The SCA and Bear Brook State Park

Daily lesson planning for afternoon programs.

Last week I had the opportunity to visit the 2012 Student Conservation Association group residing in Bear Brook State Park. The SCA NH Corps is located in the heart of Bear Brook where Interns and Staff live and work in a very close community. Bear Brook State Park is one of the oldest residential corp programs in the organization.

The Interns, aged 18-25 years old,work with the Manchester school system supporting a number of environmental educational programs for elementary, middle school, and high school students.

The Interns and staff are housed in rustic cabins keeping warm all winter with a hefty supply of firewood.

This group of SCA interns has been working at Bear Brook since January.

When I got the chance to talk with the interns it felt like interacting with a huge family. It was refreshing to hear how enthusiastic everyone was to dive into the programs they designed. Each team of interns were designing unique educational programs from scratch with a hands-on emphasis toward teaching environmental education. These were all sorts of creative lessons like identifying smells in the woods, keeping an outdoor journal, and letters to and from a porcupine.

Most of the interns are recent college grads with all different kinds of degrees who felt a responsibility in advising the next generation about environmental stewardship and respect. The interns I talked with were from every corner of the U.S. brought to Bear Brook State Park for the same unique experience. My visit was incredibly insightful and inspiring to see young people so passionate about environmental conservation, building a positive community, and new experiences.

I also got to explore the state park before sunset.

I took the Broken Boulder Trail out to Smith Pond.

I’ d like to thank the SCA staff and interns for talking with me.

If your anything like me, or most of the soon-to-be college graduates out there, your probably not entirely sure what direction you’ll be headed after graduation, and I recommend you consider an internship to give back to the larger community and embrace a new experience.

Are there any SCA alumni following the blog?

What State Park should I visit Next???

avatar

Robert Eaton, New Hampshire State Parks Winter Intern

My name is Rob Eaton and I am going to explore the state parks of New Hampshire to experience the ragged beauty of the "off" season. I am currently a student at the University of New Hampshire studying Anthropology and long-time outdoor enthusiast throughout New England. This fall, we all spent our time watching the beautiful New England leaves burst into color as we saw our summer-long tans (reluctantly) disappear with the sunlight. Through this blog I hope to inspire you to get away from comfy couches, TV's, and oil heaters and venture outdoors this winter. My goal is to showcase the endless possibilities our State Parks have year round because, in actuality, we humans are not built for hibernation.

One thought to “The SCA and Bear Brook State Park”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *