[link
Dear Friends and Supporters, We are so grateful that you are on this journey with us. This year brought 365 days of programming across seven local conservation corps and one national individual placement program, serving nearly all 50 States and U.S. territories. In our 24th year of operation, we strive to embrace our true culture of innovation, expanding what conservation can mean to individuals and communities. Conservation is preservation and protection, rooted in care for people and place. It is mindful access to public lands. It is harnessing the power of the outdoors to provide positive impacts on mental health. It is working to combat climate change. It is meeting communities where they are to find lasting solutions. It is meaningful workforce development for generations. It is centering crucial diversity, equity, and inclusion work. It is mitigating and preventing the risks of wildland fire. It is restoring live shorelines. It is reclaiming mining sites. It is supporting affinity spaces for participants and staff. It is working to ensure all have access to healthy lands, air, and water. ‘Like water, our society has had to adapt,’ reflects Kalani, Community Volunteer Ambassador with Stewards Individual Placements. We agree—and continue to broaden our impact to adapt, meet new needs and always strive to connect in novel and unexplored ways. This year, Conservation Legacy supported over 2,100 crew members, leaders, and individual placements in conservation service programming across the country. Collectively, our members clocked over 1.3 million service hours and were provided over $13 million in paid service opportunities. For all of us to move forward together, we must embrace the intersection of environmental work and social justice. With each step we take, we wholeheartedly commit to this. The above numbers may be abstract, but dig deeper and you will see individuals, communities, and ecosystems at the heart of our work. In an ever-changing world, there is one constant—that we are undeniably and forever dedicated to conservation and service. Conservation, in short, is all of us, together. All hands-on deck; and we invite you to forge ahead with us. With you on this quest alongside us, we can truly make a difference. In Service,
S. Elwood York, Jr., CEO 02
Loretta Pineda, Board Chair
BOARD OF DIRECTORS We are grateful to our Board members for their passion, discipline, and leadership—guiding us successfully through this year while staying focused on our long term vision. Loretta Pineda, Chair Denver, Colorado Benjamin Tuggle, Vice Chair Denver, Colorado Lisa Norby, Secretary Morrison, Colorado Ashley Hansen, Treasurer Washington, DC Butch Blazer Santa Fe, New Mexico CJ Goulding Teaneck, New Jersey Johnathan Hall Scottsdale, Arizona Wayne Hubbard Kansas City, Kansas David Muraki Lincoln, California Karen Rudolph Manitoba, Canada
AWARDS & RECOGNITION Our members, staff and partners stepped up in unprecedented ways this year, with creativity, grit and dedication. We applaud their recognition. THE CORPS NETWORK CORPSMEMBERS OF THE YEAR Kalen Anderson, Appalachian Conservation Corps, and Aaron Conner, Southeast Conservation Corps THE OUTDOOR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION’S INSPIRATION AWARD Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps AMERICA’S SERVICE COMMISSIONS INNOVATION AND LEADERSHIP AWARDS OUTSTANDING SERVICE PROGRAM Colorado COVID-19 Containment Corps We dedicate this year of service in honor of Torri Santo Pelletier, beloved coworker, friend and beautiful human.
03
BY THE NUMBERS: Conservation Legacy bonds people to places and harnesses their power to restore, improve and preserve our communities and ecosystems. By providing authentic service leadership opportunities for young people in the field of conservation and simultaneously addressing critical natural resource needs, our programs address the nation's environmental needs of today and tomorrow.
2,185
1.3
TOTAL PARTICIPANTS
MILLION SERVICE HOURS
93%
70%
PARTNER SATISFACTION
OF STAFF
BELIEVE THEIR POSITION SUPPORTS INNOVATION
ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT:
2,666
04
142,182
41,908
2021 IMPACT
200+ STAFF HOURS OF DEI WORKSHOPS
Conservation Legacy Operates in all 50 states and US Territories
OVER $13 MILLION
in AmeriCorps Education Awards and stipends awarded to participants
05
CAREERS IN CONSERVATION From taking a gap year, to finding the path from participant to staff member, conservation corps and intern experiences with Conservation Legacy prepare young people to find successful careers. Whether a position in wildland firefighting, a corporate job, or moving into an internal staff position, the variety of positions we offer and the support we provide are designed to elevate our participants ‘In 2019 I graduated from Iowa State University. My life took a turn when I joined Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC) during an intended gap year. I planned to return to school after my season with SCC and pursue a PhD in philosophy, but taking that space from school to explore conservation work reminded me of how much good I could do in the conservation world,’ says Trevor Taylor, founder of the Leaders of Color program and now Program Coordinator with Southwest Conservation Corps. ‘I’ve always resonated with the idea of “being of service”. I really enjoy and still enjoy philosophy, but I wasn’t sure how I could do good with it. Working here gave me the opportunity to do good in a way that has a direct impact on the planet and in our communities. It’s that desire to do good and be of service that still drives me in my current role.’
06
MEET ARDEN
Keshi! (hello), I’m Arden Wyaco from the Pueblo of Zuni in New Mexico. Let’s take it back to 2016. After searching around my community endlessly for a job, I stumbled upon recruitment fliers for Ancestral Lands’ (ALCC) pilot Zuni program. The tasks listed included working in National Parks and Forests across the Southwest, constructing trails, and preserving historic sites. This would be a totally new experience for me—the camping, the work schedule and just exploring in general outside of my pueblo, but I did have some familiarity with conservation work, and the promise of traveling the Southwest was enticing. So, I applied until I secured my spot on a crew. After my first season, I decided to continue with the program and develop the skills needed to take on the crew “If leader role, which I eventually achieved. not for The friendships I made at ALCC kept me this crew I would coming back year after year. Ever since not have grown as my first season, the ALCC community much personally and has been so welcoming and professionally—and this supportive. Their passion for caring for the land still inspires me to this day. growth has been
remarkable.” -Harlee Craddock, Conservation Corps North Carolina
Each season as a crew leader has been transformational for me. Now, with five successful seasons as a crew member and leader now under my belt, I recently began a staff role as the Ancestral Lands Communications Technician. In my new role, I work to capture the unique stories that our participants have to offer. My position allows me to document the same crews I was once a part of, and share their stories through various mediums. It brings me joy to tell these and discover new ones along the way. 07
CLIMATE ACTION Conservation Legacy programs have been fighting climate change for years. We engage thousands of young adults in conservation and climate-related project annually. We strongly believe this will result in generations of climate stewards and the resiliency of our planet. Collectively, with the network of over 130 conservation corps programs operating nationally, we can make a huge impact. With years of experience developing the next generation of service and conservation leaders, a presence across the country in urban and rural areas, and a proven track record, we are confident we can combat climate change and administer high-quality work-based learning experiences that prepare participants for meaningful careers. In addition to our traditional conservation crew and intern programming, we are discovering new and innovative project work that can mitigate climate change every day—the national presence of the Veterans Fire Corps, Scientists in the Parks, our living shorelines project in North Carolina, national disaster relief and recovery efforts, abandoned mine restoration projects and traditional farm corps are just a few.
Scientists in the Parks
The Scientists in the Parks (SIP) program is committed to providing all aspiring professionals—especially those underrepresented in science—with a unique opportunity to work on important real-world projects while building professional experience and a life-long connection to America’s national parks. 08
“The project I worked on fully supports restoration and conservation, and also has taught me so much. It has inspired me.” -Intern, Scientists in the Park
This year, Scientists in the Parks managed 213 interns in 117 parks and offices in every Department of the Interior region. Scientists in Parks participants provided demonstratable benefits and completed projects related to critical natural resource management needs in parks. The SIP program and park units promote the stewardship of public lands and encourage the next generation of park leaders.
MEET JADON Veterans Fire Corps
As a civilian navigating life after service, I began to sink, finding myself surrounded by darkness. I had lost my sense of purpose. One evening, everything I knew began to crumble. Disintegrating before me was my old life. I built a platform bed under the shell of my truck, and only packed items that served a purpose. I punched the gas, and it didn’t take long before my route was cut off due to a wildfire, one that came to be known as the largest fire in Colorado’s history: the Cameron Peak Fire. I altered my course, found a campsite, and stared at the sunset. I remember lying on my back, listening to the birds, feeling the wind and smelling smoke in the air. I discovered my new purpose. To protect my newfound love: nature. My journey as a wildland firefighter began last summer, when I had the opportunity to lead a Veterans Fire Corps crew with Southwest Conservation Corps. This experience opened the door for me to enter the realm of wildland firefighting. Fast forward to today—I’ve officially accepted a staff offer for this summer’s fire season: I’ll be protecting the San Juan National Forest. Choosing to surrender to the yearning I felt for something new is what brought me back to a fulfilling life. A life of camaraderie, sacrifice, and hard work. I couldn’t be happier. Let’s chase some smoke! Jadon served as a crew member for the Veterans Fire Corps, which engages recent-era Veterans on priority hazardous fuels projects while developing the next generation of firefighters, and mitigating the wildland fire hazards of a changing planet present to our communities.
