Rutgers Cooperative Extension will offer the 20-week Environmental Stewards Program in Burlington County starting Sept 6.
Whether its discussing climate change with the state climatologist, learning about New Jersey’s geology from the people who map it, learning about habitat restoration in one’s own community or helping improve water quality of a local river or stream – these are just some of the opportunities available to enrollees in the 2017 Rutgers Environmental Steward Training Program.
Rutgers Cooperative Extension will offer the Environmental Stewards Program at five different locations across the state, including Burlington County. The program has not run in Burlington County in several years and will begin Sept. 6 and run through January 2018.
Classes will be every Wednesday evening from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Burlington County Institute of Technology Westhampton Campus.
The Rutgers Environmental Stewards (RES) Program educates the public about the science behind environmental issues and helps participants create change in their communities.
Stewards start out by attending class once a week on topics including climate change, soil health, energy conservation, water resource protection, invasive species management, open space management, habitat conservation and environmental policy.
Optional field trips to environmentally significant sites around the state are included as part of the program.
Several members of the Mt, Laurel Green Team have already registered to participate in this program
The program introduces non-scientists to the science underlying key environmental issues in New Jersey. Leading authorities from academia are joined by colleagues from government and the non-profit sector to share understanding and insights with the stewards and help them make a difference in their own communities.
“Stewards have used this training as a stepping stone for further involvement in environmental work in their community,” said Pat Rector, state coordinator for the Environmental Steward Program. “Close to 40 percent of our alumni serve on a local board or commission and for many, that service is a direct result of having participated in our program”.
In order to become a certified environmental steward, graduates of the class portion of the program complete a 60-hour volunteer internship of their choosing. Internships are unique and intended to align with the passion of the individual, the needs of the program, and the community.
Steward internship project have included helping farmers adapt to climate change, composting restaurant food waste, mapping and eradicating invasive species in local parks, restoring native dune vegetation in shore communities and creating rain gardens.
To register for the Burlington County class, contact Pat Rector-Woods at rector@njaes.rutgers.edu
