YOUNG NATURALISTS

Young Naturalists are high school students who want to learn more about nature and love spending time outdoors. They accept the challenge to work hard in conditions that are at times harsh and physically demanding to improve the health of the park. Young Naturalists are also interested in pursuing a degree or career related to environmental science, ecology, education, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) or sustainability.

The Young Naturalists program is a fun, paid opportunity for students to get outdoors and learn about the environment, gain unique work and leadership experience, and meet other teenagers who are interested in the environment. Students spend their summer outdoors learning about environmental STEM content alongside expert naturalists, scientists, and nature enthusiasts while working to improve the health of our parks by controlling erosion, managing and monitoring invasive species, repairing trails, and caring for trees.  

Content and topics vary from year to year but have included: 

• Mycology (study of fungi including mushrooms and lichens)  
• Entomology (study of insects) 
• Botany (study of plants) and forest ecology 
• Ornithology (study of birds)  
• Aquatic ecology, watershed health, and human impacts 
• Land management and conservation 
• Invasive species and habitat quality assessment  
• Climate science and activism 

Guest scientists, speakers, and program partners are from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Powdermill Avian Research Center, Tree Pittsburgh, Allegheny County Conservation District, The Watersmith Guild,  and many others. 

Started in 2014, Young Naturalists was designed to create in-depth and hands-on environmental science experiences for students from Pittsburgh area high schools. An important part of the Young Naturalists program is to create opportunities and connections in environmental science and STEM fields for students from historically underrepresented groups in STEM.