Summer Steward Internship
Since 2014, our Summer Steward Internship has engaged local high school students in hands-on, meaningful work across many aspects of land trust stewardship. This three-week program runs Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with interns meeting daily at the New Canaan Land Trust headquarters (1124 Valley Road, New Canaan) before heading out to work sites. Interns spend most of each day outdoors working in the field. The focus of the internship is the sustainable stewardship of the Land Trust’s 400-acre network of open space. Interns learn essential land management skills and carry out projects that directly benefit both the Land Trust and the New Canaan community. These projects frequently include building and maintaining trails, planting trees and shrubs, controlling invasive species, and creating habitat for local wildlife.
To ensure interns are comfortable and prepared for outdoor work, the Land Trust provides official New Canaan Land Trust T-shirts and hats, gloves, as well as reusable water bottles, bug spray, and sunscreen. Lunch is spent back at headquarters, where interns can make sandwiches with ingredients provided by the Land Trust; participants are also welcome to bring their own lunches.
Environmental education is a central component of the program. Fridays are designated as Field Trip Days, during which interns visit a wide range of conservation-related sites and hear directly from professionals in environmental and conservation fields. Past field trips have included visits to wildlife rehabilitation centers, arboreta, sustainable farms, urban parks, and research stations, along with presentations from experts such as arborists, foresters, historians, stone masons, and botanists, offering valuable insight into diverse career paths.
By the end of the three-week internship, participants leave with a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, the importance of land conservation, along with practical outdoor skills and real-world experience. Many former interns have gone on to pursue studies and careers in environmental fields, crediting the Summer Steward Internship as a key influence in their journey.
Participants receive a stipend along with invaluable hands-on experience, meaningful connections, and lasting professional relationships. Applications are open from March 1 through April 1, 2026.
The Summer Steward Internship program has been made possible thanks to a generous grant from the John and Ethel Kashulon Foundation. To learn more about the foundation, please visit their website here.
“This internship has gone above and beyond what we expected for our son. It has been fun, organized, and educational. Thanks to the NCLT staff and other adults and volunteers for sharing your knowledge, passion, and talents with the interns. It is a wonderful lesson in stewardship.”
“One of the best programs I have come across in New Canaan”
“I think that the program offered a good balance of work, education, discussion, and fun. I came in the first day not knowing anyone, and by the end of the program, many of the other kids became my friends. It was also a nice environment to work in as it was educational and fun while we were also seeing the impact we were making on the property.”
“I would recommend to a friend 100%…You learn lots of new things and sometimes get pushed outside of your comfort zone. That allows you to grow as a human, and its a great experience”
Summer Stewards In Action
Internship Groups Over the Years
