Written by Ansley Barry

Warm sunlight breaks through the tree canopy at Chattanooga, Tennessee’s Reflection Riding, glistening off the surface of Lookout Creek with a gentle fog rising in the early autumn morning. As community members gather along the banks for the city’s annual River Rescue, a group of local high school students help them settle into their canoes before sending them off to spend the day clearing the river of its trash. These students are a part of the city’s initiative to involve its youth in environmental conservation efforts.

Dedicating to making nature accessible to everyone, Reflection Riding is an organization that has taken steps to educate its local youth through the creation of their Native Landscape Management Apprenticeship program. Through this, students at The Howard School, a historically underserved high school located in the city with a minority enrollment of 99% (Institute of Education Sciences, 2025). They have the opportunity to learn conservation techniques through land restoration.

Not only does this program prioritize the preservation of Chattanooga’s natural environment, but it is making an active effort to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to be involved. Historically, the environmental activist movement in the US has been primarily spearheaded by white, middle-class citizens while minority and low-income communities have often been left out of the conversation (USDA, 2002). 

Lead Naturalist and Summercamp Co-Manager at Reflection Riding, Ailani Ramirez-Pineda, helps lead the apprentices in navigating the outdoor world, which may be unfamiliar to them. 

The original intent of the apprenticeship was to “diversify the conservation pipeline in getting more people of color into conservation work,” according to Ramirez-Pineda. “With The Howard School, they have a large population of Black and Latinx students who live in very urban neighborhoods. They don’t have a lot of trees. Sometimes the parks aren’t well-kept. Sometimes they’re not safe, so they don’t necessarily have access to the outdoors. And even if they did, I don’t know that they would feel comfortable exploring it by themselves. One of the big things when asking for grant money was getting these students out to Reflection Riding, so they can see that there are spaces that are safe for them and where they are welcome.”

The program began as a result of grant funding received by the United Way to bring local high school students to the Reflection Riding campus on field trips with their environmental science classes. These field trips provide hands-on learning for the students, allowing them to view what they’re studying in the classroom in the real-world.

“Sometimes they have students that are not as engaged in certain parts of their class, but when they get here and are doing the hands-on thing, they really blossom and even become leaders for other students,” said Ramirez-Pineda. 

It is on these field trips that students are often informed of the apprenticeship and encouraged to apply. For many of them, this is their first time exploring the beautiful mountains that surround their city, and they feel inspired to delve even further. 

Sixteen-year-old Blandy Chilel Lopez has been working as an apprentice since the beginning of the program in January 2023.  

“I hope to spread the word about landscape management. Since working here, I’ve found out how much damage it really does when people litter and grow plants that look pretty but are not supposed to be there,” said Chilel Lopez. 

The program is making a difference in the lives of students far beyond equipping them with a knowledge of the natural world.  

“We have seen a growth in confidence. A lot of them are super shy. We also get updates from their teachers, and they definitely see an increase in engagement, and in participation, and in helping others,” said Ramirez-Pineda. 

For eighteen-year-old apprentice Jahore Vann, this rings true. “Working at the Reflection Riding apprenticeship has impacted my life in multiple ways. Before I started working here, I used to have really bad social anxiety. I didn’t like talking to anyone no matter what. Now, I’m not afraid to talk to people,” said Vann. 

While the apprentices’ curriculum is growing, their daily tasks consist of removing invasive species, restoring natural landscapes, taking care of young plants in the nursery, and harnessing other outdoor skills. Alongside participating in community events, the students have recently begun connecting with various organizations across the city, like the City of Chattanooga and the Tennessee Aquarium, to broaden their educational experience. 

Reflection Riding has taken the steps to educate their local students. Ramirez-Pineda said that her hope is they “will gain a sense of confidence in themselves and grow a love for conservation, even if it’s decided it’s not the career path they necessarily want to take. I hope they take the love and share it with others… I also want them to feel a sense of ownership in the projects they’re working on and become future stewards of nature.”

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