Mill River Stewards High School Environmental Internship Program
The Mill River Stewards high school internship program launched in 2011 with the support of the JP Morgan Chase Foundation. To date, the program has served 30 Stamford area high school students. Interns have the ability to learn about various jobs necessary to manage a park, participate in hands-on stewardship activities, and serve as outreach ambassadors in the community. The 2014 cohort was supported by gifts from the Anne S. Richardson Fund and the Starwood Foundation.
Mill River Stewards February 2015
Arthur Selkowitz - Board Chair Milton Puryear - Executive Director Nia Rhodes Jackson - Programs and Outreach Director
Stewards to use Mill River Park as a living classroom. Participants engage in hands-on stewardship work, career readiness training, and youth development activities. This increases the stewards’ environmental literacy and awareness, as well as plays a major role in upkeep and restoration of Mill River Park.
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The stewards program begins with a selection process, starting with submission of a detailed application. Each candidate is expected to complete their application on time. Careful consideration is given to those students who can express an authentic desire to work with the Mill River Park Collaborative, and who we feel have the potential to be successful in the program. In addition to the candidacy process, each steward is asked to complete a post-performance evaluation. This information serves as the foundation for future program development.
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Stewards completed post-performance evaluations at the end of the summer program
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The stewards learned about the importance of native species for healthy habitats. They learned how to identify native and invasive species and conduct invasive species removal along the banks of the river.
Nicholas Jayakar helps remove invasive species from one of the Park’s rain gardens
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The Stewards installed (7) 6-foot long biologs made of coconut coir fiber to stabilize the riverbanks and prevent erosion. They also spent time planting in the Main Street Garden, maintaining the nursery & greenhouse, planting bulbs, and maintaining Mill River Park’s bird feeders.
Stewards working together to install biologs along the riverbanks.
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Stewards Miles Gill and Allison Donohoe help fill the Park’s bird feeders 9
Mill River Park Collaborative was proud to host Pork in the Park, one of Stamford’s largest summer events, for a second year. Many hands made light work at the festival, as the Stewards gained experience in running a park-based public program by engaging in event set-up, admission, and providing support where needed.
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One of the major projects this year was the construction and installation of a 16-foot osprey nest platform, with the hope of attracting a breeding osprey pair. Man-made osprey nests have proven to be extremely beneficial in increasing the breeding population and decreasing nesting mortality. Such a large project depended on Steward collaboration and precision. The Stewards demonstrated great teamwork throughout the process of constructing and erecting the giant next. They finished the summer in true cooperative style!
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Since the Park is in an urban setting, litter removal is extremely important to the Park’s upkeep. Removal of leaves and trash from the river surprisingly turned out to be a favorite duty of the Stewards. This afforded them a chance to dress in waders and explore the depths of the river.
Mischael Anilus cleaning up the river
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Environmental Education Mill River Park: A Living Classroom
During the summer, the Stewards were introduced to the wide range of environmental careers and resources available in Connecticut. They served as outreach ambassadors in the community and learned techniques of successfully managing an urban park. The Stewards often spent time assisting when corporate and community groups volunteered in the Park, leading groups and sharing their newfound knowledge.
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Part of this newfound knowledge was flora and bird identification, which became an easy task for the Stewards. They identified and researched almost all birds, plants, and mammals that can be found in Mill River Park. Each Steward kept a binder to catalogue their findings, as well as inventory of every tree planted in the Park, from the American basswoods to the Kwanzan Cherry Trees.
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Stewards kept binders to identify and catalogue every tree and bird found in Mill River Park
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In addition to their stewardship work and outdoor experiential learning, the Stewards also had an opportunity to practice and strengthen their creative writing skills through several collaborative and individual writing sessions.
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The Park
by Carolyn Houtz The park is not just about the plants or the calming river; it’s about the people too. It’s about the moms pushing a stroller and the teenagers; it’s about the man asleep on the bench and the couple picnicking under a tree. The people are what complete the park and fill in all the silence. Without the people, there is no purpose for the park. The people are the foundation of the park. The park is built on water breaks during Sunday Zumba or laughter during Friday movie nights. It’s built on all the volunteers who pick up trash and plant flowers that will bloom in late spring. Without the people of the park, the bird feeders wouldn’t be filled and the benched wouldn’t be warmed; and who would push the swings besides the wind? The people give a purpose for the flickering lights or the food trucks. The purpose is for the children screaming on the playground. Where would the park be without us, and where would we be without the park?
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by Nicholas Jayakar Jack sat on the grand steps and watched the river flow by. The water kept going and going endlessly. It was in no rush, but by no means could it be stopped. He watched as a twig was caught between two rocks in the flow. Other sticks floated by oblivious to the situation that occurred only a few feet away. The twig that was caught held its position for as long as it could, but finally, under the tremendous pressure of the rushing water, snapped.
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Autumn Storm by Holly Donohoe
A flash of lightning streaks across the sky We huddle close beneath the trembling leaves As thunder roars a nightmare lullaby, And strips of the trees outside of summer leaves Yet, in the light of day, we know We will Deny the fearful pounding of Our hearts that marks the end The end of laying out in the freshly cut green grass It’s now time for class No more late summer nights Or carnivals flashing lights The crisp autumn air blows in with the storm Washing away the summer And all that remains Is decayed leaves and memories
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by Shalyn Coley When I first got this job coming into it I had no idea what to expect. Whether or not I would have an okay summer with my fellow stewards. This job has changed me on the inside of my perspective of the outside. I learned much about the park. I branched out and overcame my shyness. This summer has been an amazing one. Doing for my community and learning how much of an impact this park has on it. If I could choose the peak of this summer it would be falling into the sound. My pit would be getting attacked by bees!
