Green Team Youth Program Work Has Begun

The Green Team is back! Every summer, programming begins for youth leaders to work in parks and make a difference. This year, 60 teens, ages 14-18, will work in Mt. Echo Park, Mt. Airy Forest, Mt. Storm, Caldwell Nature Preserve and Kennedy Heights Park. They will learn conservation job skills and local ecology, as well as perform job duties such as invasive species removal, trail repairs and surveying.

The work they are doing will improve the health of the forests, trail access and drainage. Green team workers will also help staff to document newer emerging invasive plants, which will help researchers make decisions about regulatory actions for yet to be listed species. Parks staff and Groundwork staff will teach plant identification skills and basic forest and stream health indicators to the teens. They will also have the opportunity to learn basic carpentry skills, repairing worn out benches and creating owl nest boxes. Workers will gain critical field skills that are often lacking in current environmental education curriculums but desperately sought after in the green industry. 

We are excited to welcome the Green Team back into the parks and can't wait to see the positive impact they will make. 

Image by Groundwork Ohio River Valley