Conservation Legacy

Rounding out our celebration of National Forest Week, let’s shine a spotlight on one of West Virginia’s legendary scenic locations—the Monongahela National Forest! ⛰️ This forest is a true gem with its rugged landscape, rivers, blueberry thickets, highland bogs, and exposed rock areas. From 900 feet to 4,861 feet at Spruce Knob, the highest point in West Virginia, the Monongahela invites year-round adventure. This forest contains the beauty of five Wilderness Areas, the legendary Seneca Rocks, and the unique Cranberry Glades Botanical Area. The forest is also the source of six major river systems, and the name Monongahela comes from the Lenape language, meaning “the river of falling banks” or “many landslides” referring to the area’s major floods. 🌳 #NationalForestWeek #MonongahelaNationalForest National Forest Foundation 📍 Monongahela National Forest 📸 2018, Conservation Legacy crew completing rockwork and using highline tools.

With so many incredible National Forests across the nation, let’s continue National Forest Week and highlight of one of North Carolina’s four National Forests—Croatan National Forest! 🌟🌊 This forest is a favorite of Conservation Corps North Carolina with 160,000 acres of coastal land bordered by the Nuese River, the Bogue Sound, and the White Oak River. Within this forest is the opportunity to explore the diverse landscape from interior woodlands to saltwater estuaries and raised swamps known as pocosins. The name Croatan recognizes the small Algonquin tribe and their modern-day Lumbee descendants who still live, fish, and hunt along the northern Outer Banks. The term Croatan means "council town" or "talk town" and refers to a place where councils were held. 🌲 #NationalForestWeek #TontoNationalForest 📍 Croatan National Forest

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🌟Meet the Executive Directors of Conservation Legacy 🌟 Next up, meet our fearless leader from North Carolina, Jessie Birckhead, who has been at the helm of CCNC since 2022! 🦜 Fun Fact: Jessie is a lifelong birder and has seen over 1,200 species of birds so far. Her favorites include the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Waved Albatross, and Capuchinbird. 🍅 Favorite Snack: "Nothing beats fresh cherry tomatoes right off the vine in the summer!" If you love birds, OG Stanley's thermoses or ESPECIALLY horses, Jessie is your gal. Thanks, Jessie, for all your hard work leading the incredible team at CCNC! Conservation Corps North Carolina

Shout out to our partners at National Forest Foundation for bringing us an annual celebration of this country's awe-inspiring National Forests! 🌲✨ Let us start National Forest week with a tribute to the largest National Forest in Arizona—Tonto National Forest! Embracing nearly 3 million acres of stunning landscapes, Tonto ranges from desert cacti to pine-forested mountains. With altitudes from 1,300 to 7,900 feet, it offers year-round adventures, from winter desert canyons to summer lakes and cool pine retreats. Tonto National Forest boasts 900 miles of trails and eight Wilderness Areas. Within the land, there is a rich history of the Hohokam people and the Apache and Yavapai tribes whose stories with the region span more than a thousand years and remain significant today. 🌵🏞️ #NationalForestWeek #TontoNationalForest 📍 Tonto National Forest Interested in learning a little more? Follow the link for some history on how the Tonto National Forest got its name: https://ow.ly/9uCc50Sv2Ht.

🎆 Happy 4th of July! 🎆 This Independence Day, we are proud to highlight our SkillBridge program, a partnership between the US Forest Service and Conservation Corps of North Carolina (CCNC). This program offers professional development and workforce training in conservation and public lands management for active duty military members transitioning to civilian life in their last 180 days of service! Program Highlights: 🛠️ Gain skills for a career with the Forest Service or other land management organizations. 🌲 Work in diverse areas like habitat management, recreation management, wildland firefighting, and more. 📍 Locations: Croatan and Uwharrie National Forests in NC, and CCNC training sites. 🎓 Earn certifications in Wilderness First Aid, S-212 Wildfire Chainsaw, Type II Wilderness Firefighter, and more. Eligibility: Service members from any military installation in their last 180 days of service. Salary and benefits continue through the DoD during participation. CCNC is taking applications NOW! Program Dates: 🗓️ January 27th, 2025 - May 16th, 2025 More info: https://lnkd.in/gNb-RkBD Conservation Corps North Carolina USDA Forest Service

🌟Meet the Executive Directors of Conservation Legacy 🌟 First up, Geoff Elliot of Stewards Individual Placements - West! Fun Fact about Geoff: Geoff has two adorable dogs, Henry and Bodie, who are quite the local celebrities! 🐾 Henry is a blue heeler and Bodie is a red heeler, and they often get mistaken for Bluey and Bingo from the popular kids' show. It wasn’t until a family friend introduced them to the show that they realized why kids and families were so excited to see them on walks. 🐶😂 Geoff's Favorite Snack: "I love food but am not much of a snacker. For me, it always comes down to leftovers. I will avoid throwing away leftover food at all costs, so I am always turning to the fridge to pull together a snack from whatever remains of a recent dinner." Thanks Geoff for leading the STW team! You rock! Stay tuned as we continue to highlight our incredible Executive Directors across the country. 💪 Stewards Individual Placements

🌲 Meet Arey Clark, Conservation Corps North Carolina intern working with NC State Parks! 🌳 Arey has been busy collecting essential data and developing innovative outdoor recreation solutions to improve access to our beautiful natural resources. They've assessed nearly 200 miles of biking, hiking, and equestrian trails across six parks, including the most comprehensive trail system in NC State Parks. 🥾🚴♂️🐴 With their hard work, Arey has developed six formal park overviews, six potential trail project overviews, and seventeen maps using GIS. Plus, they've led six CCNC trail crews and created project instructions, enhancing outdoor recreation for all. Arey said of their experience, "These accomplishments are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to my professional growth and involvement! I am grateful for the multiple possibilities afforded by CCNC and NC State Parks, and I look forward to contributing to future projects and developments for the remainder of my time." Job well done, Arey! Conservation Corps North Carolina

🌈 Happy Pride Month! 🌈 This comment on our Pride post earlier in the month made us smile, so we thought we would share. 🥰 We are incredibly grateful for our LGBTQ+ members and the supportive families who stand by them. We welcome all identities and join in this month of PRIDE to celebrate our LGBTQ+ employees, partners, and allies. At Conservation Legacy in 2023, more than 31% of our members identify as LGBTQ+, and 22% of our permanent staff are members of the LGBTQ+ community. THANK YOU for being an integral part of our conservation family and for helping us create a more inclusive and compassionate world. Together, we celebrate diversity and the beautiful spectrum of identities that make our team extraordinary! #PrideMonth #ThankYou #LGBTQ+ Conservation Corps New Mexico Southwest Conservation Corps

In case you missed it: On Earth Day this year, President Biden unveiled ClimateCorps.gov, the go-to site for all American Climate Corps (ACC) opportunities. With over 2,000 positions available, it’s already seen tens of thousands of visitors! 🌱 This historic initiative has kicked off with the virtual swearing-in of the first ACC class. Yesterday, hundreds of new ACC members began their journey of national service. Heartfelt thank you to all participants, including White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. Join us in building a sustainable future! 🌎 📸1: President Biden on Earth Day standing with Conservation Legacy team, including President Amy Sovocool. 📸2-4: Moments from the swearing-in ceremony, including Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland welcoming the first class of the American Climate Corps members. American Climate Corps , The Corps Network