You need very little gear or experience to join our traditional land conservation crews. You need absolutely no formal experience to be on a crew, but we do look for Corpsmembers that work well on a team, are willing to step outside their comfort zone, and communicate clearly. Leadership positions and Winter Fire Crew positions will require more experience, which can be gained through previous seasons of service. As a Corpsmember in a season of service, three essential pieces of gear are needed:  Boots: Must have ankle support covering and above the anklebone (6” boots) and have at least 50% of the bottom tread remaining. We find that hiking boots with a reinforced toe are best because you may need to hike long distances each day to get in and out of project sites. Pants: Our uniform requires blue, durable pants with no additional designs. Regular blue jeans work well for this purpose, but work pants can also be used. Day Bag: A day bag is a backpack that can carry the items you will need on a daily basis, such as water, snacks, and Personal Protective Equipment. Normal school backpacks work well for this purpose, as long as they are large enough to carry the day’s essential items. If you are having any trouble obtaining any of these items, we can help you source them and in certain situations, support some of the cost of buying them. We do not want these items to be a barrier to your employment, so please ask about our gear resources!

We acknowledge the historical barriers that have prevented natural resources from being an ethnically and racially diverse and inclusive field. We are committed to dismantling the barriers of systemic racism that still exist in outdoor spaces and honoring the diverse lived perspectives of our youth from LatinX, Black, Indigenous, and other multi-cultural communities.

Transportation from our main office to project sites will be covered by MHYC using our fleet of vehicles. You will need to provide your own transportation to and from MHYC office. Food will be covered by MHYC if you’re serving on a camping project. Each crew has a weekly food budget and will plan, purchase and prepare meals together. For crews that are not camping, members are expected to prepare and bring their own lunches that can be eaten in the field. Should a Corpsmember be experiencing food insecurity Corpsmembers will have access to our on-site food bank, and we will provide support with applications for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Most AmeriCorps members qualify for SNAP. MHYC does not provide housing to our Corpsmembers.

MHYC partners with local municipalities and recreation districts, state parks and wildlife areas, other non-profit organizations, and federal agencies across the 23 counties we serve. Some of our past partners include the US Forest Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, City and County of Denver, City of Colorado Springs, Rocky Mountain Field Institute, and many, many more.

MHYC has established educational activities that will help you understand the importance of our service, how to work on a crew, and give you professional guidance in the natural resources industry. Additional programming options might include activities designed to bond with your crew, celebrate your accomplishments, or give back to the community through additional service projects.

Hand crews complete a variety of work such as trail building and maintenance, pesticide application, habitat restoration, fence construction or removal, park development, and more. Chainsaw crews typically spend the season removing invasive tree species or forest thinning. Chainsaw crews may also serve in neighborhoods to create defensible space around homes to protect them from wildland fires or assist with post-fire erosion control. Depending on your preference and the project work lined up for the season, your crew may either be a ‘day’ crew or a ‘camping’ crew. Day crews meet at an MHYC office each morning, travel to the project site together, and return at the end of each day. Camping crews do not return at the end of each workday and instead camp on-site to reduce travel time.

You will receive industry-recognized certifications, on-the-job training and career readiness programming to help you achieve your employment goals. These certifications include: Leave No Trace and Mental Health First Aid First Aid/CPR S-211 – Portable Pumps and Water Use S-212 - Wildland Fire Chainsaws S-130 – Firefighter Training S-190 – Intro to Wildland Fire Behavior L-180 – Human Factors in Wildland Fire Service ICS-100 – Introduction to Incident Command System IS-700 – Introduction to the National Incident Management System In addition to industry-recognized certifications, you will be able to learn from, network with and work side-by-side professionals in the natural resources industry, including park rangers, foresters, park resource technicians and naturalists, every day on project sites.