New Jersey’s Earth Stewards is among the nation’s most successful. The NJFO sponsors two program sites, an elementary school in Atlantic County and a high school in Ocean County. Both programs use field trips, habitat enhancement, guest speakers, the Internet, and customized lessons to provide students a learning experience that goes beyond the classroom.
Among the most successful characteristics of Earth Stewards’ are the interconnections fostered between students and resource professionals. While many environmental programs teach students about the natural world, few create the interactions with resource professionals that are an integral part of Earth Stewards. When biologists, community planners, and naturalists take the time to work with Earth Stewards students, the interconnections result in unique educational and work experiences. When students see adults with a passion for their work, it provides them new opportunities to explore their own feelings about a subject.
For example, NJFO personnel working with the Smithville Elementary School helped prepare and implement the enhancement of a drainage ditch into a pond ecosystem. At Pinelands Regional High School resource professionals from the Service and from other organizations introduced students to a variety of subjects and career paths. The Ocean County Parks Department provided a set of aerial maps for local land-use patterns studied by Earth Stewards classes. For one student, a field trip to a estuarine reserve blossomed into a summer internship and possible career path. For both schools, students once unfamiliar with the environment now show interest in natural resource careers.
The expertise provided by resource professionals complements many aspects of the Earth Stewards program. Since Earth Stewards is cross-curricular, the various skills associated with any natural resource field blend with other school activities. For example, the Service’s Junior Duck Stamp Program, a chance for students to express their interest in migratory birds through art, provides a different approach for fish and wildlife appreciation. Students learn the importance of math, English, art, and history in relation to resource management. Some students will become resource professionals, hopefully sharing their experience with generations to come. The interconnections between today’s resource professionals and tomorrow’s students make this program work. With its value firmly entrenched among students, educators, and the community, Earth Stewards is a rising star in the education of New Jersey’s students.
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