Youthbuild

Earn your GED or high school diploma, start a career and become empowered by your community.

TXCC & LACC

Become part of the next generation of convervationists through environmental education, preservation and service.

Explore the Corps

The Conservation Corps experience builds leadership skills, connection with community, and provides opportunities to address environmental issues and learn about career pathways in the green jobs sector.

 

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Frequently Asked Questions

 

Open Positions

Skip to Explore Crew Types

Crew Members

  • No experience necessary
  • Monthly Living Allowance: $2,400/month
  • Applications accepted past start date (backfill positions and waitlists)

OPEN POSITIONS – APPLY NOW!

Texas Conservation Corps | Asian and Pacific Islander Crew

Houston, TX | June 10, 2024 – August, 9 2024 | 300 hours

 

Conservation & Disaster Response Team
Houston, TX | POSTPONED

Austin, TX | FULL | Backfill/Waitlist Positions Open

San Antonio, TX | FULL | Backfill/Waitlist Positions Open

Baton Rouge, LA | FULL

 

Houston Environmental Action Team
Houston, TX | January 15, 2024 – May 17, 2024 | 675 hours

Trails Across Texas Crew
Austin, TX | March 18, 2024 – August 30, 2024 | 900 hours

Integrated Resource and Fire Crew
FULL

GulfCorps Crews
Baton Rouge, LA | FULL

Houston, TX | FULL

Crew Leaders

  • Some experience required
  • Monthly Living Allowance: $2,720/month
  • Applications accepted past start date (backfill positions and waitlists)

OPEN POSITIONS – APPLY NOW!

Texas Conservation Corps | Asian and Pacific Islander Crew

Houston, TX | June 10, 2024 – August, 9 2024 | 300 hours

 

Conservation & Disaster Response Team
Houston, TX | POSTPONED

Austin, TX | FULL | Backfill/Waitlist Positions Open

San Antonio, TX | FULL | Backfill/Waitlist Positions Open

Baton Rouge, LA | FULL

 

Houston Environmental Action Team
Houston, TX | January 10, 2024 – May 17, 2024 | 675 hours

Trails Across Texas Crew
Austin, TX | TBD – August 30, 2024 | 900 hours

Integrated Resource and Fire Crew
FULL

GulfCorps Crews
Baton Rouge, LA | FULL

Houston, TX | FULL

 

Individual Placements

  • Some experience required
  • Monthly Living Allowance: Variable

OPEN POSITIONS

Individual Placement: Recreation and Visitor Center Technician – 3 Open Positions
Kisatchie National Forest – Boyce, LA | U.S. Forest Service (USFS) | April 12, 2024 – October 4, 2024 | 900 Hour

Individual Placement: Recreation and Visitor Service Representative – 1 Open Position
Davy Crockett National Forest – Kennard, TX | U.S. Forest Service (USFS) | January 16, 2024 – July 12, 2024 | 900 Hour

 

Has a position already started? You can still apply for backfill positions or be waitlisted!

Get the application process started by filling out this interest form.

Apply Now!

Explore Crew Types

Conservation Crews

Protect and restore public lands throughout the natural landscapes of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi! We recruit people who have a passion for the environment and working outdoors, and an interest in gaining new skill sets and experiences.

Projects: disaster mitigation, habitat restoration, trail projects, and disaster relief

Schedule: project dependent; Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm (if project is local) and/or going on hitch to complete 10 day-long projects (what is hitch?)

Locations: Austin, TX | Houston, TX | San Antonio, TX | Baton Rouge, LA

 

More Info & Benefits

Austin Civilian Conservation Corps

The Austin Civilian Conservation Corps (ACCC) is an initiative with the City of Austin and American YouthWorks, to provide on-the-job training opportunities for individuals impacted by COVID-19, while contributing to the health and sustainability of Austin’s natural environment.

Project Type: invasive species removal, habitat restoration, wildfire mitigation, and trail building

Schedule: full time position, 40 hours/week, Monday-Friday

Locations: Austin, TX

 

More Info & Benefits

ACCC members at a project site

Individual Placements

Texas Conservation Corps has the opportunity to place individuals with our Federal, State, non-profit, and local partners.

Project Type: unique to each position description and site

Locations: Various partner sites

 

More Info & Benefits

Local Crews

Help keep Austin and Houston beautiful on the Austin Texas Land Stewards (ATLAS) Crew and the Houston Environmental Action Team (HEAT) Crew!

Project Type: urban conservation and restoration

Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm

Locations: Austin, TX | Houston, TX | San Antonio, TX

 

More Info & Benefits

Houston local crew planting flowers

Summer Conservation Crews

This program position is open to current high school students, recent high school graduates, and young adults/college students looking to spend a summer working on conservation projects throughout Texas. Opportunities for travel and camping are available accordingly. Crews will focus on building conservation skills and engaging in environmental education.

Project Type: trail improvement, habitat restoration, and environmental education

Locations: Austin TX | Houston, TX | San Antonio, TX | Tribal Nations

 

More Info & Benefits

GulfCorps

Texas and Louisiana Conservation Corps are proud to host specialized GulfCorps crews, funded by the RESTORE Act and NOAA from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, these crews will help public lands and preserves in the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast regions.

Project Type: coastal restoration and conservation

Locations: Houston, TX | Baton Rouge, LA

 

More Info & Benefits

Heritage Crews

In partnership with the US Forest Service, crews will assist in implementing Heritage Program management needs. Projects may occur on the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas, Kisatchie National Forests, and National Forests in Mississippi.

