Creating Space for Youth in Conservation
Discover how TNC is partnering with Groundwork Ohio River Valley to create pathways for youth to engage in conservation.
The goals of Groundwork Ohio River Valley (ORV) are clear: to pursue a future in which everyone’s neighborhood environment is green, healthy and resilient; to undo legacies of poverty and racial discrimination; and to break the trend of widening disparity between communities that are enjoying a renaissance and communities that are experiencing disinvestment, neglect and deepening poverty. Since 2016, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has been working with the Cincinnati-based group to help advance their work. What started as a project for youth to remove invasive species at Jacoby Branch in Yellow Springs has evolved into one of the nation's largest youth green workforce programs, now employing over 165 young individuals every year. TNC's support provided the foundation for Groundwork ORV to blend jobs with community conservation in the city and the work is only getting started.
Quote: Tanner Yess
Our origin story at Groundwork Ohio River Valley began with social enterprise. We wanted to restore and protect nature in communities that had the least access to nature. In doing so, we knew that we could help keep wealth in our own neighborhoods while bringing the benefits of nature to youth.
Groundwork Ohio River Valley
Groundwork ORV is changing places and changing lives. Discover how.
Visit the Groundwork ORV WebsiteTNC and Groundwork ORV collaborate to provide professional development opportunities and experiences across various conservation and stewardship projects for Groundwork's Green Team, a job readiness program for high school students. By bringing Green Team members to protected areas like Edge of Appalachia Preserve, youth gain first-hand experience working alongside conservationists toward achieving conservation outcomes. But the partnership is not confined to TNC preserves alone. TNC staff like Community and Conservation Specialist Angie Burke and naturalist Rich McCarty visit Groundwork ORV Green Team members closer to home too—in the city—where they learn how environmental issues are playing out in their own community.
Quote: Angie Burke
This collaboration is not just a partnership; it's a catalyst for change and a testament to the transformative power of teamwork and the profound impact that nurturing the next generation of conservationists can have on our communities and our planet.
The impact of Groundwork ORV extends beyond metrics alone; it's in the stories of engagement and the quality of interactions that demonstrate the true impact of this work. Groundwork ORV programming is truly dynamic in its ability to create meaningful ways that elevate the voices of the youth and communities in Ohio. Through collaboration and hands on experience, youth and young adults feel empowered to enact change and become trusted leaders who advocate for social and environmental justice in their local communities.
In Their Words
Hear from three Green Team members on what their involvement with Groundwork ORV—and their connection to nature—has meant to them.
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