Greenwich’s next generation of environmental stewards is getting to work — and this time, they’ll have some familiar faces joining them.
On Tuesday, July 14, 28 Greenwich teens will team up with members of the Board of Selectmen for a morning of tree planting at Montgomery Pinetum and the Greenwich Botanical Center, marking the 48th summer of the Greenwich Youth Conservation Program.
The selectmen will become “honorary teens” for the day, joining the paid crew at 10 a.m. for hands-on conservation work at 130 Bible St. in Cos Cob.
Since it began in 1978, the program has given more than 3,900 Greenwich teens the chance to earn a stipend while improving town parks and learning real-world skills.
The Youth Conservation Program combines outdoor work with lessons in:
- Conservation and environmental stewardship
- Resume writing
- Personal finance
- Workplace skills
Participants come from across Greenwich neighborhoods and attend both public and private schools, creating one of the town’s longest-running opportunities for teens to work alongside peers they might not otherwise meet.
“The learning starts when the teens fill out their applications and have their interviews and continues as they work with their supervisors and a diverse group of peers,” Program Administrator Christina Nappi said in a previous interview.
The program remains highly competitive — more than 100 students were on the wait list during its 45th anniversary year in 2023.
