Environmental Youth Leadership Program Kicks Off First Season

This winter, Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust launched a new pilot program designed to help local high school students engage more deeply in local environmental issues. The Environmental Youth Leadership (EYL) program is working with 12 students from Brunswick High School in grades 10–12 for a series of hands-on learning experiences running from January through early June.
The goal of the EYL initiative is to connect students with tangible opportunities to make a difference while helping them develop the confidence and skills to become effective environmental leaders. Global issues such as climate change can feel overwhelming and abstract, but this program focuses on making them local and real: how are these challenges affecting our community, and what can be done about them?

On the first day of the program, students were asked by our CREA educators whether they felt informed about current environmental issues affecting our world. Most said yes. But when asked specifically about local environmental challenges, nearly all rated their knowledge as zero. One of the program’s core objectives is to change that by shining a spotlight on local issues that students can engage with directly, while also building their advocacy and leadership skills.

Through twice-monthly sessions—some in person, others virtual—students explore environmental topics by meeting local business owners, farmers, scientists, nonprofit leaders, and municipal officials. A January tour of the town’s public works salt shed introduced the balancing act between winter road safety, municipal budgets, and the environmental impacts of road salt. A visit to Green Bee Soda demonstrated how sustainability can be built into a business model, while a trip to the Schiller Coastal Studies Center showed how scientists and the local fishing community can collaborate to monitor changes in the ocean.

Other sessions have included guidance on how to advocate for change, an introduction to Maine Big Night’s community science efforts to protect migrating amphibians, and presentations on the management of Brunswick’s coastal resources. In the coming months, students will visit a local oyster farm and vegetable farm to learn how growers steward natural resources while also ensuring reliable income.

These conversations give students a behind-the-scenes look at how environmental decisions are made and how different sectors contribute to solutions. Students are digging into big issues like climate resilience, watershed protection, the economics of sustainability, and habitat restoration—one excursion at a time.

As one student explained, “I think a lot of the time we get intimidated because there are so many different issues that need to be tackled. This internship has allowed me to slow down and focus on one organization or one type of work at a time, which is super helpful.”

One recurring theme across all sessions has been the complexity of environmental issues. As one student observed, “I think the problem is a lot larger than what meets the eye.” Being able to hear firsthand accounts has helped students better understand both the challenges and the range of possible solutions.

During the second half of the program, students will be developing capstone projects that allow them to explore one issue more deeply. Inspired by their session about Maine Big Night, some students are hoping to organize a neighborhood event to help protect migrating salamanders. Others are considering public education campaigns about watershed health, organizing events in the school garden, or creating publicity materials about supporting local pollinators.

No matter which project they undertake, these Environmental Youth Leaders have come away not only with more information and a deeper understanding of local issues, but equally importantly a changed outlook. Instead of feeling overwhelmed or powerless in the face of global environmental challenges, they are beginning to realize their local actions can contribute to meaningful change. As one 11th grader shared, her biggest takeaway has been realizing that “it’s always better to start with something small than nothing at all.” A sophomore participant echoed this sentiment, saying the program “really inspired me and instilled me with the belief that I actually might be able to achieve something.”

Another student reflected that “My biggest takeaway so far is that there are so many ways I can get involved in the environmental world just in Brunswick’s community. I didn’t know about (much of the work going on locally)… and it has been super inspiring to learn about.”

We look forward to supporting these Environmental Youth Leaders as they bring their capstone projects to life in the months ahead!