JACKSONVILLE, Fla., June 15, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Eight Jacksonville area high school students will spend the summer completing outdoor conservation projects through a six-week citywide high school program managed by the Student Conservation Association (SCA) and funded in partnership with the Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation, Late Bloomers Garden Club, Schultz Foundation, and others. Kicking off its inaugural year, the program is designed to increase environmental awareness while providing local urban youth with paid summer employment, hands-on experience, leadership opportunities and team-building skills to promote conservation and the enhancement of Jacksonville's unique natural resources.
Program participants receive a monetary stipend for their work on summer conservation crews, with the added benefit of weekly environmental education days, community service, job skills and career development. Participants are recommended by school counselors, teachers and community members, while many applicants express a strong interest in the environment and contributing to their local communities. Building and maintaining trails and natural wetlands while removing invasive plant species, the high school summer conservation program runs from June 18th through July 20th.
Students participating in the program are supervised by two experienced crew leaders for intensive projects scheduled at the surrounding coastal wetlands and green spaces of Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. Environmental education days will include the study of ecosystems, conservation principles and environmental awareness, as well as a 4-day recreational camping/hiking trip at program's end.
SCA is a nationwide conservation force of college and high school volunteers who protect and restore America's parks, forests, and other public lands. For nearly 50 years, SCA's active, hands-on approach to conservation has helped to develop a new generation of conservation leaders, inspire lifelong stewardship, and save our planet. To learn more, visit www.theSCA.org.
The Student Conservation Association logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3693
Editors: Contact SCA Media Relations Coordinator M. Brandon Frazier at 703-524-2441 or bfrazier@thesca.org to arrange site visits to conservation service projects, photo opportunities and/or student interviews.