“ 'With respect to the internship program, we consider this training for a potential career in conservation.' ” KLT Executive Director Connie Manes

Over the summer, Kent Land Trust (KLT) gave their interns the opportunity to engage in real world conservation work, contributing to KLT’s mission of land and habitat protection. The students assisted in monitoring and banding 29 different species of birds—including 376 purple martins—to guide habitat management projects. For 17-year-old Brennan Wilkens, a student at Marvelwood School in Kent, this internship went beyond data collection, giving him an opportunity to experience the impact of his continued work with KLT. Said Brennan, " '...[W]hile we were banding, we caught an adult that I banded as a baby two years prior...It was like one of my babies came back to me.' "

Read more in the Sept. 5, 2021 NewsTimes article by Sandra Diamond Fox...

“Animals can teach us so much about our world. We loved this hands-on experience.” - Program Director and Camp Facilitator Amanda Thompson

With grant funding from the Lower Farmington River/Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic Committee, East Granby Land Trust (EGLT) held a week-long nature camp for children on the banks of Salmon Brook in Granbrook Park. Through a variety of hands-on and skill-building experiences, campers ages 9-12 learned about watercourses, the ecosystems they support, and the importance of keeping them healthy. Said EGLT President Cathy Delasco, “As part of [experiencing] life in and around the brook, campers learned about water quality, species interdependence, and the importance of preserving brooks and rivers. They can pass the seed of that knowledge onto their parents and other family members, as well, for increased community outreach."

“It has certainly been a meaningful experience for me to be able to give these young folks the jump start on their environmental education and awareness that I never had.” - Erin Feeney, Internship Program Manager

The New Canaan Land Trust's Summer Steward Internship engaged eight high school students in nine weeks of land stewardship, environmental education, and career exploration. Projects included maintaining trails, building raised walkways, restoring stone walls, removing invasive species, and many more. Their experiential learning included field trips around Fairfield County including the Bartlett Arboretum and Green Village Initiative. Check out short essays the interns wrote about the topics they discussed during the program...

In last month’s #LoveYourCTLandTrust, we featured land trust programs providing outdoor learning opportunities for youth.  When we asked for more stories about your land trust's summer adventures for kids, you delivered!

From banding birds to surveying streams, building stone walls to blazing trails, these hands-on experiences in nature can be life-altering for young people.

They are also pretty special for the adults that have the pleasure of mentoring and working with them.

#LoveYourCTLandTrust—for connecting generations around a common good.  .

Interns with purple martin nestlings courtesy of Kent Land Trust;