Grantee: Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History – Jamestown, NY
Project Title: Project Wild America Youth Ambassadors Program 2017
Grant Type: ecoSolution
Description:
The Project Wild America Youth Ambassadors Program provides local youth with paid employment and green job skills while promoting understanding of sound conservation practices and a deeper awareness of the natural resources that provide economic, ecologic and recreational benefits to the community. Environmentally focused positions are seldom available in Chautauqua County, and this program helps to address lack of awareness of environmental career paths while simultaneously gathering locally relevant environmental data.
Through a number of public events, social and traditional media pieces, and interactions with visitors at our project sites, PWA students engaged hundreds of people. Their outreach centered on fostering an appreciation for local wildlife and habitats and raising awareness of locally relevant environmental issues, including invasive species and plastic pollution.
Continuous impact/Community engagement:
The PWA contributed data into citizen science platforms (e.g. eBird), and state-wide conservation initiatives including iMapInvasives, where it can be used to facilitate data-driven invasive species management and conservation planning. The information gathered by the PWA was also used to tailor educational materials focused on Jamestown’s Urban Ecosystem.
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