Program Overview

In the summer of 2012, 48 students contributed an invaluable 36,000 service hours on Wyoming public lands!

Through projects focused on improving Wyoming's public lands, the Wyoming Conservation Corps provides young adults important personal and technical skills and experience in natural resource and environmental career fields. Each summer, volunteer crew members and leaders gain experience working in Wyoming's complex landscape, building real world skills and a deeper appreciation for the state's environmental challenges and riches.

WCC functions through partnerships with several entities in Wyoming. The program is housed within the University of Wyoming. This means WCC can offer academic credit to crew leaders during their training. Furthermore, WCC also provides financial support for higher education at Wyoming's community colleges and UW.

In addition, WCC collaborates with agencies and industry companies working on public lands in Wyoming. Through this partnership, WCC provides low-cost conservation crews who accomplish tens of thousands of hours of labor each summer. In return, WCC participants get one-on-one interactions with environmental and natural resources professionals working on the ground.

These partnerships support WCC in its efforts to advance understanding of complex environmental challenges, inspire young adults to become stewards of our natural resources, benefit Wyoming public lands and provide collaborative service learning opportunities.

A Legacy of Conservation

Since 1985 over 100 Conservation Corps in 36 states have been created, and successfully implemented diverse projects ranging from conservation work to health and human services. Founded in 2006, the Wyoming Conservation Corps continues the legacy of the 1930's Civilian Conservation Corps and the 1970's Youth Conservation Corps. Like those conservation corps that came before it, WCC carries out the highest caliber of service for Wyoming's public lands. WCC members experience the complexity behind current natural resource resource management decisions in Wyoming.