BRUNSWICK, ME – This winter, Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust launched the pilot season of its new Environmental Youth Leadership (EYL) program, engaging 12 Brunswick High School students in grades 10–12 in hands-on learning about local environmental challenges and solutions.
From January through early June, students met twice monthly with scientists, farmers, business owners, nonprofit leaders, and municipal officials to explore topics including climate resilience, watershed protection, sustainable business practices, and habitat restoration. Field experiences included visits to Brunswick Public Works, Green Bee Soda, the Schiller Coastal Studies Center, Sound Pine Farm, and Mere Point Oyster Company.
“One of our goals is to help students see that environmental issues are not just global and abstract – they are local, tangible, and connected to everyday life,” said BTLT educators leading the program.
Building on BTLT’s long-standing environmental education work with elementary students, the EYL program gives high school students an opportunity to engage more deeply with environmental issues while developing leadership skills and learning from community members who address these challenges in a wide variety of professions.
To conclude the semester, students created capstone projects focused on issues they care about most, including amphibian migration protection, watershed education, school gardens, and pollinator awareness. Participants say the experience has left them feeling empowered and optimistic. As one student shared, “It’s always better to start with something small than nothing at all.”
The Environmental Youth Leadership program aims to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards by showing students that meaningful change begins at the community level.
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