LIVING SHORELINES
Conservation Corps North Carolina
This year, Conservation Corps North Carolina (CCNC) tackled a project focused on coastal restoration and living shorelines through a partnership with North Carolina Coastal Federation—the first of its kind. The CCNC crew and volunteers planted the marsh grass, completing a restoration project put in place to reduce shoreline erosion, protect the area’s maritime forest from storms, provide fish habitat and help improve coastal water quality. The crew collected marine debris and did maintenance work at Cape Lookout National Seashore, Carolina Beach State Park, Morris Landing in Holly Ridge and other spots on the central and southern North Carolina coast. They also built living shoreline with bags of recycled oyster shells. AK Kelly, from Florida, was among the six-member crew. Kelly joined the Conservation Corps earlier this year, after deciding it was time to get back into the field. “I was just ready to get back into my field, ready to get back into stuff relevant to my degree,” Kelly said. “CCNC was a great opportunity for me to do that in a way where I’m going to very clearly build my skill set, get my confidence back, get to do a wide variety of work, and remember why I love what I love.” 09
MAKING SPACE FOR ALL Many people think of the outdoors as a naturally welcoming place for all. Just go outside! It’s that simple. There are no barriers to lacing up your boots and hitting the trail. Nature is neutral ground, free from the structure and rigidity of society— ”the great equalizer”. Right? In truth, there can be significant barriers for many people both to access nature and to feel safe and welcome there —particularly for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and people who identify as LGBTQ2S. The systemic inequity and racism that often deters or altogether prevents BIPOC communities from visiting public lands is often the same reason the outdoor industry workforce has minimal representation from these groups. If we want to diversify the outdoors and the outdoor industry, we need to establish safe and intentional points of entry for individuals who feel excluded from these spaces. Conservation Legacy operates ‘affinity crews’ within each of its seven crewbased programs across the country, in an effort to advance representation for marginalized communities in the outdoors. Affinity crews present opportunities for members to gain hands-on experience, training, and professional development in the conservation world. We can’t hope to achieve diversification within our industry without first creating an equitable and inclusive space where individuals from different backgrounds feel welcome, and affinity crews are one step on the journey towards making the outdoors and public lands feel safe and welcoming for all. 10
Conservation Legacy has operated affinity crews since 2017, beginning with Southwest Conservation Corps’ Wyoming Women’s Fire Corps: a crew for women, trans, and femme identifying people. With this crew, Conservation Legacy sought to address the significant gender disparity in wildland firefighting. In 2020, we operated five affinity crews created for these communities throughout our corps programs across the country— one of which was the Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps’ Native Womxn’s Crew that was created specifically for Indigenous women, trans, and femme people. In addition to affinity crew spaces, Conservation Legacy offers staff groups— often called Employee Resource Groups, that offer a safe identity-based space for employees to gather, connect and having meaningful conversations around specific issues that affect and interest them. In 2021, staff also participated in a total of over 300 hours of DEI training, workshops and committee meetings
“The creation of the Leaders of Color crew to expose and educate BIPOC individuals like me to conservation work and outdoors experiences is a physical manifestation of the change needed to begin to start making the outdoors inclusive to all.” -Andrew Atencia, Southwest Conservation Corps
11
THE HEALING POWER OF THE OUTDOORS It’s your first day as a Conservation Legacy crewmember. You swing on your pack, grab your chainsaw, and fall into step with the rest of your crew. It’s early morning: - still dewy and fresh, but you can already feel the hot sun on your back. Worries float through your mind as you hike through the fragrant pines to the work site. Am I strong enough? Did I bring enough food and water? Is that blister coming back? A mild anxiety creeps in. Finally, you and your crew approach the tree line. A huge, rocky peak rises above you. Suddenly, there is a peaceful quiet. Your lungs fill with fresh mountain air. Looking around, you can see for miles. Your crewmates drop their packs, and everyone takes in the view. You feel small but connected, as the vastness of this place settles in. You realize that this project is going to be awesome, and you smile as you get to work. To be human is to be undeniably rooted to the earth. Studies tell us the natural world is central to our wellbeing, yet with every step, modern society wanders farther and farther away from it. Days indoors, excessive screen time, desk jobs, lack of physical activity, long commutes…it’s no wonder that one in five people experience mental health illnesses each year, as published by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Lizette Betancourt, an Appalachian Conservation Corps AmeriCorps crew member, shared that she had been experiencing depression for years before joining a crew. “Here I am, past all that,” she reflected 12
“It all adds up to be good for mental health.”
