Each summer we invite young people aged 14-16 to steward and explore the Rensselaer Plateau. 

 

Inspired by the work of the Youth Conservation Corps, this FREE stewardship program connects youth aged 14-16 to local conserved lands through service learning, environmental education, and exploration. It offers young people a chance to contribute to conservation work, start and finish a project on one of our partner’s sites, practice skills that you can use in the woods, explore and play, and learn from professionals who work in the field of environmental conservation. 

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​Working papers are required for program participation, but are not required to apply to FCC. Once your child has been accepted to attend a week, we will send you a virtual form to complete that will allow you to upload working papers by June 1st.

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2025 Sites and Dates

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WEEK 1: June 30th – July 3rd Grafton Lakes State Park (Grafton)

WEEK 2: July 7th – July 11th Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center (Cropseyville)

WEEK 3: July 14th – July 18th John B. Staalesen Vanderheyden Preserve (South Troy)

WEEK 4: July 21st – July 25th Kinderhook Creek Preserve (East Nassau)

 

A typical day might look like this:

• 8:30AM - 9AM: Arrive on site

• 9-12PM: Get your hands dirty working on one of our many site projects. Examples include: maintaining trails or building new ones, building benches, bridges, or other carpentry projects, removing invasive species, building a nature play area, planting trees, setting up deer monitoring plots, or cleaning up a nature area used by the community. 

• 12-1PM: Fuel up with lunch (you bring your own)

• 1-3PM: Learn a skill, explore careers in the outdoors, hike a trail, play games, try archery, kayak, nature journal, or practice mindfulness. Examples include; learn how to make a fire without matches or a lighter, navigate using a compass, identify aquatic species in the nearby stream, hear from a local ecologist or forest ranger, or forage for wild edibles with a professional. 

• 3-3:30PM: Pack up, clean up and get ready to head home. 

 

We are able to offer each teen that completes one of these weeks a financial stipend of $200. That’s right, we want to pay you for your time, energy and participation. 

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Are you in need of transportation or gear to make you comfortable and prepared in the outdoors? Please reach out, we will do our best to meet your needs. We welcome youth of all experience and skill levels, and our staff and program leaders seek to create an environment that is safe and welcoming to young people regardless of gender expression, race, religion, or socioeconomic background. We will work hard to ensure that all youth can thrive during their FCC experience. 

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Regardless of whether your teen is an outdoor enthusiast or just starting to spend meaningful time outdoors, our hope is that FCC program alumni learn how to get to know a place, to love a place, and take care of a place.

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Have questions about the program? Contact Michala Hendrick, Youth Programming Director at Hudson Taconic Lands, with the subject line "Forest Conservation Corps Program"

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michala@hudsontaconic.org​

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