Volunteer opportunities provide hands-on experience for students
BENEZETTE – For those interested in pursuing a career in a field related to wildlife or the outdoors, the Elk Country Visitor Center in Benezette provides a variety of volunteer opportunities for students to gain valuable handson experience.
Cadence Karcher, an incoming senior at Benton High School in Benton, has been taking advantage of these opportunities for several years, and attendees as some of the events held at the center by the Keystone Elk Country Alliance (KECA) have likely seen her assisting or taking part as an attendee.
Karcher recently assisted with both of this summer's sessions of Summer Elk Camp, which was for youngsters between the ages of eight and 12, and also attended the inaugural session of Elk Country Junior Conservation Camp, which was held in June for youngsters between the ages of 13-17.
KECA Conservation Education Coordinator Ben Porkolab described Karcher as having a high interest in conservation, wildlife, and Pennsylvania's elk herd, and he noted that she frequently will make the roughly two-and-ahalf-hour drive from her home to the visitor center to volunteer.
Karcher shared that she has been interested in the outdoors for as long as she can remember and has been joining her family in hunting and going on nature walks since she could walk.
Up until around the age of 12, Karcher was torn between pursuing a career as a game warden for the Pennsylvania Game Commission or becoming a wildlife biologist. It was around that age, she explained, that she felt like being a wildlife biologist was more of her calling.
Karcher started networking in the area around her Columbia County home and was able to volunteer at bear check stations. That led to her meeting other biologists, and her network continued to grow.
“I networked my way out here (to the Elk Country Visitor Center), and I found myself out here because I absolutely love it,” Karcher said. “I love the animals out here. It's a beautiful place.”
Karcher hopes to one day work with mammals as a biologist.
“My favorites that I've worked with are the elk and the black bear, but I've also tried with birds, fish, all different kinds of things,” Karcher said.
Karcher's involvement at the visitor center predates that of Porkolab, and she credited the elk as being one of the factors that continue to draw her to the area.
“I don't get to see them all the time,” Karcher said of the elk. “The people out here are also very, very nice.”
Following her senior year at Benton High School, Karcher hopes to attend Penn State DuBois.
While still in high school though, Karcher hopes to be part of KECA's
new Leaders of Future Conservation program, which is currently seeking applications.
“I'm very much into wildlife and conservation, so by joining the team, that kind of allows me to get a better knowledge of conservation for myself, and then on top of that, kind of give my thoughts to everybody else,” Karcher said.
In addition to volunteering with Summer Elk Camp and attending Elk Country Junior Conservation Camp, Karcher has also volunteered at the Elk Expo, as well as with calf captures and the Pennsylvania Game Commission's elk check station.
High school students with similar interests are encouraged to look into KECA's Leaders of Future Conservation program, and plenty of volunteer opportunities exist at the Elk Country Visitor Center for youth considering a variety of careers.
More information can be found on KECA's website, experienceelkcountry.com, as well as on the Keystone Elk Country Alliance Facebook page.