My name is Abby and I am the Education and Community Engagement AmeriCorps member at the Skagit Land Trust in Mount Vernon, WA. In this position I plan and lead activities for youth in Skagit Land Trust’s Conservation Classrooms.
Throughout my service so far I have worked with several youth groups out on the land. Some participants were from far as Denver, Colorado! I consistently work with two high schools in Skagit County, taking their leadership and environmental classes out in the field biweekly. We take field trips to a variety of Land Trust properties and do an environmental lesson that ties in with natural features on the properties. Lessons typically include invasive species removal, learning about forest health, nature walks, planting trees, etc. The teachers and I coordinate our lessons so that the students are learning in the classroom about various environmental topics like invasive species and then get to come out into the field and work with the species they learned about.
I have been fortunate to work with some great students, one student even said that he was sorry he could not stay to do more to help! It is times like this that remind me of the importance of my work. This year so far I have engaged 71 youth volunteers for a total of 241 stewardship and educational service hours! I am looking forward to getting more youth outdoors in the coming months.
Throughout my service so far I have worked with several youth groups out on the land. Some participants were from far as Denver, Colorado! I consistently work with two high schools in Skagit County, taking their leadership and environmental classes out in the field biweekly. We take field trips to a variety of Land Trust properties and do an environmental lesson that ties in with natural features on the properties. Lessons typically include invasive species removal, learning about forest health, nature walks, planting trees, etc. The teachers and I coordinate our lessons so that the students are learning in the classroom about various environmental topics like invasive species and then get to come out into the field and work with the species they learned about.
I have been fortunate to work with some great students, one student even said that he was sorry he could not stay to do more to help! It is times like this that remind me of the importance of my work. This year so far I have engaged 71 youth volunteers for a total of 241 stewardship and educational service hours! I am looking forward to getting more youth outdoors in the coming months.