-Anthony Stazi, Appalachian Conservation Corps
during an interview shortly before finishing her term of service. “I was really in a deep hole for a long time. This position has been a big help to fix that.” Many crew members report the positive impact of the corps experience on their mental health. Camping for extended periods of time, spending long days outside, and working hard are often lauded as having significant impacts on issues like depression and anxiety. But crews are also positively impacting the communities they work in by improving access to nature—whether by maintaining hiking trails, mitigating the impact of invasive plants, or repairing fences to keep livestock out of protected areas. Another Appalachian Conservation Corps crew member, Anthony Stazi, explained that joining a crew was the best decision he’d ever made. “Especially for individuals dealing with depression,” he said, “there’s nothing better than getting out into the natural world with cool people. Physical labor, healthy living, working through it all, and building that mental fortitude. It all adds up to be good for mental health.”
According to The Corps Network, 90% of the $3.5 trillion America annually spends on healthcare goes to treating people with chronic and mental health conditions. In addition to the obvious benefits of physical exercise, hundreds of studies demonstrate the mental health benefits of spending time in nature. AmeriCorps members can help improve the accessibility and usability of our recreation areas while simultaneously encouraging more people to get outside and be active. Access to safe, local outdoor recreation opportunities is crucial, but the reality is that many people in our country do not have this luxury. Conservation corps organizations are uniquely positioned to work with communities to increase outdoor access—particularly in urban areas that have historically lacked access to parks, bike paths, and other outdoor infrastructure. Conservation Legacy offers a wide variety of opportunities, from internships with land management agencies to conservation crews, to the Veterans Fire Corps AmeriCorps crews, and more. “In protecting the land, we protect ourselves, both physically and mentally,” states Conservation Legacy Chief Executive Officer Elwood York.
“Your soul or spirit is as important as your physical strength. Our quest at Conservation Legacy is to protect and preserve the Earth, one AmeriCorps member at a time. To find that balance and oneness with our world and to assist in its preservation for generations to come, to explore, to work, and enjoy.” “It’s taken me a long time to find something like this,” explained Peter Brogdan, a member of the Veterans Fire Corps AmeriCorps, while clearing ladder fuels in Coronado National Monument in Arizona. “For a lot of us—for warriors—it’s hard to transition into a behind-the-desk job,” he said through tears. “I know there are a lot of veterans out there who are looking for something to put themselves into that means something again…And this [work] is really helpful for that.” AmeriCorps-supported conservation service organizations—in partnership with public and private agencies and nonprofits— are leading the charge in the effort to connect people to nature. Conservation Legacy is wholeheartedly committed to this work—from our trail crews to interns to veterans opportunities.
13
FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT
Total Revenue: $35,189,638
78% PROGRAM
16% GRANTS
OTHER
Total Expenses: $33,293,337
79% PROGRAM
18% MANAGEMENT/GENERAL
OTHER
*For a full financial statement, please visit www.conservationlegacy.org.
GRATITUDE
Our work begins with YOU. Your support helps us take action on the ground across the United States from the Navajo Nation to the mountains of Chattanooga to the glaciers of Alaska. When you give to Conservation Legacy, you have a national influence and lasting local impact. Today, our programs are growing faster than ever. With your help, we are introducing new people from all backgrounds to our diverse landscapes around the country through meaningful conservation work.
BECOME A CONSERVATION CHAMPION
Join Conservation Legacy supporters from around the country who have pledged to help us protect our public lands. When you give to Conservation Legacy, you have a national influence and lasting local impact.
$50 provides quality tools for a crew member at work. $100 provides needed gear for a crew member without access. $250 provides the necessary supplies to run a community volunteer event. $500 provides professional development opportunities to an intern. $1000 provides support for two crews to clean up public lands for a day.
Please visit www.conservationlegacy.org/support to get involved today!
15
Conservation Legacy is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Federal Tax ID (EIN): 84-1450808
“Conservation Legacy does a great job supporting members and partners. For a third year, our individual placement has been integral in the success of programs here at Glacier.” -Sonja Hartmann, Glacier National Park
CONSERVATION LEGACY 701 Camino del Rio, Suite 101 Durango, Colorado 81301 (970) 403-1149 www.conservationlegacy.org