Conservation Legacy

05/20/2026

Rosie Gurnee first joined Southwest Conservation Corps at just 15 years old as a youth crew member. Years later, she’s now working with the U.S. Forest Service on the Pike National Forest as a Fuels Technician! 🌲🔥

“One thing I have really loved about SCC is being able to develop over the years… I started with SCC when I was 15 years old on a youth crew, and now I am a leader on a saw crew.”

Rosie’s journey is a reminder that this work creates lasting impacts far beyond a single season, helping young people build confidence, leadership skills, and meaningful conservation careers.

05/15/2026

🌿 🐟 🐢 🐦 Today we are recognizing by shouting out some of our Conservation Corps New Mexico Individual Placements who are out there doing the real, often behind-the-scenes work of protecting endangered and threatened species across the Southwest.

🐟 Blake Tran is down in southern New Mexico serving as a Fisheries Biology Technician with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, helping support the Rio Grande Silvery Minnow.

🐢 Endi Piovesana is out in the field at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge supporting conservation of the Bolson tortoise, a rare desert species and one of the largest north American land reptiles.

🌿 Jeremiah Westerman has been serving with the Bureau of Land Management to support rare plants, including the Knowlton cactus, Mesa Verde cactus, and Navajo bladderpod.

🐦 And a throwback from 2024 over in Texas, where we had Greg Sherman in the field at Fort Hood helping protect the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler!

05/14/2026

At Conservation Legacy, we know that stewardship starts close to home. Every trail cleared, habitat restored, and community project completed is rooted in people showing up for one another and for the places we all share.

On May 16, communities across the country will take part in Good Neighbor Day America. A nationwide day of service and kindness encouraging 250 million acts of kindness ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.

Learn more and find a community event near you here: https://goodneighbordayamerica.com/

America250

05/11/2026

“April embodies the strength, power, and importance of national service,” said Amy Sovocool, President of Conservation Legacy. “Her focus on protecting and expanding opportunities for people to serve one another and improve lives across West Virginia and beyond is unmistakable. I’m incredibly proud of her work, her commitment, and her dedication to the entire national service community.”

On Wednesday, May 13, Stewards Individual Placements Executive Director, April Elkins-Badtke, will be recognized as the National Service Advocate of the Year. We could not be more proud!

Read the full press release here: https://ow.ly/5RHe50YWFgI

Drop a comment below to celebrate April and this well-deserved recognition! 👇
Voices for National Service

05/08/2026

This week, Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps own Tiana Cachini, traveled to Washington D.C. to accept her award as Corpsmember of the Year from The Corps Network CEO, Mary Ellen Sprenkel.

While in D.C., Tiana participated in The Corps Network’s Action Summit, meeting with elected officials and federal partners to discuss her project work and represent ALCC and the many partnerships that supported her throughout her service term.

As an Indigenous Mapping and Research Individual Placement, Tiana’s main project was a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based story map highlighting the ancestral lands connected to the Old Spanish National Historic Trail and the Indigenous perspectives that have historically been excluded from public land interpretation in the past.

Please join us in celebrating Tiana and this incredible accomplishment. We are so proud to see her representing ALCC on a national stage! 💛

05/04/2026

The Annie E. Casey Foundation film crew recently visited the Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps Acoma office, where they learned about the Farm Corps program and spent time with crew members, capturing firsthand what this work means to them and the communities they serve.

From there, they traveled to the Pueblo of Isleta, where they documented the home and surroundings of ALCC Isleta staff members Elijah Lujan and Quincy Walker. Through these conversations and visuals, the team helped tell a deeper story rooted in connection to land, culture, and community.

We’re incredibly grateful to the Annie E. Casey Foundation team for their time and care in bringing this story and program to life.

Check it out here:

Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps reconnects Native youth to their land and culture while building job skills and career pathways. Participants gain hands-o...

05/01/2026

🎥❄️ Each season in Tennessee, Southeast Conservation Corps crews take part in a friendly challenge to create a short video highlighting their service. Videos are voted on by SECC staff, with the winning crew earning an exclusive swag prize 🏆

Hats off to this season’s winners: SECC Winter Trails Crew 👏

04/30/2026

Shoutout to our Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps crew for a strong Earth Day showing at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge 🌎

They hosted a tree giveaway for the South Valley community and surrounding areas, getting 80 trees into the hands of folks ready to plant and care for them 🌳

Here’s what went out the door:

🌲 10 Afghan Pine
🌳 10 Chinese Pistache
🌿 25 New Mexico Olive
🌳 14 Pomegranate
🌿 11 Fig
🌳 5 Netleaf Hackberry
🌸 5 Desert Willow

Kudos to ALCC for giving back to their community one tree at a time!

04/28/2026

Not your average job description: stepping into the role of a beaver. 🦫🌳

Southeast Conservation Corps Stream Restoration Felling and Rigging crew just wrapped up their season in the Cherokee National Forest, building woody structures directly into streams to mimic the natural work of beavers. And yes, it’s just as cool as it sounds.

Armed with chainsaws and grip hoists, they carefully felled trees and secured them in place, creating structures that transform the way water moves through the landscape. These additions help form deeper pools for fish, expand habitat, and reconnect streams to their floodplains so water can spread out, slow down, and support the surrounding forest during heavy rains.

It’s hands-on, highly skilled work that blends restoration, innovation, and a little bit of creativity. Congrats to the crew on a job well done!

04/22/2026

"You are special in all of this emptiness... You have this oasis, this beautiful place that we get to exist together." — Astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II Mission

Happy ! 🌍