Thirty six AmeriCorps Environmental interns gathered in Rockland County this past week as part of training and placement for a six week environmental program throughout Rockland County. The students will fan out across the county to various agencies, such as town and village highway departments, the Rockland County Drainage Agency, and the Rockland County Solid Waste Management Authority, where they will engage in environmental projects as part of their Americorp training.

“The interns participated in storm water mitigation work, water indicator testing, work place etiquette workshops,” said Chuck Stead, environmental educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rockland, who has a long history of environmental work in the highlands. A professor of Environmental Studies with Ramampo College, Stead offers the student interns hands-on experimental theory in sustainable studies. Under Stead, the interns also visited United Water’s West Nyack facility, the Rockland County Solid waste Management site in Hillburn, worked with the Parks Department on trail building at Kakait Park in Ramapo, did site repair on the Garnerville Arts creek side trail (still dmaged from Hurricane Irene) and planted a flower garden at the BOCES of Rockland alternative energy student built sustainable house.

“June is under my guidance,” said Stead. “With the week completed, the interns are assigned to their various sites where they “knuckle down” to the practical work of stewardship for the community.”

Many past AmeriCorps Environmental interns have gone on to graduate work in various related fields such as conservation biology, environmental health, municipal storm water infrastructure desin, appropriate technology, historic restoration, community health education and watershed remediation.

The Rockland County AmeriCorps was founded in 2000 and receives funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service. Americorps itself was founded in 1993 by President Bill Clinton as means for students to engage in direct service activities to receive educational assistance or to offset existing student loans.

Rockland County AmeriCorps has four active programs — Rockland Environmental Corps, the Literacy Corps, Volunteer Corps, and the Trail Guide Docent Program. The Environmental Corps engage in primarily outdoor community service activities such as neighborhood beautification, trail maintenance, environmental education outreach, recycling efforts, land use and planning, agriculture and more. The corps members serve 300 community hours throughout the summer from June until August and receive a living stipend, training, and an educational award.

The annual program is under the auspices of the county youth bureau, directed by Kathy Galione, and is open to county youth who have graduated high school and have a means of transportation. With a focus on service to the community, various sites around the county post a stipend and AmeriCorps compliments that stipend with tuition assistance towards college credits. The training week traditionally is the last week of June.

The picture above shows 2012 AmeriCorps interns cleaning up along the Minisceongo Creek at Ga Ga, at the Garnerville Arts Center in Rockland County, NY.

Applicants for this training and summer placement must be Rockland residents, a senior in high school or older, have access to their own transportation and be interviewed by Ms. Galione. Next year’s applications begin in March 2013.