VHB supported the development of a pilot program with community organizations in Patchogue, NY, to launch the Village of Patchogue’s Student Environmental Certificate Program, a long-term initiative designed to connect students with hands-on environmental stewardship while advancing coastal resilience at Shorefront Park.
Building on a successful volunteer event held in 2025, the Village of Patchogue and its partners launched a series of student-focused stewardship events throughout the summer. The program provided multiple opportunities for participants to engage with the living shoreline, helping strengthen environmental awareness while supporting the long-term health of the Shorefront Park shoreline system. The strong turnout and enthusiastic participation throughout the summer demonstrated the value of hands-on environmental education and community stewardship.
Developed in collaboration with the Patchogue-Medford School District Climate Action Club and the Village's Climate Smart Task Force, the summer program engaged students in grades 6–12 through a series of weekend stewardship events that included:
- Invasive species removal
- Native vegetation monitoring
- Citizen science data collection
- Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Education
- Early environmental career exposure
These activities contribute to ongoing shoreline performance monitoring and environmental data tracking.
The structure of the program reinforces both educational and community outcomes. Students gain community service hours and real-world experience while helping document ecological changes and improve biodiversity at the site. At the same time, the work supports the continued success of the living shoreline—an approach that helps reduce erosion, enhance habitat, and strengthen climate resilience along Long Island’s coast.
VHB has remained actively involved beyond the initial design and construction phases, continuing to support monitoring efforts and community stewardship at Shorefront Park. This latest effort reflects a long-term commitment to project performance and community partnership.
“Our work doesn’t stop once a project is constructed,” said Carlos Vargas, Senior Coastal Project Manager and Chief of Design at VHB. “At Shorefront Park, we’ve stayed involved to understand how the shoreline is performing and how it can continue to evolve. This program takes that a step further by bringing the community into that process, so the project continues to deliver value in new ways year after year.”
Following a successful inaugural summer season, project partners are exploring opportunities to continue and expand student engagement activities in the future. The program has already helped strengthen connections between students, local environmental initiatives, and the Shorefront Park living shoreline project, while introducing participants to potential careers in environmental stewardship, engineering, and coastal resilience planning.
Learn more about how VHB is committed to advancing coastal engineering and resiliency services and work across Long Island by contacting Carlos Vargas.
