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Issues & local projects > Investing in communities > Washington Conservation Corps > Serve outdoors on a WCC field crew

Serve outdoors on a WCC field crew

On a Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) field crew, you play a vital role in protecting and restoring Washington’s environment while gaining a deeper appreciation of the natural world and building career skills that will last a lifetime. WCC supports more than 50 field crews around the state, each serving on a unique variety of conservation projects. Our crew members serve alongside four AmeriCorps members and one crew supervisor.

Crew members serve outdoors — rain or shine — across Washington’s beautiful public lands while making a positive impact on the environment. Project examples include building and improving trails, removing invasive species, constructing livestock fencing, restoring in-stream habitat, removing marine debris, installing native plants, upgrading campgrounds, and more.  

On all our crews, we prioritize hands-on training in the field and opportunities for professional development and networking. Members learn about local ecology, plant identification, restoration techniques, natural resource management, and tool safety while engaging with a wide variety of conservation professionals from our government and nonprofit partners. We emphasize teamwork and leadership through our crew roles and provide opportunities for growth through our assistant supervisor positions. As an 11-month or nine-month member, you will also receive two weeks of professionally taught, career-transferable trainings, including certificate courses such as wilderness first responder and hazardous waste operator. 

We offer three types of field crews: restoration crews, trail crews, and spike crews. Read more about each crew type below, and learn how you can join the WCC! 

Five members of a WCC trail crew stand on a wooden footbridge in a dense forest. Everyone is wearing rain gear and a yellow hard hat and is smiling at the camera.
Two WCC members kneel over a log on trail and take a measurement of the log's width.
A WCC member leans over an invasive Russian Olive tree trunk and cuts it into pieces with a chainsaw.
A WCC member wearing waders, a hard hat, and a face mask stands in a stream while constructing an  in-stream structure for fish.
A WCC members leans over to install a native plant in a dirt patch along the Elwha River.
A WCC spike crew member wears a full Tyvek suit and hard hat while spraying an invasive species along the shore of Lake Chelan.

Our restoration crews improve habitats for fish and wildlife. Typical projects include:

  • Planting native trees and shrubs along rivers and streams
  • Removing invasive species
  • Implementing erosion control techniques
  • Participating in salmon recovery projects
  • Establishing in-stream structures and channels
  • Constructing livestock exclusionary fencing
  • Collecting marine debris from coastal beaches

Spike crews travel around the state to complete short-term projects, known as "spikes," for our partners. Spike crew projects may vary monthly and even weekly and involve a wide variety of restoration and trail projects. Typical projects include:

  • Restoring habitat
  • Implementing erosion control techniques
  • Establisihing in-stream structures and channels
  • Improving recreational trails
  • Building bridges and boardwalks
  • Constructing livestock exclusionary fencing

Spike crews have a designated meet-up location and travel to the project location together in a WCC truck. Depending on the project, typical spikes are either four-day (Monday-Thursday) or eight-day (Thursday-Thursday).

Our trail crews collaborate with city, county, state, and national parks and forests to improve outdoor recreation opportunities for the public. Typical projects involve:

  • Constructing or improving recreational trails
  • Building bridges and boardwalks
  • Upgrading campgrounds
  • Installing environmental education facilities
  • When weather or access prevents trail projects, trail crews may support restoration projects

Note on backcountry projects: Backcountry trail crews have a designated meet-up location and travel to the project location together in a WCC truck. From there, crews often hike several miles to establish camp, where they stay four to eight days (WCC calls these "spikes"). Backcountry trail projects occur throughout the spring and summer — weather permitting — and typically involve a heavy amount of camping. These are rigorous assignments, so be ready to hike on uneven and rocky terrain while carrying tools and personal gear. You'll use a variety of hand tools, such as shovels and saws, for 10 hours a day, up to eight days at a time.

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