The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation recently announced that it will support an NC Youth Conservation Corps (NCYCC) crew in the western part of the state thanks to their Community of Stewards. An NCYCC crew will work on the Blue Ridge Parkway this summer in the Highlands District on trial and campground rehab.

Through their work on the Parkway, the crew members will combine the lessons of environmental stewardship, job and life skills, leadership, community service, and responsibility. “It’s a very transformative experience,” explains Jan Pender, NC Youth Conservation Corps director with CTNC. “They learn about conservation, but they also learn a sense of place. They get a sense of what it means to care for the natural world.”

The project furthers the Foundation’s goal to engage the next generation of stewards to champion the needs of the Blue Ridge Parkway. A big thank you Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation!