Youth Conservation Corps (YCC)

The Youth Conservation Corps program returns for Summer 2025

This year’s eight week program is from June 23 to August 15.
Applications due April 30, 2025.

 

 

What is the YCC program?

The Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) is an 8 week well-balanced, work-learn-earn program that develops an understanding and appreciation of the nation's natural environments and heritage. This highly successful program offers a total of 5 young men and 5 young women participants, ages 15-18, to be selected from Humboldt and Del Norte counties to work in an outdoor environment, performing conservation work throughout Redwood National Park. It is administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior - National Park Service. This is a tobacco free program – violation of this is cause for termination.

Salary

Enrollees will be paid the California minimum wage of $16.50 per hour for a 40 hour work week.

Description of Work

Participants should expect:

• to do difficult and sometimes repetitious physical work.
• to hike long distances over steep and rugged terrain. 
• possible exposure to insects, poison oak, adverse weather and difficult working conditions.

Projects include:

• construction & maintenance of trails and bridges
• invasive vegetation species removal
• maintenance around historic structures
• assist the prescribed burn program, hydrologists and fisheries biologists.

Natural and cultural resource education is incorporated into the eight-week program.

Enrollee Eligibility

Young women and men, 15-18 years of age, who are permanent residents of the United States, its territories or possessions, are eligible for employment without regard to social, economic, racial, or ethnic backgrounds.

To be eligible, you must:

• Be at least 15 years of age on the first day of work, and not reach 19 years of age during summer employment as a YCC enrollee;
• Be a permanent resident of the continental United States, its territories, possessions, or trust territories; and
• Possess a Social Security card and have a work permit before the first working day of the YCC program.
• Have housing because park housing is not available.
• Have transport to their duty station.

How to Apply

Read the 2025 cover letter and send in the completed YCC Application Form (PDF) postmarked by April 30, 2025.

For more information contact Brittney McGuire at [phone] or [e-mail]. 

 

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  YCC Are The Future of the Parks

  A Redwood National Park YCC crew leader talks about how the YCC program benefits everyone.

  Duration:

  2 minutes, 55 seconds

 

• 

  I Think I've Left A Legacy Here

  YCC crew members share their work experiences at Redwood National Park.

  Duration:

  3 minutes, 39 seconds

 

If you are not in our immediate area, across the country there are many Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) program opportunities with different public land management agencies. The purpose of the YCC is to introduce young adults to how cultural and natural resources are managed. Check to see if a YCC program is offered near you.

For Redwood National Park's YCC program, ten young adults will be randomly selected from all the applications we receive. Five will be from Humboldt County and five will be from Del Norte County. In spring every high school in both these counties will receive information and we may issue news releases to recruit applicants. This is not a residential camp program and we offer no housing, or transportation to duty stations.

 

Hear From Past YCC Participants

These short videos show the work and passion of the YCC crew at the end of their summer in the redwoods.

 

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  Kayla, Iris and Simone

  Three YCC members talk about the trail that they repaired.

  Duration:

  39.938 seconds

 

• 

  Caleb

  A YCC member talks about why and how he replanted ferns along the side of restored hiking trails.

  Duration:

  1 minute, 2 seconds

 

• 

  Isla

  A YCC member talks about her work repairing a trail crossing.

  Duration:

  1 minute, 2 seconds

 

• 

  Miguel and Caleb

  Two YCC members talk about their work experiences in the redwoods

  Duration:

  1 minute, 19 seconds

 

Apply to Redwood's YCC Program