Forty Detroit youth and young adults kicked off the second annual Department of Natural Resources Detroit Youth Conservation Academy July 12 at the DNR Outdoor Adventure Center (OAC) in downtown Detroit.

Held every Tuesday for six weeks at the OAC or Belle Isle Park, the academy offers hands-on, natural resource-based learning from DNR representatives in law enforcement, marketing and outreach, forestry, historical resources, fisheries, wildlife, parks and recreation, land management and more. In addition, academy participants are learning about the many careers available within the DNR and the next steps to seeking positions within the department.