian Exploration Crew holds up bags of soil at the summit of Sargent Mountain at Acadia National Park. (Photo Credit: Shaun Crockett/The Bearded Mainer Photography)
The SCA’s 2024 Urban Green Acadian Exploration Crew from New York City trekked 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 parkgoers.
The crew carried 209 pounds of soil to the summit of Sargent Mountain, the park’s second-highest peak at 1,040 feet above sea level. The four-mile hike along steep terrain took around four hours to complete.
For many of the crew members, this was their first experience camping, which allowed them to develop newfound skills, including pitching a tent, lighting a campfire, cooking outdoors and making s’mores.
The SCA Olympic National Park Backcountry Trail Team decompresses around a campfire. (Photo Credit: Rafeed Hussain)
Our Olympic National Park Backcountry Trail Team in Washington continues the trailblazing work at the very park where SCA founder Liz Putnam first enlisted student volunteers to assist with the upkeep of U.S. National Parks in 1957, launching the Student Conservation Association.
The crew worked alongside National Park Service staff, building bridges and turnpikes, retreading eroded and deteriorating trails, clearing brush and fallen trees, and creating memories for a lifetime.
Throughout the season, program participants work exclusively in the backcountry, camping near their work sites. Each eight-day stretch, known as a hitch, is broken up by six rest days between assignments.
Today, the SCA is the largest provider of hands-on environmental conservation programs for youth and adults, with a mission to build the next generation of conservation leaders by engaging young people through hands-on service projects.
