As students prepare to head back to school, land trusts are providing opportunities for the next generation of conservationists
Land trusts across the country are providing programs so that the next generation can learn about and experience the importance of protecting our lands and waters.
As summer winds down, kids across the country are heading back to school, and for many students, the return to school marks a fresh start — a chance to set goals, discover new interests and build on the skills they’ve gained. Beyond the classroom, however, kids also gain valuable experience by joining clubs or volunteering in their communities — activities that help them develop important life skills like teamwork, leadership and empathy, while also allowing them to explore new interests and make a positive impact.
Many land trusts across the country are providing those types of activities and opportunities, preserving spaces and providing programs that will allow the next generation to learn about and experience the importance of protecting our lands and waters. Read on for just a few examples.
Leo Creek Preserve hosts year-round education programs in Michigan
The nine‑acre Leo Creek Preserve, located just south of Suttons Bay along the Leelanau Trail, has been gifted to the Inland Seas Education Association and will continue to serve as an outdoor learning laboratory for educational programming while remaining open to the public. Since its establishment in 2016 under a conservation easement with the Leelanau Conservancy, Kate Thornhill has stewarded the land, cultivating native gardens and educational stations. Although ISEA will now manage the site, Thornhill will continue collaborating on its care and the development of a sustainable maintenance plan.
Fred Sitkins, executive director of the Inland Seas Education Association, emphasized the preserve’s importance in expanding their “Watershed Exploration” programs in an interview with the Glen Arbor Sun: “As ISEA continues to expand our year-round educational programs, Leo Creek, just a mile from our Suttons Bay campus, will play a large role in making our Watershed Exploration programs come to life for the students we serve.”
Conserved landscapes provide musical inspiration
Mark Vance has been teaching aspiring composers for more than 20 years through his Young Composers Project, instructing in areas like instrumentation, harmony, history, notation and music theory in the classroom, then joining forces with a local nonprofit for outside-the-classroom experiences. In 2025, participants partnered with the Bear Yuba Land Trust in Grass City, California, to draw creative inspiration from the landscape and environmental stewardship efforts.
As part of their experience, teen composers engaged in immersive field exploration and hands-on conservation work — removing invasive plants and managing fire fuel loads at both Wildflower Ridge Preserve and the Adam Ryan Preserve. In the fall, they also planted 500 native shrubs, trees and flowers to restore habitat. Inspired by these experiences, the composers crafted instrumental pieces:
“Eventide” by Ari Cook: A quintet evoking the stillness of late afternoon.
“Spring Trails” by Henry Krautkramer: A dialogue between flute and violin over a cello’s bass line.
“A Day in the Land Trust” by Jaxon English: A trio blending classical chamber motifs with cinematic undertones.
“Rooted Deep” by Asher Lee: A reflective piano-violin-cello work metaphorically rooted in conservation efforts.
At the Inspired Compositions Concert in June at the Trabucco Ranch venue, each of the students had their new compositions premiered by professional musicians.
California easement conserves 402 acres and creates an outdoor education program
Placer Land Trust, Jessup University and additional project partners recently announced the permanent protection of 402 acres in the heart of California’s Clover Valley for conservation, education and public benefit. Funding was secured when the Placer County Office of Education approved a final $2.37 million, securing the full funding to conserve 402 acres of Clover Valley and establish an outdoor education program that will serve more than 76,000 students in the region. As an outdoor classroom, the valley offers opportunities to learn about local Native American history, study nature, conduct research projects and more.
“The protection of Clover Valley holds so many benefits to our community and the environment,” said Jeff Darlington, executive director of Placer Land Trust, in a release. “From habitat for rare and threatened species, to historic Native American heritage sites, this land is truly unique to Rocklin and our region.”
University students work to protect the Shenandoah Valley
The fledgling Shenandoah Valley Conservation Fellowship program bridges academia and conservation organizations, engaging students across a variety of fields in environmental work throughout Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. This year, four students from James Madison University are working with the Shenandoah Valley Conservancy, Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley and the Potomac Conservancy during the spring and summer, with opportunities to continue into the fall semester.
The four inaugural fellows and their roles include:
Annie Kate Walsh: Anthropology major with a minor in environmental humanities who works in JMU’s Gender and Science Ethnography Lab. As a Shenandoah Valley native, she will lead community engagement efforts with the Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley.
Nathan Horner: An integrated science and technology major experienced in using tech for environmental solutions. He’ll collaborate with the Potomac Conservancy to enhance data tools for land management and conservation easement stewardship.
Grace Eiden: A communication studies major (minor in environmental studies), president of JMU’s Caving Club, and volunteer with On the Road Collaborative in Harrisonburg. She will serve in an engagement and outreach capacity with the Shenandoah Valley Conservancy.
Morgan Bailey: A biology major focused on ecology and environmental biology with field research experience in old-growth forests and salamander life cycles. Her role involves assisting with land management documentation and conservation easement stewardship at the Shenandoah Valley Conservancy.