Newburgh youth, ages 16 to 24, train as outdoor leaders and then lead their own community outside. Bilingual, paid, no experience needed.
What Rep Nature is
Rep Nature — Respect, Explore, Protect — is Outdoor Promise’s youth leadership program. Each cohort of eight young people from Newburgh goes through a three-day, two-night outdoor leadership course: wilderness first aid, navigation, gear, low-impact practices, risk management and the “Leader of the Day” model, where each participant leads the group under supervision.
Then they put it to work. Rep Nature Leaders co-lead free community day hikes for Newburgh residents, with transportation on the Adventure Bus, lunch and all gear included. Leaders earn a stipend for each milestone they complete. Everything is offered in English and Spanish.
Why it matters
Outdoor leadership in the Hudson Valley rarely looks like Newburgh. Rep Nature changes who leads: young people from low-income neighborhoods and communities of color learn the skills, get paid for their time, and show their neighbors that the parks are theirs too. Alumni have gone on to lead hikes, work at camps and speak for their community on environmental issues.
Join the next cohort
The next Rep Nature cohort will open when the program’s next season is funded. Leave your name and we will email you first, in the language you choose, when applications open.
Fund the next cohort.
Rep Nature runs on grants and gifts. Your donation puts the next eight Newburgh leaders on the trail.
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