When we think of environmental education (EE), we might think of connecting youth to nature, increasing student academic achievement, and developing the next generation of environmental stewards. These are all excellent and proven benefits of EE. But EE that specifically empowers youth and adults towards environmental action in their community can also lead to direct […]
NRCA
Teen-Adult Teams Apply Technology Tools Toward Local Conservation
UConn’s Conservation Training Partnerships (CTP) program just graduated its third year of Conservation Ambassadors, though admittedly, not exactly the way we had originally planned. CTP begins with a two-day workshop where teen & adult teams learn how to apply innovative, user-friendly mapping and web technology to address local conservation issues through hands-on fieldwork. After the […]
Environmental Conservation on Display
What do salamanders, bats, compost and microplastics have in common? They’re some of the many conservation topics that teens and adults enrolled in the UConn Natural Resources Conservation Academy (http://nrca.uconn.edu/) have investigated this past year. Participants in the NRCA Conservation Ambassador Program and Conservation Training Partnerships will share their community project posters, story maps and […]
Enlisting Youth to Tackle Conservation Projects
December 5th, 2019 Presented by Laura Cisneros, Ph.D., Nicole Freidenfelds and Amy Cabaniss, Ph.D., UConn Extension Faculty members, NRCA Have a great idea for a conservation project in your community or land trust, but not sure you have the staff power, technical know-how, or energy to carry it out? Wouldn’t it be great to engage […]
Teen-Adult Conservation Projects Contributing to Town’s Sustainable CT Efforts
Every year, UConn’s Natural Resources Conservation Academy supports ~50 teen-adult partnerships as the teams embark on a common goal: to tackle an environmental issue that is relevant to their community. These intergenerational conservation efforts span an incredible range of topics (e.g., mapping, invasive species, restoration, soils & agriculture, wildlife & fisheries, public outreach, and water […]
One CAP Cohort Finishes and Another CAP Cohort Joins the Fold
I continue to be impressed by our Natural Resources Conservation Academy (NRCA) Conservation Ambassador Program (CAP) students. We said goodbye to our 2017-2018 CAP cohort at the 12th Annual Connecticut Conference on Natural Resources, where they graduated as our newest Connecticut Conservation Ambassadors. The students presented their work during a poster session, and described the […]
Engaging & Mentoring the Next Generation of Conservation Leaders
January 30, 2018 Presented by Laura Cisneros & Abby Beissinger, NRCA, UConn Department of Natural Resources and Environment Conservation groups that depend on the efforts of volunteers often find themselves with a long to-do list to achieve their conservation goals. At the same time, these organizations often seek to include youth in their efforts, but may […]
The Myth of the Lazy Teen
A friend of mine recently told me that they thought all teenagers were lazy. Raise your hand if you’ve ever thought this before. Anyone? Bueller? Don’t worry, it’s okay if you have. I won’t tell anyone. I personally think teens get a bad rap. High schools often start in the seven o’clock hour, course loads […]
Urban Forestry Work of UConn Natural Resources Conservation Academy Student Recognized By City of Hartford
Now in its sixth year, UConn’s Natural Resources Conservation Academy (NRCA) has worked with over 115 teens throughout Connecticut on 10-month individual conservation projects that have directly benefited their local community and environment. NRCA students present their conservation work to over 300 environmental professionals at the Connecticut Conference on Natural Resources, and graduate from the […]
Natural Resources Conservation Academy Inspiring Young Conservation Ambassadors
Wading hip-deep through rivers, wandering off forested trails to gather wild blueberries, and hiking through tall grasslands. At the end of the day, UConn’s Natural Resources Conservation Academy (NRCA) strives to instill a sense of adventure, excitement, appreciation and wonder for local environments, biodiversity and natural resources in Connecticut teens. Despite the intrinsic interest in nature by […]
Fostering Young Scientists through Conservation Projects that Benefit Connecticut Environments
Television, video games, internet, oh my; these days one hardly has to leave their room to find endless entertainment. Today, many have lifestyles that are disconnected from the outdoors and nature. Couple this with the decline of student interest in science, and we are now seeing a shortage of environmentally-conscious and scientifically-informed citizens to tackle […]
Natural Resources Conservation Academy
The 2015-2016 Natural Resources Conservation Academy (nrca.uconn.edu) students presented their amazing community projects Monday at the Connecticut Conference of Natural Resources. The students attend a week-long field experience at UConn in the summer and spend the next 7-9 months completing a conservation project in their community. These projects are often a combination of research (many of […]
Natural Resources Conservation Academy (NRCA)
March 17, 2015 Presented by John Volin & Laura Cisneros, UConn Department of Natural Resources and Environment, College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources UConn’s Natural Resources Conservation Academy (NRCA) is a new transformative program that engages high school students in land use and natural resource conservation in an exciting and meaningful way for the […]