The Outdoor Leadership Corps (OLC) program is a paid workforce development initiative in partnership with Great Rivers Greenway (GRG).
This program allows crew members to engage in skill building through restoration projects and other professional opportunities The crew includes four Restoration Assistants and one Assistant Crew Leader. Under the guidance of the Community Programs Supervisor and Conservation Education Instructor, this crew works to maintain, restore, and beautify the landscapes along greenways throughout the greater St. Louis area while also investing in their futures. We have a great crew this season and wanted to share more about them with all of you!
Pictured left to right: Fletcher (Community Programs Supervisor), Henry Simmons RA, Amber Taylor RA, Olivia Dove (Conservation Education Instructor), Quinn Swope RA, Judas Raniero RA, and Sam Bowers ACL.
You can learn more about Outdoor Leadership Corps here!
Return - Sam Bowers: Assistant Crew Lead
1. Why did you choose to be a part of the Outdoor Leadership Corps?
I have wanted to go into a green job since I was young(er), but having an ideal picture of a job and seeing how it works in real life are two very different things. This program lets me take my time to see the reality of many different green jobs and compare, see which one I like, while also having time to attend school part-time. I feel very lucky to have found this program.
2. What are you most looking forward to during your season as a restoration assistant?
Learning new 'soft' skills. This is my third season at OLC and while I have learned many of the "hard" skills (concrete activities like how to cut down honeysuckle, herbicide safety, situational awareness) the program has to offer, I'm a slow learner when it comes to soft skills (how to communicate efficiently, planning and preparation, how to be flexible).
3. What inspired you to pursue a career in conservation/restoration? Was there a specific moment that solidified your passion for this field?
A bit bleak, but our world is in terrible shape, and when I learned about it as a kid, no one close to me seemed to care or said it wasn't real. To me, it's the most important thing. I'm glad to know now that I'm not alone in that belief.
4. What hobbies or activities do you like outside of OLC?
I enjoy woodworking, gaming, playing harmonica, and some pencil/pen art when I can sit still long enough to make some.
5. The season has been ongoing for a few weeks now! How has your experience been so far?
The first time I tied my hair back in front of the crew and they freaked out. I've been growing it out for almost a year to be able to do that, so it was a very satisfying moment.
Return - Amber Taylor: Restoration Assistant
1. Why did you choose to be a part of the Outdoor Leadership Corps?
I chose to join OLC because I want to make a difference in my community and be able to address conservation issues now, while learning the skills to do it even more in the future.
2. What are you most looking forward to during your season as a restoration assistant?
I'm really looking forward to our seed-collecting project this year and spending time with my work friends again.
3. What inspired you to pursue a career in conservation/restoration? Was there a specific moment that solidified your passion for this field?
I was introduced to this passion through a lot of hobby activities, such as picking up gardening and becoming passionate about houseplants, but I really solidified my passion when I worked at a summer camp teaching young scouts about Leave No Trace and ecology stewardship.
4. What hobbies or activities do you like outside of OLC?
I am a Dungeons and Dragons nerd who enjoys her ever-growing houseplant collection, backyard gardening, arts and crafts, martial arts, and sailing. My favorite species to grow has been celosia; I have several varieties, some reaching as tall as nine feet.
5. The season has been ongoing for a few weeks now! How has your experience been so far?
I've been really excited to get back into the season, and it is very rewarding work. I get to go home each day knowing that I'm making a difference and helping restore our ecosystem.
Return - Judas Raniero: Restoration Assistant
1. Why did you choose to be a part of the Outdoor Leadership Corps?
I chose to be part of OLC to gain further experience in the horticulture field and to make connections that lead to careers.
2. What are you most looking forward to during your season as a restoration assistant?
This season I am most looking forward to getting outside and working hard to help improve our communal spaces.
3. What inspired you to pursue a career in conservation/restoration? Was there a specific moment that solidified your passion for this field?
I first joined our sister program, OYC, in the fall of 2023 as I was starting college to pursue criminal justice. I quickly fell in love with horticulture, leading me to change my major and eventually join OLC.
