Green Guard environmental stewardship program

The Green Guard environmental stewardship program was launched in February 2016. Green Guard empowers Kansas City’s underserved communities to actively care for and utilize natural areas where they live while gaining environmental literacy, addressing blight, and performing direct service in their own neighborhood.

The program includes ten, 2-hour classes that cover topics including fundamentals of environmental literacy and stewardship. Classes are taught by partners of Heartland Conservation Alliance who are professionals in the field and cover topics including habitat and wildlife, land use, water, and plants and trees. Stewards also receive hands-on training to develop skills to address maintenance issues and increase the beauty and pride of their neighborhood.

Stewards commit to serve for one year at a site in their neighborhood. The commitment requires at least three, 2-hour site visits in that year.

Stewards gain environmental literacy, environmental and professional job skills, and stewardship experience while directly serving their community and caring for natural areas and trails. After completing the classes, stewards are awarded a certificate and $50 stipend.

This project connects participating stewards with the resources and training they need to make effective change in their communities and care for the natural environment.

We work with our partner neighborhood associations to select a site to adopt, to understand their goals and expectations of the program, to select a location to host classes, and to determine an appropriate time to hold classes.

We work with our partner organizations who teach the classes and mentor stewards to set class topics, to determine relevant reference materials, and to develop appropriate hands-on activities.

At Heartland Conservation Alliance, we want people in urban areas to have ample opportunities to interact with nature in their own neighborhoods. This program puts Heartland Conservation Alliance’s mission into action. Stewards will protect natural resources, connect with nature, and understand the importance of doing both. Green Guard creates stewards who can work in green jobs in their community and beyond. The stewardship efforts will not only benefit individual stewards but it will allow the stewards to transfer their skills and passion to friends and family. Together, we can all work toward protecting the places people love.