WILDlands (Wilderness Immersion Leadership Development)
Technical Trail Crews
Our WILDlands (Wilderness Immersion Leadership Development) Technical Crew assembles crews comprised of conservation corps alumni, ages 21-30, who desire to advance in the field of land management. Members are supported to improve skills that will better prepare them for leadership positions, whether for conservation corps agencies or state and federal agencies.
Projects are expressly technical, often involving dry stone masonry and specialized equipment such as grip hoists, chain saws, cross-cut saws, pion jars, rock drills, etc. Off the grade, members focus on developing their own crew leader road maps by navigating project logistics, designing curriculum plans, food menus, and member development outlines. Under the guidance of a crew supervisor, members rotate leadership both on the trail and in camp and receive valuable constructive feedback from their peers. This program is unique in that the intention is to develop folks that can go on to become the next generation of trail bosses, crew leaders, backcountry cooks, program coordinators, managers, advocates, and more.
In 2021, ESCC hosted the first ever Queer WILDlands Technical Trail Crew.
Range Crews
DISCOVER THE RANGE OF YOUR POTENTIAL
Range Crews are composed of first time trail crew members or members seeking to gain more corps experience before promoting in the field. These crews work a 12-16 week season in locations throughout CA the Los Padres and central Sierras to the Klamath NF. Members gain valuable skills and on site experience with a variety of entry level trail tasks.
SEKI-CC Crew
Sequoia and Kings Canyon Conservation Corps
The ESCC SEKI-CC (Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park Conservation Corps) is a partnership with the Sequoia Parks Conservancy and the National Parks Foundation to incorporate youth corps to live and work in a National Park during the summer season.
Young adults serve for 8 weeks working with a variety of National Park departments and gain valuable experience in trails construction and maintenance, invasive species removal, buildings and grounds, and law enforcement for exposure to a number of different NPS positions to facilitate learning about positions they may be interested in. Crews work in both front country and backcountry wilderness settings.
In 2017, ESCC provided a women’s specific crew, the first ever all woman crew to work within Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park.
……In the Wilderness
Backpacking Trips
ESCC facilitates multiple …In the Wilderness trips each season in coordination with the CCC Foundation. Each of these backpacking adventures are affinity spaces for groups that have been traditionally excluded from the outdoor recreation and land management spaces. We have run multiple successful Women in Wilderness trips and are now simultaneously running Queers in the Wilderness trips. These are opportunities for youth and young adults who have never experienced a multiple overnight hike to experience their public lands fully supported and alongside experienced guides.
Non-discrimination Policy
The ESCC is committed to providing equal employment opportunities (EEO) which are free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation during recruitment, hiring, and retention of all applicants and employees, including corps members. We are happy to provide the full text of our policy if requested.