Environmental Concern was recently selected by the Chesapeake Bay Trust as a Host Organization for Chesapeake Conservation Corps Volunteers. This CCCV Program funds a one year paid internship for selected participants to work with an organization whose mission is consistent with the goals of the Trust and the Corps Program. Environmental Concern has been restoring wetlands in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed for 45 years. Teaching and mentoring the next generation of Bay stewards is one of EC’s primary goals and is consistent with the goal of the Corps Program.
A total of thirty-seven Host Organizations were matched with forty-two Chesapeake Conservation Corps Volunteers. EC was honored to be selected as a Host Organization for two Volunteers. Samantha Alvey and Connor Burton joined the EC team in late August for the 2017-2018 Corps Program. Samantha and Connor will be required to design, plan, fund and construct a Project. The Project planning process challenges the volunteer to learn design software programs, prepare grant applications to fund the Project, and to work with community volunteers to implement the project.
Samantha will be working with Environmental Concern’s Education staff, to complete the Queen Anne’s County Public School’s Milkweed and Habitat Maintenance and Monitoring Grant. Samantha will also develop an Environmental Literacy Pilot Implementation Program. After completing this project, Samantha will work with EC’s Mid-Atlantic Monarch Initiative to promote processes that increase the availability and production of milkweed species- the key habitat of the endangered Monarch butterfly.
Connor will be working with Environmental Concern’s Restoration and Nursery Teams. Connor is working with the EC staff, controlling invasive Phragmites, in the first 2 months of his Volunteer commitment with EC. Connor learned quickly that getting wet and muddy is a requirement in the wetland field. Connor is working with EC’s Restoration Specialists, assisting with Projects throughout the year. The projects involve site surveys, developing concept designs , site assessments, and monitoring and maintenance. Connor’s “Work Plan” also includes supporting the Nursery’s seed collection initiative, plant propagation and processing activities. We are confident that Connor will be well prepared to start a career in the wetland field when he has completed his Volunteer commitment with Environmental Concern.
“We are grateful to the Chesapeake Bay Trust for selecting EC as a Host Organization”, said Suzanne Pittenger-Slear, Environmental Concern’s President. “We look forward to mentoring these two exceptional individuals. They will join a long list of environmental professionals who started their wetland career at Environmental Concern.”
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