Learning and Working Throughout the 2024 Youth Conservation Crew Season

This season proved another successful year for the Hayfork and Weaverville Youth Conservation Crews at the Watershed Research and Training Center! The Hayfork crew has been providing natural resource management work, outdoor experiences, and natural resource education to teenagers 15-18 years old since 2001, and the Weaverville crew has completed its second year. The Hayfork YCC worked diligently in the Yolla-Bolly Middle-Eel Wilderness, Chanchelulla Wilderness, on the South Fork Trinity River Trail, in the Hayfork Wetlands, and around Ewing Reservoir. Meanwhile, the Weaverville YCC maintained trails in the Weaver Basin, around Trinity and Lewiston Lake, within the Trinity River Headwaters area, and portions of the Trinity Alps Wilderness this summer!

Before: A log jam on South Fork Trinity River Trail.

After: The South Fork Trinity River Trail is passable once more.

This year was especially unique as we were able to administratively support the Mad River YCC on the Six Rivers National Forest (SRNF). This group was able to complete all of their objectives this season. They helped protect endangered Lassics Lupine with their SRNF Botany crew; built a rustic split rail fence to exclude cattle from sensitive vernal pool habitat in tandem with the Range techs; surveyed populations of threatened NW pond turtles with the Wildlife crew; supported a fire camp, hung out with an engine crew, and practiced deploying hose lays with the Fire team; assessed timber stands utilizing forestry tools with the Forestry techs; and installed new Southfork Overlook interpretative signs, maintained trail, and refurbished the Lake Vista overlook day-use area with the Recreation team.

Mandatory First Aid and CPR trainings teach YCC members critical skills to stay safe in the field.

In addition to completing key trail maintenance, both WRTC youth crews learned about many disciplines this season and gained valuable skills. A mandatory CPR and First Aid course helped ensure crew members stayed safe in the field. Various educational field days with experts instructed youth crew members about benthic macroinvertebrates and watershed health, western pond turtle surveys, vernal pool and wet meadow protections, botanical and soil preservation, prescribed fire use, noxious weed management, and reforestation techniques. YCC members also employed carpentry skills to repair bridges, signs, and other wooden trail features.

Prescribed Fire training is often a YCC favorite, inspiring many participants to consider a future career in fire management.

Providing these young, energetic local youth with real-life work experience and opportunities to steward their public lands has been extremely valuable. When Trinity Together–a project building pathway scaffolding for education- and career-readiness–conducted mock interviews at Hayfork High School, nearly half the students listed work performed at the Watershed Center on their resumes, earned by counseling at Indian Valley Summer Camp or working on the Youth Conservation Crew. We even hosted a half-day resume building workshop to help these students create private sector and government resumes, which take dramatically different forms. Many of these YCC participants hope to someday work in federal land management service. Stewardship is meaningful work, especially while earning summer wages, creating positive impacts in local communities, and taking tangible steps toward career-readiness in natural resource work.

Here are a few quotes from some 2024 YCC participants:

"If you like being outside, this job is perfect." – YCC member, age 16

"Work here, it's fun! You get to learn a lot, and you get your exercise in." – YCC member, age 16

"Pretty good job for making money, but it's not easy. Be prepared to work!" – YCC member, age 15

YCC members were instrumental in managing noxious weeds, like Yellow Star Thistle.

The summer went by quickly! The Hayfork YCC tended the trails of the Yolla-Bolly Wilderness and logged out the South Fork River Trail. The Weaverville YCC brushed Stoddard Lake Trail and started building the LaGrange extension. Both crews went on a three-night camping trip near Mount Eddy to learn about the importance of meadows, how to conduct meadow surveys, begin a 250’ trail realignment on the historic Sisson-Callahan Trail to protect a wet meadow, learn about plants in ultramafic soils at Kangaroo Lake, and build camaraderie with the Scott River Watershed Council’s Youth Environmental Summer Studies (YESS) program and Ascend Wilderness Experience.

This program is made possible with support from Federal funding sources and our generous local donors. The funding this year comes from the USFS Resource Advisory Council, The McConnell Foundation, Humboldt Area Foundation, Coast Central Credit Union, National Forest Foundation, and American Trails: Legacy Roads and Trails. We couldn’t do this without their support!

If you know of a youth aged 15-18 who might enjoy working outdoors with natural resource professionals, be sure to apply next summer. Each crew consists of 5 students and works for 8 weeks.