By Caleb Weaver, Youth Education Program Manager

Established in 2012, the Borderlands Earth Care Youth (BECY) run by the Borderlands Restoration Network (BRN) was designed to inspire and teach the next generation of land stewards while providing jobs to culturally diverse youth living in the underserved and often overlooked US/Mexico borderlands. Youth work with rock, wood, seeds, hands, and hearts to restore the transnational watersheds they call home.

BECY youth internships are held in two of our borderland’s communities, Patagonia and Douglas, Arizona. BECY internships are paid opportunities, often funded by varied sources that include federal, state, and private grants that help youth in our communities learn about conservation while also providing a summer income. Internship crews are comprised of 10 youth, with two designated as youth leaders. Each crew develops experiences and vocabulary in teamwork, leadership, and empathy, while following a curriculum of habitat restoration in the following structure: Watershed Restoration, Ecosystem Restoration, and Community Restoration. Youth take on leadership roles, help restore the land, and learn about the different career opportunities available in the environmental fields.

While the two crews have mountains of fun, they also work hard to improve watersheds in their communities. Crews work on erosion control-structures, plant native plants, plant trees, and help install rainwater harvesting systems.

A graduation requirement of BECY is to complete an independent Community Restoration Project. This project is designed to integrate the lessons from BECY into everyday life. In past years, BECY interns created the following Community Restoration Projects: backyard pollinator garden, native mammal flashcards and wildlife image processing, used clothing swap, weekly blog posts, and even videos that highlight their experience.

Here’s what interns and community partners said about their experience with the 2021 BECY.

“I have a greater understanding and appreciation for the place I’m from, and the challenges the borderlands face. BECY has taught me what it means to truly believe in a movement, and how no individual is too small to make an impact.” ~Chesed Chap, 2nd Year BECY Participant.

“The impact BECY had on me was opening my eyes to the environment, learning what exactly is around me, and how I can give back to it, especially when it comes to restoring the land that is already there and helping out the wildlife that is already here. To give to it is really special.” ~Diego Soto, 1st Year BECY Participant

“The BECY program always finds new ways to make such big impacts on everyone involved. The thing that impacted me most was being able to facilitate such an amazing group of young people. I was able to see their personal development firsthand and it was truly amazing. I am beyond grateful I got to witness each person grow in their own ways. There’s truly not any experience that compares. This program is so important for the future of the community. The work that we do allows our local ecosystem to thrive. I’m very grateful to have been part of the program.” ~Arriana Ochoa-Tovar, 1st Year BECY Facilitator, 4th Year BECY Participant

“The physical benefit of this program is obvious but the empowerment and education it provides our local youth is unparalleled by any summer internship program of the sort that I have witnessed. The interns are eager to learn, work, help and GROW! We at the Douglas High School Agriculture Department will continue to refer students to this wonderful program to continue to empower local youth and strengthen our environment and communities!” ~Ashley Ellis, Agricultural Educator and FFA Advisor at Douglas High School

To learn more about the program, including contact information, program reports, resources, and how to apply, visit our website.