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Good Vibes by EN-Deja Whyte
Some people are so poor all they have is money. The world is a disappointment, but subtract the negativity then add beauty to your environment equals good vibes. Good vibes will come to you in silence. Life will chew you up and then spit you back out. I for one continue to keep pushing forward. That’s just how I live my life. The way to get out of quick sand is to remain calm. Once calm, force a high knee up one leg at a time while reaching for solid ground. Therefore giving it your all. You got to crawl and push your way out. Good vibes to hold on to in my times of need are my family, my girl, awesome memories with my friends and a blaze of fire.
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Grounded
by Mischael Anilus Grounded Down to the earth Millions of hands Spread Search Grab and Hold the dirt beneath me I am grounded Uprooted Wrenched from the ground that held me As the earth grows, I grow As the earth spins, I spin And as the earth quakes and shakes So do I And just like that I am uprooted Unwanted I am no longer needed Day by day I am Chopped Cut Burned by the men who were once thankful for me I am unwanted 27
Workforce/Job Skills Throughout the summer, the Stewards took part in a number of job readiness workshops, which prepared them for professional employment. The workshops included writing cover letters and resumes, dressing for success, interview skills, and job searching.
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A creative resume made by Steward Dan Trapp for the job readiness workshop 29
Through a partnership with INDEED.COM, the number one job site worldwide, students learned how to search for the perfect job online. They were shown how to upload resumes to the internet and successfully navigate the INDEED website. This activity proved to be one of great interest and encouragement to the Stewards. Many of the Stewards expressed that their favorite workshops of the summer was “Dress for Success.” They learned the importance of dressing appropriately on the job and when interviewing for prospective employment. The Stewards applied their newly obtained skills by completing a series of mock interviews. The individual mock interviews taught them how to best conduct themselves when interviewing for a job, and also served as the exit interview for their time spent at Mill River Park Collaborative After their mock interviews, the Stewards K2 Advisors and learning about various Each Steward ended their summer with a heightening sense of job readiness regarding career choices.
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“Wearing appropriate clothes for a job interview conveys the appearance of intellect, integrity, dedication and understanding of the company. It’s important to show that you have a certain level of class, sophistication and eagerness to leave a good impression.” - ROBERTO CORSO “It’s important to dress for success at an interview because it’s a display of confidence and a first impression of you on your future employer.” - SHALYN COLEY “I would dress nicely in whatever fits best for the specific job I was getting interviewed for. If I were to get the job I would always try my best to look professional and classy. I feel it’s important to dress for success because when you’re dressed good, you feel good.” - ALLISON DONOHOE
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Field Trips
Traveling Beyond the Borders of Mill River Park
While the main focus of the program was to educate the Stewards on Mill River Park’s ecology and upkeep, the Stewards also had opportunities to travel beyond the borders of Stamford and explore other greenspaces related to their work.
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The Stewards enjoyed exploring outside of Mill River Park and travelling beyond the borders of Stamford
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Field trips included the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, the High Line, K2 Advisors, the Audubon Center in Greenwich, the New England Wildflower Society, and kayaking down the Five Mile River in Rowayton.
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The Stewards enjoying the Audubon Center in Greenwich
Stewards Jared and Miles coasting on the Rowayton waters
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Sharing Our Thoughts “The New England Wildflower Society preserved the natural species of the NE that would have otherwise been decimated and defiled by outside species. It also gives generations something to admire.” - ROBERTO CORSO “I think The New England Wildflower Society is so important because it preserves New England’s plants in a healthy way. For instance, some plants here you can only find in this garden now!” - HOLLY DONOHOE “Out of all the gardens inside BBG, I enjoyed the rose garden. The structure of it was really organized. There was a large variety of plants and I was able to learn a lot about them from the other people walking around the garden. It was very colorful because of the variety of plants.” - JARED GILPATRICK
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What Plant Best Describes you? “The Tiger Lily: Just from the name, a contradiction is born. A tiger, fierce predator, and a flower full of blossom and bloom. A combination so odd that it just makes perfect sense, at least to some. I can relate to this, seeing as I don’t make sense to most and I appear quite odd. It blooms only once a year in spring, and stays away for the rest of the time. It has a lust for life that can’t be quieted or comes back better than the years previous” - ROBERTO CORSO
Red Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
“I would say the Red Cardinal Flower. It has many petals and goes with the flow. The red represents my tenacity when I strive to reach my goals. The red also reminds me of the vibrant way of thinking.” - HOLLY DONOHOE
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ALL ABOARD! The Stewards catch the train to NYC to see the High Line and Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
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Stretching beyond Mill River Park provided an opportunity for the Stewards to understand and embrace the connections between the natural world and it’s positive impact on the citizens of Fairfield County and beyond.
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The Stewards participated in a Long Island Sound study day with Judy Preston from Sea Grants. They learned about identifying invasive plant species, river dynamics, and fresh to salt water ecology.
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Š 2015 All Rights Reserved. Photography supplied by the following individuals: Olivier Kpognon; Emily Rosenthal; Shannon Spaulding
Mill River Park Collaborative
1010 Washington Boulevard
Stamford, CT 06901
millriverpark.com