On June 24th the Edisto Island Open Land Trust is sending 11 students to experience conservation efforts being made in Chicago!
The EIOLT Conservation Exchange Program is an ongoing effort dedicated to informing, educating and encouraging local high school students to enthusiastically pursue awareness and stewardship of the natural resources of Edisto Island and the ACE Basin. Through contrasting the conservation efforts and natural resources found in large cities and their urban surroundings with those found on Edisto and in the ACE basin, we believe our younger generation will come to recognize the depth, breadth and vulnerability of the conservation resources in our local environs. Our goal is to foster and nourish this recognition, which in turn will produce within the next generation the commitment and desire to preserve and protect the lands, heritage, scenic vistas and conservation resources of Edisto Island.
As a component of Edisto Island Open Land Trust’s (EIOLT) Education and Outreach mission we initiated a joint project in 2012 with The Center for Conservation Leadership (CCL). CCL is an educational initiative of Lake Forest Open Lands Association, which like EIOLT, is a nationally accredited land trust, based in Lake Forest, Illinois. CCL and EIOLT have placed specific emphasis on environmental education with a goal of cultivating the next generation of conservation leaders. Our goal is to develop and empower high school students from diverse backgrounds who have a keen interest in the environment and a passion for the outdoors. Our belief is that these students can become the conservation leaders of the future.
