Summer Teen Program

Started in 1992, the Friends' flagship Summer Teen Program is an example of what young people can do if they are given a chance. Over the past fourteen years, the Summer Teen Program has brought over 600 teenagers into the park for internships. The teens have helped preserve and protect the park by doing a variety of tasks including trail building, brochure design, native species planting, and lake monitoring. In the process, they have grown and become better park stewards.

In the Summer of 2006, the Friends had a crew of 30 high school students that maintained the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail, the Croton Extension trail and the John Muir Nature Trail.

Western Environmental Internship

The Environmental Internship, in partnership with the Riverdale Neighborhood House, for high school students runs from October through June with teens working every Friday and alternating Saturdays in Van Cortlandt Park. This program involves the teens working on the John Muir Trail and the Compost Demonstration Site along with Environmental Education Projects. Throughout the year, teens will learn many aspects of environmental education including tree and bird identification, water quality testing, forest ecology, composting fundamentals and trail maintenance.

For more information on this year’s program click here.

 Southeastern Environmental Internship

Thanks to the Levitt Foundation, the Friends are expanding our Environmental Internship Program to include a new internship in the Southeast Corner of Van Cortlandt Park.  The Southeastern Environmental Internship for high school students will run from October through June with teens working every Wednesday and alternating Saturdays in Van Cortlandt Park. This program involves the teens working on the Croton Extension Trail in the Southeast Forest along with Environmental Education Projects. Throughout the year, teens will learn many aspects of environmental education including tree and bird identification, water quality testing, forest ecology, composting fundamentals and trail maintenance.  Interns will meet near Gun Hill Road and Jerome Avenue.

The deadline has passed for applications for this year’s Environmental Internship. For more information on the internship please call 718-601-1553 or email fvcpeducation@hotmail.com.

Junior Naturalists Program

The Junior Naturalist program provides 6^th to 8^th students with the opportunity to learn about important natural resources in Van Cortlandt Park and surrounding areas. The Junior Naturalist program takes place each spring and fall with sessions focusing on a different topic such as Forest Ecology, Lake Ecology, and Biodiversity. During each session participants learn about the topics through hands on activities, field trips and sites visits in our park and other areas. At the end of each session participants conduct a program for their friends and family, where they will teach them about the natural wonders of our Park and reiterate the knowledge that they have learned will participating in the Junior Naturalist program.

This fall, Junior Naturalists will be offered for eight weeks on the eastern side of Van Cortlandt Park. Program applications will be available in early September. For information on this program click here. The 2007 sessions of Junior Naturalists have been generously supported by the Hagedorn Fund.  

Lil’ Explorers Program

The Friends’ Lil’ Explorers program is our newest program that was launched in the spring of 2006. Lil’ Explorers is a Saturday morning program for 3rd-5th grade students and their parent(s).  Lil’ Explorers will learn about the various plants, animals and habitats of Van Cortlandt Park. .  For information on this program please call 718-601-1553 or email fvcpeducation@hotmail.com. 

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