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The legendary Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) program has been contributing to the McKenzie River area since 1978. Dean Waddell, Senior Fire Fighter on the McKenzie, was a YCC participant and says, “I did various projects, such as work on a Delta Campground trail, a trail in the Rebel Rock area, and in Wolf Creek. I also learned about the environment from experts.”
Annually, the McKenzie River Ranger District chooses 10 students in February from applications submitted in January, to work for the summer. The students work full time, earning an hourly wage. The program opens up many opportunities to gain valuable work experience and learn about future career opportunities.
In the YCC program, students begin the summer with an exciting adventure. They are brought to the McKenzie River airport (about a mile away from the Ranger Station), dropped off, given a training session in using a GPS, map, and compass and then left to find their way back to the station. This is their first lesson in team work and it gives students experience in tromping around the forest.
Through the rest of summer, the students learn to do general work (such as weeding, building trails, habitat restoration, etc.), go on field trips and do career exploration. Each portion of the program offers benefits, teaching young adults to work with their hands, to work as a team and the importance of the natural environment.
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Career exploration, about twenty percent of the program, is a great way to learn about the “real world” and real job opportunities. In fact, many Forest Service employees began in the YCC program. The students share their interests with the Forest Service employees leading the program. Then the students are matched with a person in their area of interest and spend time working with them.
This summer, students got to work with the McKenzie River District’s botanist, fisheries biologist, fire prevention, engineer, wildlife technician, and more. Penny Harris, the McKenzie River’s wildlife technician, says, “YCC is an awesome program. It helps students to get involved and learn about the outdoors in a new interactive way—by working in the forest with their peers and with forest experts!”
For more information about the YCC program at McKenzie River Ranger District or to obtain an application form, please contact Penny Harris at (541) 822-7265 or pjharris@fs.fed.us (Applications may also be available at your local school.)
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