If you care about the environment, enjoy learning and connecting with other like-minded people, and want to help make positive change in your community, there’s still time to sign up for the 2023 Rutgers Environmental Stewards program.
The Rutgers Environmental Stewards Program brings local and regional experts to explain the science behind a wide variety of environmental topics and issues. No scientific background is needed to join the weekly program.
Classes totaling 60 hours are held 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays starting January 24th, and include both online and in-person sessions, plus field trips to environmentally significant sites and supplemental classes that can be completed independently.
Topics include climate change, solid waste, recycling, soil health, alternative energy, water quality, habitat conservation, pollinator protection, environmental justice and more.
Participants use what they’ve learned to complete volunteer projects of their choice to attain certification as Environmental Stewards. Internships are unique and intended to align with the interests of the individual, the needs of the program, and the community.
Examples of volunteer projects include:
- Mapping and eradicating invasive species in local parks
- Restoring native dune vegetation in shore communities
- Improving recycling through data collection and education
- Organizing and hosting a symposium on climate change
- Creating and distributing native bee home kits with how-to guides
- Starting NJ’s first Adopt-A-Stormdrain program
The program has trained over 1000 volunteers since the start of the program in 2005, many of whom continue to use knowledge and experience gained through the program.
“It’s a great introduction to a wide variety of locally relevant issues. It also connects students to a network of experts and organizations that can serve as allies and resources for years to come,” notes Amy Menzel, regional coordinator for the program and Communications Manager at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority. “There are a lot of people who care about the environment but don’t know what to do, or where to start; this training is a terrific opportunity for people to step up and to learn,” Menzel added.
The program fee is $260. To learn more and to register, go to the Environmental Stewards RES homepage (envirostewards.rutgers.edu) or contact Amy Menzel at 609-272-6934.
