The Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) is a sub-agency of the
Washington State Department of Ecology. WCC members work on projects in their communities, from
habitat restoration
Ecological restoration, or ecosystem restoration, is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, destroyed or transformed. It is distinct from conservation in that it attempts to retroactively repair ...
, to trail construction, to natural disaster response. WCC members are active across the
state of Washington
Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...
and are a part of the 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.
Members are allowed a second term, often returning to serve as Assistant Supervisors or Individual Placements (referred to as IP).
Most WCC members perform their service in a crew, a collection of members assigned to serve in a particular locality. Examples of work a crew member might engage in span
riparian zone
A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. In some regions, the terms riparian woodland, riparian forest, riparian buffer zone, riparian corridor, and riparian strip are used to characterize a ripari ...
restoration work, wetland restoration work, invasive species clearing, and other environmental enhancement projects. Projects typically last several days—something members refer to as a "spike." Within a single term, crews will handle several spikes. Each crew is led by a 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, or biological or lab
technicians
A technician is a worker in a field of technology who is proficient in the relevant skill and technique, with a relatively practical understanding of the theoretical principles.
Specialisation
The term technician covers many different special ...
.
Benefits
WCC members receive:
* a living stipend (similar to the minimum wage)
* health insurance
* opportunities for certifications (e.g. Red Card, Wilderness First Responder, Hazwoper) through paid training
* qualified student loan forbearance (
AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps ( ; officially the Corporation for National and Community Service or CNCS) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the United States government that engages more than five million Americans in ...
benefit)
* education award (AmeriCorps benefit, which, , is worth $6,895) upon compleition of their service
References
External links
*
*{{official, https://ecology.wa.gov/wcc
AmeriCorps organizations
Nature conservation organizations based in the United States
Environment of Washington (state)
Environmental organizations based in Washington (state)
Service year programs in the United States