Aquatic Restoration Jobs Training Program Gains Momentum
OutdoorHub 08.07.14
The Waders in the Water program pilot continues as another youth corps received training and certification for climate-ready aquatic restoration and its members emerged with skills in aquatic safety, knowledgeable about installation techniques, and ready to provide business and government with reliable restoration for streams, rivers and wetlands across the U.S.
America’s Service and Conservation Corps have a rich history of training a ready and able workforce of Americans. Tracing their roots back to the Civilian Conservation Corps’ (CCC) founding in 1933 when America was reeling from the Great Depression with staggering unemployment, modern day corps like the LA Conservation Corps share the CCC’s original goal to conserve natural resources and provide hope and employment opportunities for young adults.
Drawing on the best traditions of the CCC, The Waders in the Water Green Jobs training and certification was built to support the goals of the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps’ (21 CSC) effort to put 100,000 young people and veterans a year to work nationwide protecting, restoring, and enhancing America’s great outdoors. Through the 21CSC, young people and veterans will accomplish meaningful work, and gain important personal and professional job skills while building a lifelong connection to the outdoors.
The curriculum was specifically designed by The Corps Network and Trout Headwaters Inc. to enable youth to enter conservation careers by learning how to improve the health, productivity and climate-resiliency of our streams, rivers, and wetlands.
Trout Headwaters President Mike Sprague said: “The positive feedback we continue to receive from our industry is very encouraging. Restoration project managers have told us they are eager to put these newly trained students to work on their projects.”
Wayne White, who spent 33 years at US Fish and Wildlife Service and is now Director of Business Development at Wildlands, Inc. remarked: “As someone who has spent my entire career perusing creative conservation solutions, the idea of training a national project-ready youth conservation workforce to help tackle the many environmental challenges we face really excites me.”
LA Conservation Corps Deputy Director Dan Knapp stated: “The LA Conservation Corps is pleased to partner with the Waders in the Water program training and certification. The program provides a strong benefit to the young people through job training and to the environment by improving the health of our waterways.”
The training is particularly well-suited for the LA Conservation Corps’ LA River Corps that is working to restore and revitalize sections of the river as the City of Los Angeles undertakes the ambitious project of restoring an 11-mile stretch of the river back to a sustainable and functioning precious aquatic resource with lush riparian buffers.
Contact:
Luke Frazza, Project Development,
Trout Headwaters, Inc.
(703)244-7460 luke@troutheadwaters.com
Dan Knapp, Deputy Director of Strategy and Sustainability,
LA Conservation Corps
213-362-9000 dknapp@lacorps.org
