Nonprofit organizations Natural Lands and Trellis for Tomorrow are partnering together on a program that introduces Chester County youths who have faced social and economic disadvantages to real-world career opportunities in caring for nature. The program, called Youth Environmental Stewardship (YES), began in 2018. The partners recently announced they are looking to expand the program in 2020.
The YES program focuses on creating the next generation of land stewards. A cohort of 13- to 17-year-olds works on a variety of conservation projects at two of Natural Lands' nature preserves: Binky Lee and Bryn Coed, both located in Chester Springs. Projects include planting trees, trail maintenance and construction, invasive species removal, and various beautification projects. The program emphasizes conservation and allows participants to explore possible career opportunities in the field. Additionally, experiences on the preserves are designed to be metaphors for the real world.
The YES program is run by Trellis for Tomorrow, a nonprofit that creates transformative, real-world opportunities for their program participants. Through the lens of sustainability, young people learn to make choices that foster health and well-being for themselves, their communities, and the environment. During the most recent season of the YES program's pilot period, the summer of 2019, participants endured hot temperatures and heavy rains.
Connecting people - especially young people - to the outdoors has become an increasingly essential part of Natural Lands' work. One of its goals is to cultivate the next generation of conservationists.
Participants must apply to the program, and they receive a paycheck. According to Bob Steininger, the director of Chester County Youth Programs with Trellis for Tomorow, youths join YES to try something new, to have something to do for the summer or on the weekends in fall and spring, to meet people, or to learn more about environmental stewardship.
Natural Lands is dedicated to preserving and nurturing nature's wonders while creating opportunities in the outdoors for everyone. The land conservation organization, which is member supported, has preserved more than 125,000 acres, including 44 nature preserves totaling more than 23,000 acres. Some 2.5 million people live within 5 miles of land under the organization's protection. For more information, readers may visit http://www.natlands.org.
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