Jeff D.

Joining Texas Conservation Corps (TXCC) was seriously one of the best decisions of my life. Before TXCC, I was going to school with no real direction or interests and doing jobs that I really didn’t enjoy. I was sort of just going through the motions.

During my time in Texas, I would like to say that I grew a ton. In only 6 months, I found a group of people that I can call my friends for the rest of my life. None of us had a clue what we were doing in the beginning. No trail experience, no chainsaw experience, and certainly not the teamwork experience that you can only gain by working in such a close crew. In the end, we’d all grown.

However, a term with TXCC is no easy task. Days consisted of working in the hot sun, eating cold leftovers for lunch, and doing tool maintenance when it was all said and done. It is all worth it though. The bond you build with those that you work with and the difference that you can visibly see are priceless. Some of the most physically and mentally exhausting days were also the best and I wouldn’t give them up for anything. Everybody at TXCC is filled with passion for what they are doing and it is infectious.

I am now going to school and am pursuing a degree in environmental science. I hope to use the work experience that I gained while in Texas to help me secure a job doing what I love most, working outside.