Planning for the Future of the Planet Starts Today

ARLINGTON, Va., July 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --The Nature Conservancy, one of the world's leading conservation organizations, announced that students from its Leaders in Environmental Action for the Future (LEAF) Program are heading out for a summer work adventure on conservation projects in 26 states across the country.  Students, many of whom have never spent significant time in nature, let alone one-on-one with worms and toads, will participate in a paid internship program through the month of July.

During the course of their internship, they will train for green jobs and enhance their classroom education by participating in conservation activities like tree inventory, shellfish restoration, wildlife monitoring and the removal of invasive species.

This is the 21^st year of the LEAF Program, whose mission is to engage urban youth in conservation activities now so that they will become stewards for our planet tomorrow. The program provides paid jobs for students in nature around the country and enriches these experiences in the classroom by partnering with environmental high schools across the country.  

This comprehensive, environmental leadership program serves students attending environmentally-themed high schools in 11 cities, and students will work on conservation projects in 26 states across the country.

"The main goal of the LEAF program is to expose urban youth to nature and conservation careers at a young age to nurture a passion for the environment which will stick with them both personally and professionally for the rest of their lives," said Brigitte Griswold, Director of Youth Programs for The Nature Conservancy.  "Providing students with the opportunity to participate in actual conservation projects is a great complement to their environmental classroom learning and gives them hands-on experience they may not otherwise get during the school year."

National conservation activities created by LEAF and The Nature Conservancy's Youth Programs are made possible through support from Lowe's. The company has supported the Conservancy's work for more than a decade, contributing more than $10 million to protect important freshwater and forest lands across North America, and to advance environmental youth programs and help build the next generation of conservationists. Learn more about the students who LEAF serves, Lowe's support and this unique partnership model at www.nature.org/youth.

­­About The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.

About Lowe's in the Community
Lowe's, a FORTUNE^® 50 home improvement company, has a 50-year legacy of supporting the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. Since 2007, Lowe's and the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation together have contributed more than $225 million to these efforts, and for more than two decades Lowe's Heroes employee volunteers have donated their time to make our communities better places to live. To learn more, visit Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility and LowesInTheCommunity.tumblr.com.

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SOURCE The Nature Conservancy

Related Links

http://www.nature.org