None The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut Press Releases Search All Press Releases Cristina Sandolo 203-226-4991 ext. 203 theden@tnc.org

The Nature Conservancy at Devil’s Den Preserve Hosts Students from Brooklyn

WESTON, CT — August 13, 2008 — As part of The Nature Conservancy’s Internship Program for City Youth, Devil’s Den Preserve was host to three high school students from Brooklyn, NY and their mentor during the month of July.  For four weeks, the students worked on invasive species removal, studied river and woodland ecology and learned about careers in environmental conservation.

Launched in 2005, the Internship Program for City Youth (IPCY) is a partnership with the Friends of the High School for Environmental Studies in Manhattan, and the Brooklyn Academy of Science and the Environment.  The program presents urban students interested in environmental studies with real work experience on nature preserves.

In its first year at Devil’s Den, the program was a great success.  Conservation coordinator Lia Mastropolo, with preserve steward Mark Mainieri, led participants in a variety of projects including physically-demanding trail building and general site maintenance at the Den and on nearby Conservancy properties. 

The interns worked alongside local volunteers Vietor Evans and Seaver Wang in forests, wetlands and on the shoreline.  Together, they built trails, removed Barberry bushes and tagged and counted horseshoe crabs.

The program was an exciting learning experience for everyone involved.  Fieldwork became a multi-cultural exchange from which students, volunteers and staff benefited.  The sharing of skills and ideas created a positive environment in which to discuss projects and complete tasks together.

While living independently and away from home, the interns gained real-life skills and responsibilities.  They rented and shared an apartment with IPCY mentor Tara Arthur, and were in charge of their own budget, meals and scheduling for the month.  Working as a team on and off the work schedule, they cooked, cleaned and managed their time efficiently.  For most of them, it was their first time holding a full-time position and committing to work on a daily basis.

On their time-off, the students enjoyed outdoor recreational activities such as swimming at Candlewood Lake, hiking and horseback riding.  College visits were carried out on the weekends, allowing for the exploration of colleges outside of the city and the collection of admission materials.

Once back home, the students will submit their final written project discussing the internship program and their one-month of employment for The Nature Conservancy.  They will enter their final year of high school with nonprofit work experience and a first-look into the college application process behind them. 

Devil’s Den Preserve looks forward to hosting interns again next year.  Hoping to continue with the IPCY program, plans are in the works for diversifying the projects in which participants will be involved.

To learn more about the internship program, or to volunteer at Devil’s Den, please phone (203) 226-4991 ext. 203 or email theden@tnc.org.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.