Launch of the B2CC Landscape Preservation Program

On September 8, WMF launched its first Bridge to Crafts Careers landscape preservation program at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, NY. This marks the first expansion of B2CC beyond masonry preservation, the focus of the original program founded in 2015. 

In this expanded version of the highly successful preservation trades training program, 18 trainees are discovering how to protect cultural landscapes in the unique backdrop of Woodlawn's nearly 200 years old cemetery. 

The program, planned in partnership with Woodlawn Conservancy, The Door, and the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, is designed to ensure all interns’ safety, respecting socially distancing measures and staggering the group’s presence on-site over a period of three months by breaking it down into smaller teams. The Davey Tree Expert Company, a private company specialized in environmental consulting and horticultural care, will partner with Woodlawn Conservancy to provide trainees with virtual classes, allowing them to pursue their training from home before and after their designated access to the cemetery.

The first edition of the B2CC landscape training program is expected to be completed by December 31st, 2020. 

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WMF's Bridge to Crafts Careers program, launched in 2015 in partnership with Woodlawn Conservancy, the International Masonry Institute (IMI), The Door, and the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, is an initiative to provide training in preservation trades. The program offers young adults in the New York City area hands-on technical training with the opportunity for placement in a stable career.