Earth Conservation Corps

Target demographics: youth restore our river

Geographic areas served: Earth Conservation Corps Monique Johnson Anacosatia River Center

Programs: Hands-on conservation, watershed restoration, the Earth Conservation Corps is all about taking action. Our motto is a quote from legendary primatologist Dr. Dian Fossey. "it's not talking about conservation, it's acting. Conservation begins with the boots on your feet. " The daily environmental action of our youth volunteers has inspired the movement to restore the heavily polluted Anacostia River into a river of hope. We have restored the bald eagle as nesting residents of our nation's capital and are now moving on to bring back the short-nosed sturgeon. This vital habitat restoration work on the Anacostia River and its tributaries is being led by formerly disconnected youth who come away with a powerful feeling of self-worth and marketable workforce skills This training provides essential job skills development to help guide our youth as they move into internships and jobs upon graduation. Earth conservation employer partners included the National Park Service, dc water and the District Department of Environment and Energy. Together, this force motivated one thousand three hundred and twenty daily volunteers who got things done through the following major partnership active conservation projects. Urban forestry- the project focused on engaging the tree corps members in a partnership with the MPD and ddot in the planting of one hundred ninety-one trees at the public housing communities in 4 MPD crime hot spots. Additional partners included the u. S. Forest service, the council of governments, and the DC Housing Authority to expand the tree canopy of our public housing communities in our nation's capital. The Earth Conservation Corps members and volunteers planted trees that were 1 - 2 inches. They have already changed the landscape within public housing and section 8 housing, and their work of which includes reducing storm water run-off, providing shade for the residents, and preventing erosion from many locations. The trees project helped train the tree corps members in basic landscaping, planning and implementation by engaging them in all project aspects, including community education and outreach that promoted enhanced and improved education and knowledge within urban communities of the value and importance of tree canopies. Wetland restoration turtle beach- we teamed with ddoee in the expansion of the turtle beach wetland by 2260 square feet and removing and quantifying 2785 pounds at the Anacostia's first trash trap installed by the Earth Conservation Corps in 1993. The Earth Conservation Corps worked closely with lanshing hwang, landscape architect at Symbiosis, in the development of the wetland restoration plan. The wetland at Diamond Teague Park, a former city dump, is now an outdoor classroom certified by the National Wildlife Federation. This thriving habitat educates volunteers on the power of habitat restoration and the importance of giving nature a chance. Though a dynamic habitat, the river's currents continue to push trash and other debris into Turtle Beach, it is the corps members' responsibility to lead teams of volunteers to keep it clean. Once the trash is collected, it is separated, documented, and weighed. Our volunteers continue the work of removing trash, invasive plants and planting natives to ensure that this habitat for turtles continues to thrive. Scientific analysis, water quality monitoring program, this initiative promoted engaging students as citizen scientists through water quality monitoring. The Earth Conservation Corps collaborated with the scientists from the u. S. Environmental Protection Agency under the leadership of ibrahim goodwin to present an interactive water pollution workshop and hands-on scientific water sample collection and analysis. Environmental protection agency mentoring of corps leaders continued to support the growth of their abilities and the expansion of their outreach. Our EPA partnership continued to expand with the public, charter, and private schools in our water quality monitoring. We work very closely with ibrahim goodwin, a scientist from the EPA who is working in partnership with us grow the citizen scientist effort, which engaged hundreds of young people at our education centers in the collection of anacostia water quality data and entering it into the federal database and National Geographic's field scope. The program offers students an intimate look into how everyday pollution affects our local environment and features simple solutions to curbing complicated pollution problems. The water quality monitoring training curriculum includes: 1) the science of water; 2) introduction to the clean water act; 3) anacostia watershed overview; 4) how individuals can help with pollution; 5) hands on water collection and water quality testing; and 5) national field scope water data entry. Our innovative youth-led river restoration efforts continued to attract the deep engagement of leading scientists, educators from such powerful entities as the dc department of Environment and energy, the us fish and wildlife service, the National Wildlife Federation, the National Geographic Society, the metropolitan police department and the department of Youth Rehabilitation Services.

environmental restoration centers in 1992 when Earth Conservation Corps pioneered the restoration of the Anacostia River, a principal strategy was creating a safe gateway to the polluted river through the adaptive reuse of two abandoned Anacostia River pump houses. The centers were renovated with youth from the community alongside the navy sea Bees. Today these special building are vital community environmental education centers, providing convening spaces, and community access to the river throu

Wings Over America our young people give live raptor demonstrations to school students in the DC metro area, members of the community, and at national parks. This opportunity provides environmental education to the city and gives our young people invaluable workforce experience by developing their public speaking skills. In 2015-2016 Earth Conservation Corps continued its major commitment to restore the abandoned barn on the 880-acre oak hill site in anne arundel county, Maryland as a raptor conservation propagation sanctuary.