WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
JBRPC is committed to the development of a diverse and skilled local workforce.
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Develop a local workforce of young adults with the technical and leadership skills to maintain and manage high-value tidal wetlands and nature-based restoration projects
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Use wetlands, one of the world’s most productive ecosystems, to foster critical, ecological thinking that informs adaptive management techniques for nature-based solutions
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Integrate local stakeholder knowledge and community values to form a holistic understanding of conservation and restoration needs and potential solutions
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Invest in communities most impacted by climate change, increasing their resilience through equitable opportunities for education and employment
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Demonstrate the value of wetlands maintenance for long-term project success to drive additional investments and policy that creates and sustains these vital nature-based jobs
Jamaica Bay Wetlands Fellowship
“What drew me to the Wetlands Fellowship is my love for outdoors and nature. Mother Nature has given me so much joy and love, that my goal this year was to share it back. This fellowship was the perfect opportunity for me to do exactly that. Not only am I helping the environment but also creating a safe clean space for surrounding communities to enjoy their community parks and beaches.”
6 month
long career development program
600 feet
natural breakwaters installed
6.5 tons
of trash removed
4 acres
or nearly 18,000 sq ft of invasive species cleared
“I was drawn to the Fellowship because I love nature and I grew up partly around Jamaica Bay. Whenever I get to work outside in the bay, it rarely ever feels like work. So far, I’ve have learned just how valuable the Bay and all of its Wetlands are to all of New York City. I have also learned that the Bay continues to be greatly affected by erosion and is in desperate need of continued restoration and maintenance.”
The Jamaica Bay Wetlands Fellowship will train the next generation of wetland managers, building skills and defining a career path for young people within the diverse vibrant communities surrounding Jamaica Bay.
Past Programs
City Cleanup Corps
September 2021–March 2022
City Cleanup Corps worked at city, state and federal parks around Jamaica Bay and Rockaway for six months. The Fellows worked to beautify and restore park sites for the benefit of the community and park visitors. The program provided a collaborative, mentorship structure that focused on skill development for long-term career advancement and job placement.
Conservancy Corps
2020-2021
Partnership program developed during the covid pandemic crisis to meet the needs of parks and public-private partnerships experiencing great need due to severe reductions in resources and staff. Conservancy Corps provided paid fellowships at Park Alliance groups at all five boroughs in NYC. The Conservancy Corps assisted with park maintenance, restoration, and public programming. The program included a professional development program with a focus on launching high need careers in parks’ conservation and preservation.
Wild Year: Adventures in Urban Parks Through Stewardship, Education and Recreation
2020–2021
Collaborative program with St. John’s Residence for Boys connects youth in the foster care or detention system to the outdoors by engaging them in activities that focus on stewardship, education, and recreation. The program leverages the natural environment to serve as a buffer for stress and increase resiliency. Wild Year challenges participants to work hard, learn and escape in nature.
Restoration Corps
2016–Current
The Jamaica Bay R-Corps is a green jobs training program for local youth to restore the natural environment through shoreline and habitat restoration. R-Corps integrates restoration work with education programs in wetland ecology, marine science, and and water quality monitoring. Partnership program with the American Littoral Society (ALS).