Yampa Valley Sustainability Council introduces internships to further local environmental programs

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — In an effort to assist younger professionals and neighborhood members, the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council has began an internship program with faculty college students and graduates throughout Colorado.

“There are only a few skilled improvement alternatives for younger professionals within the Yampa Valley,” mentioned Michelle Stewart, govt director of the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council. “We get a whole lot of younger professionals who work in tourism industries, however there isn’t a lot for many who have levels in environmental research or sustainability.”

That is the primary yr the nonprofit has accepted interns, so this system continues to be in its early levels. There are at present six interns specializing in completely different areas of sustainability, from transitioning the valley to depend on photo voltaic power to learning the impacts of extra single-use take-out packing containers and plastic utensils for the reason that starting of the pandemic. The council at present has a mixture of paid and unpaid alternatives for interns.

“It offers us one other arm of people who’re bight and dedicated to sustainability and might do nice work for our applications,” Stewart mentioned.

Tina Evans, a professor of sustainability research at Colorado Mountain Faculty Steamboat Springs, mentioned youthful generations being concerned in sustainability is significant as a result of youthful generations will reap the impacts of local weather change.

“We’re seeing the impacts of local weather change and drying within the west, the necessity to transfer to renewable power is now,” Evans mentioned. “The youthful generations are going to see this unfold and can see a whole lot of this stuff occur.”

Evans mentioned a lot of her college students who’ve labored with the council have tackled completely different areas of sustainability, reminiscent of rising the financial system by means of renewable power and dealing in environmental equality. Every space intersects in constructing a extra sustainable future, Evans added.

“We’ve a whole lot of social change that we have to undertake and there are lots of instructions sustainability must go, so there’s a whole lot of room for various pursuits,” Evans mentioned. “The impacts of local weather change change into a lot much less distressing while you’re actively doing one thing about it.”

Every intern chooses a distinct venture to concentrate on. Graduate pupil intern Madeline Craig-Scheckman is assessing easy methods to implement photo voltaic power throughout the Yampa Valley, significantly in Steamboat Springs.

“It’s an superior method to discover my curiosity in sustainability whereas additionally having the ability to join with the neighborhood I grew up in,” Craig-Scheckman mentioned.

Craig-Scheckman was raised in Steamboat earlier than acquiring her bachelor’s diploma at George Washington College in Washington, D.C. She believes the internship is very significant to her as a result of she’s in a position to research an space she is aware of properly and has a deep appreciation for.

“Having the ability to have the information I had from my upbringing and having the ability to carry that to a real-life state of affairs that I’m enthusiastic about makes for a extra dynamic internship,” Craig-Scheckman mentioned. “I really feel extra comfy to simply soar proper in and discuss to individuals and I understand how issues function.”

Craig-Scheckman is within the early levels of her venture, however she hopes to check easy methods to make photo voltaic power extra accessible to all and determine present boundaries neighborhood members face to implementing solar energy.

“Lots of people don’t perceive that there are photo voltaic alternatives and it’s reasonably priced,” Craig-Scheckman mentioned.

To achieve Alison Berg, name 970-871-4229 or e mail aberg@SteamboatPilot.com.