Gaining insight into what watershed conservation looks like coincides with the mission of local nonprofit organization Project ASCENT, which is to introduce participants into the natural world through education and expedition. This summer, two Project ASCENT interns had the opportunity to team up with Lower Clark Fork Watershed Group (LCFWG) to learn about and be a part of their continuous conservation efforts.

“One of the largest ongoing projects is in the Bull River where we are partnering with numerous landowners and funders to plant native trees and shrubs along the river,” said LCFWG coordinator Brita Olson. “It’s a truly collaborative effort and we’re excited for this partnership with Project ASCENT to be an addition to our work in Bull River this year.” Olson says this is the first year LCFWG has hosted summer internships and after working with Project ASCENT, she hopes to make the program an annual experience for the youth in the area.

After a conversation and approval from LCFWG’s board, Project ASCENT created several different jobs for their junior field instructors. “Each year, we hire up to five junior field instructors,” said Rob Christensen, executive director of Project ASCENT. “We don’t get much high school participation in our adventures because most of them have summer jobs, so that was one motivation to offer some paid positions with us. Plus, it fits in perfectly with our mission and goals.”

Interns Kael Brown and Cella VanHuss assisted LCFWG staff in monitoring and maintaining projects. Brown, age 16, says this is his first year officially working for Project ASCENT and he enjoyed the five-day internship he did with the watershed group. “Most of the work we did was pruning and helping with tree maintenance,” Brown said. “We got to see plantings from a while ago and it was cool to see how the work we were doing will affect those trees in the future.”

Project ASCENT is unique in the way they employ people. “We hire former campers who have a knowledge of how our adventures go and what is expected,” Christensen said. “This way they move up the ladder of experience, gaining volunteer and paid time that they can use on a resume. We want to keep our youth around, especially those who develop a love of stewardship and desire to care for our area.”

Christensen says by exposing youth to jobs in the field of science and other outdoor related areas, options open up for them to live and work locally instead of being forced to look outside the community. “I see what we do as one of the best ways of strengthening our communities and taking care of what we hold so dear,” he said.

Throughout the work LCFWG did with the interns, Olson says what she really wanted them to take away from the work was an educational experience. “We took a lot of time in explaining the background of the projects that we were working on and why it is meaningful to contribute to the Bull River in this way,” she said. “They were great to work with and the week was the highlight of my summer.”

Each night after Brown and VanHuss finished their work, they would head back to base camp. “They took on roles of junior field instructors, helping to cook breakfast and dinner with our adventurers,” Christensen said. “They then would go with Brita for the day and work with her. They basically had dual roles. It was great to have them explain to us during our campfire talks what they did each day and it fostered some excitement in our campers about working with Project ASCENT in the future.”

What Christensen wanted the interns to get out of the experience was exposure to the work that LCFWG does. “Not many people research or have much intimate knowledge of what it takes to truly take care of watershed, flora, fauna, wildlife corridors and riparian areas,” he said. “What Brita does has such a huge and positive impact in our world. I wanted the kids to learn about the importance of making a real difference, and learn what it truly takes to do so. If we can ignite a spark, that's what it's all about. As William Butler Yeats said, ‘Education should not be the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.’”

All of the adventures and jobs are funded by the people who are Project ASCENT. “We write grants and fundraise year-round to make our adventures free for everyone,” Christensen said. “I'm talking about equipment, food, lessons, everything. This eliminates social stigma and allows youth to experience something that they normally may not get the chance to. We rely on philanthropy and our community has been amazing.”

Visit http://www.projectascent.org for more information.