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Amy Rowe, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Are you looking for a gift for your favorite eco-friendly person? Or do you want to give back to your community in a meaningful way, but don’t know where to start?
The Rutgers Environmental Stewards program educates volunteers about current environmental issues so they can help tackle problems in their communities. If you have a passion for the natural world, and a desire to learn and volunteer in your community then this program is for you!
The program is designed for anyone who wants to learn about the science underlying key environmental issues in New Jersey. University experts are joined by colleagues from government and the non-profit sector who provide a crash course in New Jersey natural resource protection. Topics covered include climate change, solid waste and recycling, soil health, energy conservation, water resource protection, land use policy, wildlife ecology, habitat conservation, among others.
To become a Certified Rutgers Environmental Steward, participants must complete a 60-hour internship of their choosing. The internship exposes the Stewards to real-world environmental issues in their communities.
The 2022 class will run from January 25th through May 17th on Tuesdays from 5:30-8:00 PM. This year’s class will be a hybrid of Zoom sessions, in-person instruction, field trips, and on-demand electives. Classes will convene as a statewide group from 5:30-7:30 PM with a content expert who will cover that week’s topic. From 7:30-8:00 PM, classes will break out into regions for the last 30 minutes to cover local issues and meet with their coordinator for further discussion and activities.
More information about the class and registration can be found on the web at envirostewards.rutgers.edu/county-classes/. For questions, contact your regional coordinator:
Region 1 – Hudson, Bergen, Essex, Passaic, Morris, and Sussex Counties. Coordinator: Amy Rowe, rowe@njaes.rutgers.edu 908-235-1168
Region 2 – Union, Middlesex, Somerset, and Monmouth Counties. Coordinator: Michele Bakacs, bakacs@njaes.rutgers.edu 732-398-5274
Region 3 – Mercer, Hunterdon, and Warren Counties. Coordinator: Mercer Coordinator: Meredith Melendez, 609-989-6830. NOTE: Region 3 registration is pending. If you register, you will be put on a waiting list and will be emailed once we know if the program will run in this region.
Region 4 – Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Salem Counties. Coordinator: Mike Haberland, mike.haberland@rutgers.edu 856-216-7130 x3
Region 5 – Atlantic, Ocean, Cape May, and Cumberland Counties. Coordinator: Amy Menzel, amenzel@acua.com 609-272-6934
