ARIZONA—USDA Forest Service personnel became mentors as a team of seven Youth Conservation Corps members joined the Tonto National Forest’s Globe Ranger District to provide support in recreational operations, maintenance and wildlife surveys this summer. 

“I was looking for something different to do,” said Kylynn Cluff, one of the YCC participants. “I wanted to work outdoors. This job is really a breath of fresh air.”

The YCC crew joined Forest Service personnel to work on several projects intended to expose senior-level students to various career paths within the agency. This included recreational operations and maintenance for a campground improvement plan in Pioneer Pass Recreation Area, located on the east side of the Pinal Mountain range in Globe Ranger District. Crews installed campground signs, informational kiosks and fire pit rings with the help and guidance of Forest Service personnel. Tonto National Forest’s wildlife biologists also conducted desert tortoise surveys in the Superior area with the enthusiastic help of the YCC crew.

The YCC program was in partnership with Gila County Government’s Board of Supervisors and Conservation Legacy, one of several Resource Assistants programs that offers rigorous and immersive, paid internships to individuals who are interested in conservation, natural and cultural resources, research and development, or other careers.

The Forest Service works in partnership with many internship programs to engage students, recent graduates and underrepresented populations in order to attract and retain a diverse and inclusive workforce and carry out mission critical work.