Pilot Projects Sought for New Aquatic Restoration Training and Partnership
KUPU / Hawaii Youth Conservation Corps staff and Corpsmembers work on an aquatic restoration project.
For Immediate Release
February 7, 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Corps Network invites its members to submit stream, river, or wetland project ideas for a new, watershed restoration training and certification program that will equip the Corps with “Waders in the Water” for 2014.
The Corps Network is seeking a few good pilot project locations to introduce “Waders in the Water” in partnership with Trout Headwaters, Inc. This new career pathway will offer education and work experience to Corpsmembers, resulting in industry-recognized certification for what is one of the most pressing conservation needs of the 21st Century: aquatic restoration. The program will be accessible to members in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
“The health of our nation’s freshwater resources is a very important conservation need facing our country and future generations. We believe that educating and preparing youth to address this coming freshwater crisis is a valuable contribution that The Corps Network can make in partnership with Trout Headwaters, Inc.,” says Mary Ellen Ardouny, President & CEO of The Corps Network.
To deliver training, The Corps Network has formalized a partnership with Trout Headwaters, Inc. (THI), the nation’s leading environmental services company specializing in the creation and rehabilitation of streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and wildlife habitat. THI will also assist The Corps Network in evaluating aquatic restoration projects for training purposes, and will provide on-site technical expertise to safeguard project success.
“We are pleased to be able to provide The Corps Network and its members with a program through which Corpsmembers can gain the transferable skills and credentials needed to pursue meaningful, water-resource-related careers,” says THI president Michael Sprague. “These young people will be trained and ready to work in and around streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and marshes, with a new awareness and appreciation for what it means to protect these vital resources.”
The new Corps “Waders in the Water” aquatic training will serve the original CCC goals of improved physical condition and life enjoyment for participants, and greater public awareness and appreciation of the outdoors and the nation’s natural resources.
We invite you to learn about this exciting new partnership and career pathway opportunity for your Corpsmembers and your Corps at The Corps Network 2014 National Conference in Washington, D.C. from February 9 – 12, or by contacting Marie Walker, Vice President of The Corps Network at [email protected].
About The Corps Network
The Corps Network’s 100+ members operate in all states and the District of Columbia. Each year they collectively enroll over 25,838 Corpsmembers from ages 16-25. Corps organize an additional 154,486 community volunteers who work alongside Corpsmembers to generate 450,013 additional hours of service annually, at an estimated value of $9,963,287. It is the mission of The Corps Network to provide national leadership and promote the growth and quality of its member Corps as they provide education, workforce development, and an ethic of stewardship to diverse youth who address important community and conservation needs.
About Trout Headwaters, Inc.
Trout Headwaters, Inc. is the industry leader in sustainable approaches to stream, river, and wetland renewal and repair. As one of the oldest firms in the industry, THI has pioneered approaches using natural materials and native vegetation that can reliably replace hard, invasive treatments that often damage our nation’s streams and rivers. Besides developing and refining new techniques THI is a staunch advocates for greater sharing of information and more consistent use of assessment and monitoring tools, providing greater certainty of environmental benefits to restoration.
Pilot Project Contacts:
Michael Sprague, President, Trout Headwaters, Inc.
(800)218-8107
[email protected]
Marie Walker, Vice President, The Corps Network
(202)737-6272
[email protected]
(800)218-8107