EDGEWATER, Md. – It's a tough job, but one so popular it's been expanded every year since 2010.
Forty-one young men and woman ages 18 to 25 make up the Chesapeake Bay Conservation Corps class of 2016, being introduced today. The class will spend a year working on projects benefiting the Chesapeake Bay to gain career and leadership experience.
According to Chesapeake Bay Trust executive director Jana Davis, everyone wins.
"They learn a ton and they bring an energy to the program and to the hosts," she says. "They tackle the kinds of projects that often you'd think much more senior staff at these organizations would normally be tackling."
Projects include elementary education programs, watershed restoration, community outreach and energy-efficiency installations. Each corps member is assigned to a host organization for one year. Most will work in Maryland, and two will work in Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Davis describes the projects as intense and challenging work.
"One example is a person in Carroll County, Westminster, who's going to be working on tree-planting and forestry projects," she says. "These young people get so much done in the course of their year, you're amazed they can actually get this done."
Corps members are provided with a stipend during their year of service. The corps was created by the Maryland General Assembly and has several partners, including the Constellation Energy National Park Service.
