Montgomery Village Conservation Corps: Work together, learn together, earn together

Quick Facts: This summer Montgomery Village Foundation (MVF) Recreation and Parks Department will select five teens to form a Youth Conservation Corps. For 6 weeks, they will meet five mornings a week to make our parks cleaner, safer and more beautiful for residents and wildlife. Earn SSL hours or get paid!

It is hard to imagine in February when the parks show patchy snow mounds, but by mid-summer, Montgomery Village parks are bursting with activities all day and into the evening. As soon as the sun rises, pickleball players will fill the courts, and residents will hit the Outdoor Fitness Park at Watkins Mill Recreation Area. In the afternoon, campers find the pools and playgrounds, and evening birders will watch the cormorants fish on Lake Whetstone. This constant bustle of activity creates a unique opportunity for a select group of young people. What is it like to work in parks management during the busiest time of the year? Five local students will get firsthand experience with each aspect of this exciting field.

The Montgomery Village Conservation Corps is made up of five teens between the ages 14 and 16 and one adult leader. The program lasts 6 weeks. This year the crew will start on Monday, June 23 and will conclude their service on Friday, Aug. 1. Since most of their work is outdoors, they will meet from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. each day so that they can take advantage of the cooler hours of the day.

The crew starts their summer off preparing for the Independence Day celebration. A lot of prep work goes into creating a successful event. The youth corps joins the entire MVF Recreation and Parks team to ensure that this Village-wide celebration goes off smoothly. During the Independence Day preparations, the crew gets to know each other, learns more about the Montgomery Village parks and properties, and starts building the groundwork for other summer projects. 

Each year brings different projects and challenges, but every Conservation Corps group participates in basic park maintenance. This includes trash cleanups, playground inspections and gardening tasks. Opportunities for learning blend with projects as the crew takes on plant identification, trail maintenance, wildlife damage mitigation and equipment repair. For example, in 2024 the Conservation Corps installed a native plant garden at William Hurley Park, cared for young trees throughout the Village, and cleaned up Lake Whetstone in addition to general maintenance projects around the parks.

This is a fantastic opportunity for young people, who enjoy being outside and working with peers, to make their community a better place. Applications for this summer may be obtained at the MVF Office, 10120 Apple Ridge Road, or online at www.montgomeryvillage.com.

For more information, contact Darlene Richardson at 240-243-2341 orThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please don’t delay if this opportunity excites you. The application deadline is Tuesday, April 1.