Conservation Corps Training Camp a Success

Members of the Nova Scotia Youth Conservation Corps are prepared to embark on environmental activities across the province after recently completing a successful week-long training camp at Kings Edgehill School in Windsor.

This year's camp -- the 10th annual -- marked the first time in years that all youth corp members attended one provincial training camp. The one-location format allowed youth, aged 17-24 years, to forge new working relationships.

Forty crews totalling 172 individuals received training in first aid, workplace safety, communications and environmental action. Crews will work on a variety of environmental projects this summer.

Youth workers will be responsible for promoting their projects and educating the public as part of their work placements. Each crew will be responsible for conducting at least two educational seminars and co-ordinating one special event, to be held during Youth Corps Week, Aug. 14-21. This week of special events is being held to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Nova Scotia Youth Conservation Corps.

After the summer schedule is completed, Department of Environment staff will hold a debriefing session to help youth corps members reflect on their experiences, understand their new skills and build on these to seek future employment.

The mandate of the corps is to give youth valuable and lasting environmental skills. These skills are used to benefit communities and the environment in both the short-term and long-term. Summer projects are the building blocks of this mandate. The program will create a more experienced environmental workforce in Nova Scotia, which will tackle environmental issues in the present and future.