Trail Keepers
Trail Keepers is a 14 week (May - August) program for Eliza Howell Park (EHP) that focuses on workforce development tailored to teach youth and young adults about land stewardship. The program consists of two core groups, the Trail Keepers Fellowship and Trail Keepers Collective.
The Trail Keepers Fellowship program begins in May and consists of green workforce development certification courses, an outlined curriculum with deliverables, and final group presentations. The fellows will also be group leaders and mentors to the trail keeper collective participants.
The Trail Keepers Collective begins in July and works on natural areas maintenance and management in EHP, while also attending educational citizen science workshops.
All youth participants will contribute to park improvement projects while earning certifications, developing leadership skills, and exploring pathways in conservation, urban forestry, and land stewardship. All efforts to expose participants to other organizations and green operations to increase capacity in the Detroit area. The program aims to cultivate a future generation that can work, care for, and be equipped to advocate for their local green spaces.
Fellowship
The Trail Keepers Fellowship is a 14-week (May-August) workforce development program based at EHP, designed to equip youth and young adults (ages 18–24) with foundational skills in land stewardship, conservation, and urban forestry. Participants contribute to hands-on park improvement projects while earning certifications, building leadership skills, and exploring career pathways in environmental fields.
The Fellowship begins in early May and combines workforce development certification courses, a structured curriculum with defined deliverables, and a culminating final presentation. Fellows will also serve as mentors to the Trail Keeper Collective, a companion program for youth ages 14–18 that begins in July. Together, these programs aim to cultivate a new generation of environmental leaders prepared to care for and advocate for local green spaces.
The program emphasizes immersive, place-based learning rooted in community partnerships and cultural exchange, while exposing participants to a wide range of environmental careers and land management practices. Experience skills related to outdoor and environmental education, tree planting and maintenance, field experience related to data collection, and group presentations.
Requirements:
18-24 years old
Strong leadership skills
Ability to work confidently and outside at the park
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively on tasks
Eager to work with youth, the general public, and outdoors
Pay: $18/h
Dates:
Early May - Mid-August
Monday- Thursday, 9am-3pm
Certifications & Skill Building
Participants will have the opportunity to earn one or more industry-recognized certifications, which may include:
Wilderness First Aid/CPR
Master Rain Gardening
Urban Forestry 101
Tree Identification
Invasive Species Management
Stormwater Specialist Training (6 week course)
Deliverables:
Obtain mentors from program partners in your field of interest
Mentor youth/volunteers during public park maintenance days
Represent the Trail Keepers program and Sidewalk Detroit at public events in a professional and positive way
Complete weekly journal entries and check ins
Complete a Fellowship Capstone group project and present to a small group of staff and professionals. This project could look like one of the following and be in the form of a powerpoint, collage, short film, photo essay, performance, or another creative expression.
Required: Written 2 page minimum report with cited sources
Select a career path to focus on that will shape your project and time with Trail Keepers
What was your experience like?
If you were expanding outreach around park and green space what would you like to see happen?
Collective
Trail Keepers Collective is an ongoing program for Eliza Howell Park (EHP) that focuses on workforce development tailored to teach youth and young adults (14-18) about land stewardship. The Trail Keepers Collective begins in July and will work on natural areas maintenance and management in EHP, and attend outdoor educational citizen science workshops. Youth participants will contribute to park improvement projects while learning about land stewardship, developing leadership skills, and exploring pathways in conservation, and urban forestry. The program aims to cultivate a future generation that can care for and be equipped to advocate for their local green spaces.
The program emphasizes immersive, place-based learning rooted in community partnerships and cultural exchange, while exposing participants to a wide range of environmental careers and land management practices. Experience skills related to outdoor and environmental education, tree planting and maintenance, field experience related to data collection, speakers, and presentations.
The program intentionally integrates workforce readiness by supporting participants with resume and cover letter development, professional communication skills, teamwork, and networking opportunities with environmental professionals and partner organizations. Through supervised field experience, structured workshops, and public presentations, participants leave with documented hands-on experience and transferable skills that strengthen their readiness for summer employment, internships, and entry-level opportunities within the environmental and public land sectors.
Pay: $15.75/h
Dates:
July 1 - August 14th
Monday- Thursday, 9am-3pm
Requirements:
Age: 14-24
Ability to work confidently and outside at the park
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively on tasks
Eager to work with the general public, and outdoors
Looking for a serious career pathway
Certifications & Skill Building
Participants in The Collective will earn a Trailkeepers Environmental Stewardship Certificate of Completion documenting their verified training hours and successful participation in the program. While this track does not include external industry certifications, participants gain foundational job-aligned skills in urban forestry basics, tree identification and care, invasive species recognition, land stewardship practices, and safe tool use in outdoor work environments.
Deliverables:
Required: Written 2 page minimum report summarizing your experience and what you learned from the program with cited sources.
Collaborate with assigned fellow to complete group capstone project
Represent the Trail Keepers program and Sidewalk Detroit at public events in a professional and positive way
Complete weekly journal entries and check ins