June 24 – October 8

ReWild Long Island is hosting the 2023 Summer Program (June 25 to October 8), produced by an organizing team that includes ten student organizers from the 2022 program. The program will occur at multiple locations in the Town Of North Hempstead, NY, centered around Port Washington. Activities will be outdoors and in-person and consist of

• **NEW** Design your own sustainable garden: designing and presenting a garden with a team

• Organic and regenerative food production: planting, watering, weeding, pruning, and caring for fruit and vegetable gardens to donate produce to food pantries for the hungry

• Rewilding and sustainable landscaping: planting native perennials, weeding rewilded spaces, and documenting the surge of biodiversity brought by native ecosystems

• Composting: Bokashi composting to sustainably recycle kitchen and yard waste and reusing compost into vegetable beds

• Recycling plant pots: collecting and reusing unused pots that would otherwise go to waste

• Connecting with nature and ecosystems: nature walks, bird banding, monarch butterflies release

• Lectures: information-packed lectures from knowledgeable environmentalists (and check-ins) in weekly Sunday Zoom sessions

• Training: in-person classes to learn rewilding and sustainable gardening concepts and techniques

Applications will open April 1 and due by May 1 to be guaranteed an interview slot but remain open until all internships are allocated (see top of page for updates). Students of all abilities are encouraged to apply. We seek to ensure diversity and representation across all categories, including gender, race, socio-economic status, and ability. You can apply to be a student intern or a student volunteer:

Internship

• Complete at least 60 hours of work (including training)

• Stipend of $300

• Certificates after successful completion

There are a limited number of spots, so we are looking for students that meet the following requirements

• Enjoy hands-on work in soil to grow food and help plants, birds, bees, butterflies, and other organisms

• Seek to help fight hunger, climate change, loss of biodiversity, and other environmental issues

• Able to travel to work sites on a regular basis

• Self-motivated and responsible

• Committed to outdoor safety

• Learning: You will learn a lot about rewilding, regenerative gardening, and furthering biodiversity through training sessions and hands-on activities.

• Spending time outside: You will work in-person and outdoors in sites full of greenery and fresh air.

• Making new friends: You will meet adult and youth mentors and other interns and volunteers that share similar values and are concerned about similar environmental issues.

• Making a difference: You will contribute to initiatives fighting against hunger, climate change, and loss of biodiversity. At the end of the summer, you will see the difference you have made.

• Stipend: Interns will receive a stipend on successful completion of the internship at the end-of-the-program commendation ceremony. Although volunteers do not receive a stipend, under the circumstance that we have more slots for students to receive one, volunteers who complete 60 hours of work will be considered for the stipend.

• Recommendation letters: On request, we will write recommendation letters in support of motivated and responsible students, both volunteers and interns.

• Leadership opportunity: We welcome you to become part of the leadership team the following year to plan and organize a better program.

Check out the FAQ first. If you still need help, contact us at summerorganizers@rewildlongisland.org.