Project Type: heritage resource management and natural resource stewardship

Schedule: 10 hour days, 10 days per tour (8 field days and 2 travel days)

Locations: camping at project sites for the duration of the term of service

 

More Info & Benefits

Integrated Resource and Fire Crews

In partnership with the US Forest Service Southern Region, Texas Conservation Corps has positions available offering extensive training and certifications in wildland firefighting and natural resource management. Veterans are highly encouraged to apply.

Project Type: variety of fire response activities, prescribed burns, conservation projects, and cyclical maintenance objectives

Locations: New Waverly/Huntsville region (Texas) | Zavalla/Lufkin region (Texas)

 

More Info & Benefits

Frequently Asked Questions

We have three offices and a satellite site, each hosting different crew types:

Austin, TX office
Conservation & Disaster Crews, Trails Across Texas Crew, Austin Texas Land Stewards (ATLAS - local projects only)

The Austin Civilian Conservation Corps program also operates out of the Austin office and is also a Texas Conservation Corps AmeriCorps program

San Antonio, TX satellite site
San Antonio Conservation Crew and various Individual Placement positions

Houston, TX office
Conservation & Disaster Crews, GulfCorps Crew (coastal restoration focus), Houston Environmental Action Team (local projects only)

Baton Rouge, LA office
Louisiana Conservation Corps program Conservation & Disaster Crews and GulfCorps Crew (coastal restoration focus)

Yes! Our Individual Placement positions are based at various public lands partner sites around Texas, Louisiana, and the surrounding region. In addition, our Integrated Resources Crews are based in Sam Houston National Forest and Angelina-Sabine National Forests. Both of these opportunities report to staff in our Austin office.

Housing is not provided. Members may be camping for long periods of time while on hitch, but our members are expected to find housing near their office site. Resources for housing connections and affordable options are available.

Benefits & Housing

Conservation Corps crew projects vary from invasive species management to disaster mitigation, and not every crew will serve on a project of every type during their season. The vast majority of projects are hands-on and require hard, often repetitive labor with hand & power tools. Projects may include:

Park & Trail Construction
Trail Building: Natural Surface, ADA Accessibility, Etc.
Maintenance & Repair
Masonry, Stairs & Retaining Walls
Bridges & Armored Crossings
Benches & Kiosks
Trail Design, Layout & Consultation

Vegetation Management
Invasive Species Removal
Licensed Herbicide Application
Plantings & Maintenance
Seed Collection
Greenhouse Work
Plant Surveys & Studies

Disaster Services
Disaster Response
Volunteer & Donations Management
Debris and Brush Removal
GPS Inventory
Fire Fuel Mitigation

Forest & Range Management
Brush Management & Fuel Breaks
Prescribed Burning & Prep
GIS Data Gathering, Input & Analysis
Tree Care, Planting, & Nursery Work
Fence Installation and Repair
Endangered Species & Habitat Restoration

Watershed Management
Erosion Control & Bank Restoration
Check Dams & Swales
Aquifer Recharge-Feature Restoration
Wet Pond Maintenance
Water Quality Monitoring
Creek Clean-Ups

Community Education
School & Community Gardens
Trail Building Workshops
Watershed Model Demonstrations
Volunteer Management

• Public Land Corps Hiring Authority - Members that serve on projects funded by Public Land Corps funding and serve 640 hours should complete paperwork to determine eligibility for a certificate verifying Public Land Corps Hiring Authority Status, a 2 year non-competitive status to be used when applying for federal positions. We can not guarantee that members will serve on qualifying projects.

• Networking opportunities for post-service careers and intentional connection opportunities with partners such as the National Park Service, US Forest Service, Texas Parks & Wildlife, Austin Parks & Recreation Department, and more.

Segal AmeriCorps Education Award that can be used for educational expenses and to repay qualified student loans, only available after completing the term of service.

• Public assistance such as SNAP benefits, local bus passes, grocery store gift cards, and other support benefits as available.

• Opportunities to build community and lifelong friendships with fellow corps members!

Benefits & Housing

Conservation Corps & AmeriCorps

Crew Leader applicants must have at least 5 months of trail, habitat restoration, invasive species management, or similar experience.

Crew Member applicants are not required to have previous experience!

Conservation Corps crews typically consist of 6-10 AmeriCorps members: two Crew Leaders and four to eight Crew Members. COVID-19 adaptations have included reduced crew sizes to accommodate social distancing standards.

3 months (300 hour term) *youth crews only
5-6 months (675 or 900 hour term)
9 months (1200 hour term)
11 months (1700 hour term)

This experience would not be considered volunteering but committing to a term of national service through AmeriCorps. For additional information, see the AmeriCorps section.

Though some AmeriCorps programs (NCCC, FEMAcorps, VISTA) provide relocation and settle-in allowance, we are unable to provide this benefit as an AmeriCorps State & National program. We do provide resources to help our incoming members find affordable housing options near our offices.

Certifications are not guaranteed during a term of service, but these are some that we frequently offer:

• S-212- Wildland Chainsaw Certification (typically only for Crew Leaders)

• The American Red Cross Adult First Aid/CPR/AED Certification

• The American Red Cross Wilderness First Aid (WFA) Certification (typically only for Crew Leaders)

Only required for our Disaster Response Teams (DRT)
    • ICS 100 – Introduction to Incident Command System
    • ICS 200 – ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
    • NIMS 700 – National Incident Management System (NIMS) : An Introduction
    • IS-800 – National Response Framework, An Introduction

AYW Conservation Corps will provide all members with work shirts and PPE (hard hat, protective glasses, gloves, and ear protection), but it will be up to the member to have full leather boots and canvas or denim work pants. See our Gear List for more information.

We provide all equipment for project work, kitchen cooking gear, and food while on hitch. We also have tents, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads that can be loaned for your term if you cannot acquire your own.

Need help getting started?

Fill out the interest form to have a recruiter contact you.

Interest Form