4. What hobbies or activities do you like outside of OLC?
Outside of OLC I like to make jewelry, play the harp, and read books. I am currently on the fourth book of the Harry Potter series.
5. The season has been ongoing for a few weeks now! How has your experience been so far?
It has been great! So far, we have led a few volunteer events, we’ve cut down a lot of honeysuckle, and we’ve had a ton of fun. I couldn’t ask for better coworkers or bosses!
NEW this season - Henry Simmons: Restoration Assistant
1. Why did you choose to be a part of the Outdoor Leadership Corps?
I chose to be a part of OLC because I wanted to get involved with restoration and environmental field work in St. Louis. I have always had an interest in environmental restoration, and to be able to do that in my hometown was an opportunity I couldn’t pass on.
2. What are you most looking forward to during your season as a restoration assistant?
I am looking forward to learning more about native Missouri species, and the work being done to help restore them. I also am excited to meet people that are passionate about their work and learn how St. Louis is a great place for this work.
3. What inspired you to pursue a career in conservation/restoration? Was there a specific moment that solidified your passion for this field?
There wasn’t a particular single moment that got me into a career in conservation. When I started college at Mizzou, I picked Natural Resources as the degree I wanted because it sounded the most interesting to me, and I kinda fell in love with it from the first class.
4. What hobbies or activities do you like outside of OLC?
Some hobbies I enjoy are playing golf, fishing, reading, video games, seeing my friends and watching hockey.
5. The season has been ongoing for a few weeks now! How has your experience been so far?
So far I have had a great experience. It has been really cool to see the sites we are working at, and the difference we make over time. I enjoy the people I work with, and am looking forward to the rest of the season!
New this season - Quinn Swope: Restoration Assistant
1. Why did you choose to be a part of the Outdoor Leadership Corps?
For me, it was a step in the right direction for learning more about my likes and dislikes in the green field. As an alumni of the Outdoor Youth Corps, the sister program of this one, I already knew some base knowledge about invasive species removal and conservation. This crew, and working on it, however, would allow me to advance those skills and work more efficiently.
2. What are you most looking forward to during your season as a restoration assistant?
Mostly how working in the colder weather impacts the work we do, and being a part of a crew who are all real go-getters. The amount of work we have already gotten done is impressive, and I can’t wait to see how much more we accomplish.
3. What inspired you to pursue a career in conservation/restoration? Was there a specific moment that solidified your passion for this field?
All throughout my childhood, I was in and out of a daycare that was underfunded, understaffed, and with WAY too many kids. One easy way to distract us long enough for the teachers to get a break was to send us at nature. I would find myself making small, makeshift ‘ponds’ for frogs, searching for insects that looked funky (or saving them from the kids that meant to stomp them), and climbing trees that I had absolutely no business climbing! This foundation of my childhood really fostered a love for nature, something that I tapped into during the COVID pandemic. Now that I’m older, I’m able to take real actions to help the world around me. Little me would be so proud!
4. What hobbies or activities do you like outside of OLC?
I really enjoy reading. I’ve always been a fan of realistic fiction and memoirs/biographies, just because I think it’s one of the best ways to practice and understand empathy. I’m also a big reptile enthusiast. I have one leopard gecko whose name is Gizmo, and one crested gecko whose name is Oatis. Recently I have also been learning the guitar with my sister, which is something that both of us have really enjoyed bonding over! Lastly, when I find time to, I roller skate outdoors! It’s very therapeutic.
5. The season has been ongoing for a few weeks now! How has your experience been so far?
AMAZING! It has been so incredibly encouraging to see genuine results from the work we have done at different locations, with so far my favorite being the Duckett Creek-Busch Greenway. I have really enjoyed how organized this crew is, as well as the genuine connections I think I am making with the team! I have also enjoyed Olivia’s (Crew Lead) role of leadership, and how funny she is, but also how she is really able to push us towards our goals. Overall, I can really only see the season improving from here, and I am behind ecstatic!
