The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Imagine a planet where no one cared about the environment – a place with lax environmental regulations, rampant development and a careless use of resources. We may be headed in that direction: Children are spending about half as much time outdoors today than they did just 20 years ago. And as the amount of time spent in nature decreases, so do the connections that inspire people to protect it.

That’s why The Nature Conservancy teaches kids about the magic of nature through educational programs all around the world.  Here in Utah, we've tapped into the energy of young adults to teach 4th graders, through an internship program with the University of Utah.  The program has placed interns with the Conservancy's Wings & Water program since 2007, where they learn about wetlands, teaching, and developing environmental education programs.

We sat down with two of these participants to talk about their time with the Conservancy. How did their experience inspire them? What are they doing with what they learned? And…where are they now?

Kristi:

Charice:

As an Environmental Studies senior at the University of Utah, I was looking for a way to put the lessons I had learned into action. In Spring 2010 I was selected to be the Denman Scholar for the Conservancy’s Wings & Water program. I was able to broaden my skills by developing curriculum, creating an online teacher workshop, and conducting learning assessments. My experience as an intern really showed me the impact I can have on the environment around me. The more I learned about the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve, and the wetlands located on the eastern shore of the Great Salt Lake, the more I felt empowered and confident to teach others about biodiversity and all the plants and animals that depend on this ecosystem.

Kristi:

Charice:

My experience has helped me a lot in my new job as Outreach Coordinator for The Utah Society for Environmental Education. Here, I get to assist Utah teachers as they work to implement environmental education in their classrooms. I work with formal educators and non-formal educators, providing them with the resources that will enable them to increase environmental literacy within the state of Utah. I very much believe that my experience with the Nature Conservancy and the mentoring provided to me was my biggest stepping stone to this point in my education and goal in protecting and understanding my environments.