The Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) is excited to add Alden Dumas to their team. Alden Dumas is an ECO AmeriCorps member serving and assisting the CRC team in Vermont in a myriad of areas. He began his service as the CRC’s Outreach, Education, and Field Staff Assistant on September 19th, and will continue serving the organization as an Americorps member for another eleven months into 2023. Throughout his service he will focus on water quality assessment of the Connecticut River and its many tributaries, organize and assist with community outreach events such as the Conservancy’s annual Source to Sea Cleanup, visit schools and other education institutions to teach about River Conservation and environmental issues, and develop and implement his own projects in these areas throughout the year.
Alden is a recent graduate from the George Washington University where he studied Environmental Studies, with a specific focus on green infrastructure and stormwater management. “I grew up near the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, so I have always felt a sort of connection to these kinds of environmental concerns,” he says, “They take on a personal importance to me. And coming from a larger city, DC, I’m excited to be able to feel closer to the community through my work at the CRC. Community outreach definitely feels more accessible and attainable here in Brattleboro. This year is also about exploring what serving in the field of Environmental Conservation means and what that looks like, which is an exciting step to take as I look forward to what a career in Conservation might be like.”
The organization’s Brattleboro office will serve as the home base for much of Alden’s service, but the statewide scope of the CRC’s efforts may involve riparian buffer plantings all the way up in the Northeast Kingdom. “The natural beauty of Vermont is one of the best and most encouraging components of getting to be a part of the ECO program this year”, he continues, “It really makes you want to do the natural resources of this state justice, and to do justice to the people that live here and depend on that nature for their livelihoods; including those that live here after them.”
“CRC is very grateful to support Alden’s service to the Connecticut River and our work over the coming year.” says Kathy Urffer, River Steward in VT. “His efforts will expand our capacity to do outreach and education around many of the efforts that we are working on, including the re-licensing of the Wilder, Bellows Falls, and Vernon dams. We are very excited to be able to increase the scope of our protection efforts for our rivers and the Connecticut River watershed on the eastern half of VT.”
Ron Rhodes, CRC’s Restoration Manager states, “With the influx of federal funding that can support clean water projects, Alden’s help will be critical this year to help identify additional restoration projects as well as get more on the ground projects done over the coming months.”
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Since 1952, Connecticut River Conservancy has been the voice for the Connecticut River watershed, from source to sea. They collaborate with partners across four states to protect and advocate for your rivers and educate and engage communities. They bring people together to prevent pollution, improve habitat, and promote enjoyment of your rivers and streams. Healthy rivers support healthy economies. To learn more about CRC, or to make a contribution to help protect your rivers, visit www.ctriver.org.
ECO AmeriCorps is a program administered by the VT Dept. Environmental Conservation. The program consists of 24 members serving statewide with partner organizations dedicated to improving Vermont’s water quality and minimizing the amount of waste entering landfills. For more information about ECO AmeriCorps, visit www.ecoamericorps.vermont.gov.
AmeriCorps is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency for service and volunteering. CNCS annually engages more than five million citizens in service at more than 60,000 locations in 8,500 cities across the country through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and other programs. National service participants address the most pressing challenges facing our cities and nation, from educating students for the jobs of the 21st century and supporting veterans and military families to preserving the environment and helping communities recover from natural disasters. For more information on AmeriCorps, visit www.americorps.gov.
