2017-Cairn January 2017: Career Exploration

Start Date-End Date: 01/21/2017-01/21/2017 Land Manager Office: Land Manager Contact: Funding Partner: Programmatic Partner: King Soopers Summary: Students will explore various career options in natural resources, and learn more about sustainability. Description: Students will explore various career options in natural resources, and learn more about sustainability. Latitude/Longitude: 39.705767, -104.972391 Additional Information: Camping Available: No Physical Difficulty: Easy High Altitude Project: No Desired Number of Volunteers: 35 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 10 Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 22 Total Volunteer Days: 32 Total Unique Volunteers: 32 Total Volunteer Hours: 260.5 Staff Hours: 13.5 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: On Saturday, January 21st, Cairn met to have a career exploration day. We started by heading to Alpine Waste & Recycling, where we got an in-depth tour of the facility, and explanation of the recycling/composting process. We heard from a representative from Boulder County's PACE (Partners for a Clean Environment) program. This program employs business sustainability advisors, who help large businesses, restaurants, etc adopt more sustainable practices. We also heard from the King Soopers Sustainability team, who talked about what a successful corporate company has done to reduce their footprint. In the afternoon, we headed back to the VOC office. After lunch, we had a presentation from VOC staff on "Careers in Natural Resources" - which is a training developed by CAEE and CYCA. To end the day, we had an Ecologist from the National Park Service and a Research Scientist from the US Geological Survey talk to the kids about their career paths, and possible internships. Successes and Challenges: The day was a lot of sitting and listening for the students. The Alpine facility just had one small conference room, where most students had to stand or sit on the ground. Including a small project/more hands-on activities for students would make for a more engaging day. Lessons Learned: Special Notes: Stewardship Education: Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: Description of Accidents/Incidents: Description of Work Completed: