Coastal Stewardship Corps

 

Two crew members wade through a salt marsh, mapping vegetated and unvegetated areas

NPS Photo/E. Bernbaum

What is Coastal Stewardship?

Coastal stewardship the practical and responsible care of shorelines by preserving both natural ecosystems and cultural heritage. From the Boston Harbor Islands to the Charlestown Navy Yard, coastal stewardship focuses on protecting wetlands, bluffs, and shorelines, ensuring long-term health, resilience, and public benefit. Efforts include restoring habitats, monitoring water quality, and protecting local wildlife while also supporting public use. If you're excited by natural resources, science, community engagement, or sustainability and making a lasting impact, there’s a place for you in this field.

About Coastal Stewardship Corps

The Coastal Stewardship Corps is a young-adult service-learning program based at National Parks of Boston that offers participants training and experience in coastal conservation and natural resource management. Participants take part in projects that may include shoreline restoration, water quality monitoring, invasive species removal, habitat protection, and public interpretation and education.

Through this 12-month program, young adults, age 18-30 (35 for veterans), build skills, contribute to the protection of coastal resources, and prepare for careers in public lands and environmental stewardship. Combining fieldwork, skill-building, and mentorship, participants gain valuable experience and contribute to safeguarding natural and cultural resources.

Eligibility

• Age requirement: must be between the ages of 18-30 years old, up to 35 for military veterans.
• Local to Boston or willing to relocate to the Boston area.
• Interest and enthusiasm for learning about and on public lands.

 

“Overall, I feel very satisfied with how our projects ended and all the work we've done. Specifically, final reports, published articles, and formal presentations are elements that will be on my resume for a while.  I feel much better off after being here this year, and believe it was the right place for me to get started in my career.”

—Ellie, 2024 CSC Crewmember

Image credit: Coastal Stewardship Corps

 

Program Benefits

Ready to level up your skills and make a lasting impact? Join a crew of young adults dedicated to coastal stewardship across federal and state parks in Boston. You’ll gain hands-on experience in environmental conservation, build your resume, and leave your mark on the coastal landscapes that matter.

 

Participants in this program will gain:

Technical and Hands-on Skills

• Planting techniques 
• Plant identification  
• Wildlife and plant monitoring 
• Mapping and Geospatial Information Systems (GIS)  
• Energy Auditing 

Analytical and Research Skills

• Data evaluation 
• Statistics 
• Identifying patterns and trends 
• Historic research 
• Site documentation (photos, drawings, field notes) 
• Data Management 
• Condition assessments 
• Interpreting historic building codes and standards (Secretary of the Interior’s Standards) 

Project and Preservation Planning Skills

• Cultural landscape preservation 
• Ecological monitoring and reporting 
• Resource management 
• Fundamentals of Historic Preservation skills 
• Safety standards training 

Communication Skills

• Community Engagement 
• Public Interpretation 
• Educational Resource Development 
• Science Interpretation and Education 
• Writing and publishing articles for NPS.gov 

Professional and Workforce Development Skills

• Time and project management 
• Safety and jobsite protocols (ex. CPR/First Aid, Personal Protection Equipment, OSHA-10) 
• Leadership 
• Career exploration 

 

Compensation

• $600 per week ($15/hour equivalent).
• $500 travel allowance.
• Upon successful completion of 1700 service hours, participants receive a Segal Education Award.
• Skill development and career exploration in park stewardship fields.
• Health Insurance.

 

I loved the program's focus on professional development and how it gave me the opportunity to really think deeply about where I want my career to go on top of giving me the chance to try on the different hats involved in the projects to see first-hand what I enjoy.

—Evan, 2024 CSC Crewmember

Image credit: Coastal Stewardship Corps

 

Program Impacts

 

 

Now that it is the end of the year, I feel so proud of the projects that we accomplished and the tangible deliverables that have a big impact on the parks such as the eco-challenge and tree planting.

—Olivia, 2024 CSC Crewmember

Image credit: Coastal Stewardship Corps

 

AmeriCorps

About AmeriCorps

Program participants are members of the AmeriCorps program. AmeriCorps is a federal program that engages volunteers in community service projects across the United States, focusing on areas like education, disaster response, public health, and environmental conservation.