By Emily Pudliner, National Park Service – Green Pathways Education Intern

(Presentation at PNPS Annual Meeting, Nov 12, 2011)

The National Park Service at the Johnstown Flood National Memorial, in partnership with the Greater Johnstown School District, the Cambria County Child Development Corporation, and the Student Conservation Association, has created the Pathways to Green Careers Program designed to develop life-long environmental stewards within the Greater Johnstown High School student population by increasing local awareness of sustainable ecosystems and resource management, while preparing those involved, for higher education and careers in environmental fields.

In 2016, the National Park Service will celebrate 100 years of service during which the National Park Service focused on its mission outlined in the Organic Act of 1916 – to conserve the natural and cultural resources of the nation for the enjoyment of all.  For its next 100 years, not only does the National Park Service intend to continue conserving and protection the natural and historical resources of the nation, but also, the National Park Service wishes to extend its reach beyond park boundaries and into local communities, creating “deep connections” between people and their parks through “engaging recreational, education, volunteer, and work experiences” (National Park Service, A Call to Action, August 2011).

The Pathways to Green Careers Program provides an opportunity the National Park Service to attain its second century goals.  In an effort to connect the public, especially youth, to the parks and to strengthen the National Park Service role as an education source, the Pathways to Green Careers Program provides the opportunity to extend interpretation, both of natural and historic resources, beyond park boundaries and into the local community by engaging youth in education, volunteer service, and work experiences and by providing a legacy of the National Park Service within the local community through the construction of a native plant garden at the Greater Johnstown High School/Jim Mayer Riverwalk.

Students involved in the Pathways to Green Careers Program will attend after-school sessions throughout the school-year, learning principles of both environmental stewardship and professional development.  After completing the after-school component of the program, students will be offered a paid seven-week summer work experience through the national Park Service.  During the summer work experience, in addition to completing conservation work at local trails, students will apply principles learned throughout the school-year to construct two native plant gardens located at the Johnstown Flood National Memorial and in the community, at the Greater Johnstown High School/Jim Mayer Riverwalk. 

By employing experiential education during the after-school component of the program, including site visits to local National Parks coupled with discussions paralleling local history and current environmental issues, hands-on activities to demonstrate principles of genetics as the topic relates to sustainable agriculture and genetically modified food, labs to construct working wind turbines and solar panels to demonstrate alternative energy sources, tours of local coal-fired generating stations, wind farms and stream restoration sites, and partner presentations providing hands-on education and experience planting native plant seed and transplanting perennial flowers, the Pathways to Green Careers Program strives to build a resource stewardship ethic in the students involved in the program with the goal of instilling a deep connection to the National Park Service and an appreciation of the local community as a sustainable ecosystem.  Additionally, by examining the local environment and connecting current environmental issues to resource management practices of the past and political initiatives of both the past and present, the Pathways to Green Careers Program strives to motivate all involved to take an active role in the natural and cultural resource protection of their immediate community and beyond.  Not only will students learn about the past, present, and future of pressing environmental issues, but also, students will gain an understanding of the civic responsibility and democratic process by which environmental issues can be overcome.  Through this initiative, the National Park Service aims to develop the next generation of environmental professionals and civic leaders.

Regarding the construction of the native plant gardens at the Johnstown Flood National Memorial and in the local community at the Greater Johnstown High School/Jim Mayer Riverwalk – At both sites, not only will students gain valuable experience constructing the native plant gardens, but also, students will be involved in the construction of wayside exhibits and plant identification markers.  The garden site at the Johnstown Flood National Memorial is located along the walkway to the visitor center.  The site is approximately 570ft².  The garden at the Greater Johnstown High School/Jim Mayer Riverwalk has the potential to be in one of two locations as the name suggests.  Natural Biodiversity a partnering organization will be working with the Greater Johnstown School District during the 2011-2012 school-year as part of their Earth Friendly Schools Initiative, a project that will focus on assisting the district with “greening” their school operations through the National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-Schools Program.  The program will result in a sustainability plan for the district that will include sustainable landscaping and water conservation through the use of native plant gardens.  If constructed at the Greater Johnstown High School, the native plant garden will align with the goals of the Eco-Friendly Schools Initiative and be located in existing garden beds near walkways and entry doors.  If constructed at the Jim Mayer Riverwalk, a trail paralleling the Stonycreek River in the Moxham neighborhood of Johnstown, the garden will be constructed at a specific site along the trail.  The implementation of the native plant garden at the Greater Johnstown High School/Jim Mayer Riverwalk affords a legacy of the National Park Service and resource management within the local community.  It is a goal of the Pathways to Green Careers Program to increase awareness in the community as to the value of sustainable resource management and natural biodiversity preservation.

Interested in getting involved?  The Pathways to Green Careers Program continues to reach out for supporters.  Serve as a knowledge resource contact (as a member of the Pennsylvania Native Plant Society you embody a vast resource of information regarding native plants – provide your contact information and answer questions when they arise), give a presentation during the after-school component of the program regarding a current native plant project or a topic related to the Pathways to Green Careers Program, take a hands-on rule and helps students develop a skill related to planting or environmental careers…have another way to be involved?  Let us know…any involvement would be greatly appreciated!

For more information check out our website at http://pathways2greencareers.org, follow us on twitter @pgc_crewleader, like us on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pathways2greencareers, or contact the Green Pathways Education Intern directly at the information below – however you chose to stay informed and be involved, do so and be a part of this great program!

Emily Pudliner

Green Pathways Education Intern

National Park Service – Johnstown Flood National Memorial

733 Lake Road

South Fork, PA 15956

Visitor Center – (814) 495-4643

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

SUPPLEMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHS:

Image from http://www.gjsd.net/index.php/high-school/

 Image from http://www.co.cambria.pa.us/CCCRA/Pages/JamesMayer.aspx