During the 2023-2024 school year, our Teen Leaders in Conservation (TLC) program engaged 88 students at four schools in hands-on, meaningful explorations of nature and local city wildlife. Not only did they meet amazing young people working in conservation careers, but they also were given the opportunity to participate in fun environmental service projects. Here are a few highlights from the program at Cardozo Education Campus, a DCPS school where we worked with a group of 16 high school students from January to June 2024 as part of their Learning Lab Fridays program.
I never understood why people would want to visit DC, but now I do. I feel like I am seeing my city for the first time.
— Zai, participant in Conservation Nation’s first Teen Leaders in Conservation Program
Exploring the Wildlife of DC
From observing nature in their schoolyard to taking a walking field trip to Malcolm X Park, these Cardozo students learned about nature experiences by living them. Why is this important? Time spent in nature is associated with positive conservation attitudes and behaviors as well as improved mental wellness. Plus, just about every conservationist we meet speaks fondly of early experiences with nature as an inspiration for their career path. We lifted this access barrier for students by taking them outdoors to practice birding, nature journaling, mindfulness, and even taking part in the DC City Nature Challenge.
Hiking to New Heights
On an incredible field trip to Great Falls, students challenged themselves by hiking the Billy Goat Trail and photographing nature using disposable cameras. They enjoyed discovering frogs, lizards, flowers, birds, and even some snakes in visiting this extraordinary place for the very first time. The opportunity to put down phones and enjoy the moment was incredibly powerful. Once they got their film photos back, the students reflected on their observations and created posters about their experiences that they displayed in the school hallway to share with their peers.Leveling Up in Leadership
These students didn’t just learn about nature — they also practiced leadership skills! They proudly represented Conservation Nation at the annual OAK Week gathering of the Outdoors Alliance for Kids, a partnership of more than 130 organizations committed to ensuring equitable access to nature for children, youth, and families.
TLC for the Planet
During the final field trip of the year, Cardozo students completed a service project for the Earth Conservation Corps at their Wings Over America campus, where our TLC students stepped up to paint the aviary building. Plus, they got to meet lots of animals, including goats, donkeys, cows, and raptors. There’s nothing quite like seeing a group of TLC students come full circle at the end of a school year — and we can’t wait to see what adventures we will take next year!
After we discussed the concepts of energy conservation and efficiency, we showed the girls how to use energy tools such as watt meters and light meters to measure electricity use in the school. The girls enjoyed using these tools and taking turns leading demonstrations on energy efficiency!
We brought seeds, soil, and grow lights for the girls to grow kale and Swiss chard for Liz, their bearded dragon class pet.Â
On a rainy day, the girls had fun learning about the pH scale and testing different samples of water from the stream and school.
