The Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) is a subagency of the Washington State Department of Ecology. WCC creates future leaders through community involvement and leadership. WCC members restore critical habitat, build trails, and respond to disasters. WCC completes environmental service across the state of Washington. In addition, WCC is part of a state and nationwide disaster response network.

Positions

Corps members (18-25 years olds and military veterans) serve between a 3-month and a 11-month term. Most have the opportunity to enroll for a second term, and many do. Returning members often serve as Assistant Supervisors or Individual Placements (referred to as IP) during their second term.

WCC members planting a pollinator friendly garden at Olympic National Forest in 2017

WCC members can serve on a crew. Crews are based in a locality and serve in that locality. Crew members can find themselves in a variety of settings helping with riparian zone restoration work, wetland restoration work, invasive species clearing, and other environmental enhancement projects. Each project can last several days, and is referred to sometimes as a "spike". Crews have several "spikes" during their term. Each crew is led by a crew supervisor, a Washington State Department of Ecology employee.

Alternatively, a corps member may elect to serve as an individual placement (IP). IPs serve as interns with one agency for their entire term. IPs generally serve as environmental educators, outreach coordinators, biological technicians or lab technicians.

Benefits

WCC members earn a living stipend that is similar to minimum wage, since their term is seen as service to Washington specifically and the US in general. WCC provides health insurance and the opportunity to gain nationally recognized certifications (e.g. Red Card, Wilderness First Responder, Hazwoper), through paid training. Additionally, as AmeriCorps members, they can have qualified student loans put on forbearance and receive an educational award from AmeriCorps (2023 rate: $6,895) at the end of their term.

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