For Immediate Release

For Information Contact
Leanne Fisher, Marketing and Communications Director
lfisher@usaconservation.org


American Conservation Experience CEO Op-Ed:
Earth Day Met with a Sense of Urgency


April 20, 2023 –
We are approaching Earth Day with a sense of urgency this year. Extreme weather events, the impact of climate change and our impact on the planet mean we have to up our game and invest in this place we call home.

As leaders in the conservation field, we are seeing first hand the increased need for our work. The number of conservation projects continues to increase and we struggle to keep up with the demands.

Sometimes it is difficult to see the connection between the work that Conservation Corps such as American Conservation Experience (ACE) do and the bigger climate picture.  However, every act and every bit of work matters.  Pulling invasives and replacing them with native plants matters. Reducing fuel loads in the West matters.  Rehabilitating a trail so not to further impact the surrounding habitat matters. Inventory and monitoring matters. Responding to natural disasters such as flooding and hurricanes matters. Every project contributes and matters.

And we need to do more. For more than 65 years, young people have joined conservation corps like ACE and rolled up their sleeves, laced their boots and served in our national parks, forests, refuges, local communities, and urban green spaces. As the 2023 Earth Day theme “Invest in our Planet” calls for, we need more individuals to invest energy into environmental action and more leaders to support them.

Give us three months of your time and your efforts will help give the Earth a fighting chance. Each conservation project contributes to protecting fragile habitats and dwindling natural resources. Get involved today. ACE has projects across the US where you can make a difference. Learn more at usaconservation.org.

— Laura Herrin, CEO and President, American Conservation Experience

 

About the American Conservation Experience (ACE)

Founded in 2004, the American Conservation Experience (ACE) is a non-profit organization that recruits and trains young adults and military veterans from all backgrounds to complete a range of restoration and historic preservation projects while building the next generation of land stewards. Participants gain professional skills and cultivate their conservation careers through ACE’s experienced staff and working alongside representatives from agencies such as the National Park Service, US Forest Service, and other conservation-focused groups. Currently ACE operates out of hubs in Flagstaff AZ, Sacramento, CA, Ridgecrest, CA, Hurricane, UT, and Asheville, NC along with a robust remote workforce located across the country. To learn more, visit www.usaconservation.org.

###

 

 

Skip to content