Conservation Legacy

🏅Congratulations to 2025 Corpsmember of the Year: HalieAnn Rex of Appalachian Mountain Club & Southwest Conservation Corps! HalieAnn Rex was a force of nature. HalieAnn joined the Corps world in 2022 after serving with Southwest Conservation Corps as a Crew Leader for both a youth crew and an adult fire mitigation crew in CO. She later joined the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) last spring as a Professional Trail Crew Leader for the Southern New England region where she excelled during AMC’s chainsaw training and Trails Skills College. HalieAnn was an exceptionally productive and inspiring Crew Leader. Although many of her Corpsmembers were originally hired for a short trail season, they had such a positive experience under HalieAnn’s leadership, that they all opted to extend their service into the fall. At the end of her service, HalieAnn intended to return to AMC in 2025 to continue her leadership journey. In the meantime, she returned to TN, where she was pursuing a master’s degree through the Family and Community Sciences Graduate Program at East Tennessee State University. She had also been hired as an Outdoor Graduate Assistant. Tragically, on October 12, 2024, HalieAnn was struck by a vehicle while riding her bike. She passed away five days later. In keeping with HalieAnn’s generous spirit, her organs were donated, helping save the lives of five patients. The Corps world is deeply saddened by HalieAnn's passing. In just 26 years, she experienced and contributed more in life than many people who live well into old age. HalieAnn loved public lands and was talented in many outdoor professional skills and connecting with others. Her legacy lives on through her loved ones and her countless contributions to her community. 💬 “HalieAnn Rex was patient, kind, reliable, responsible, adventurous, playful, professional, creative, and so, so, so much more. Her spirit lives on in the hearts and minds of those she worked with, on trails in the switchbacks she carved, steps she built, and in the essence of our program.” Learn more about HalieAnn and her accomplishments: https://lnkd.in/gu5zY-Tz AmeriCorps / Conservation Legacy #CorpsCon25

Whether you're a communications whiz, outdoor enthusiast, people person, history buff and/or love to get your hands dirty; we may have the perfect position for you! Most of our 2025 Individual Placements are now live on our site. We are #NowHiring positions in Virginia, Maryland, D.C., and Ohio! Visit our site and apply now, link here🔗https://lnkd.in/gpRFjVKd We will also be hosting a 🌟Virtual Information Session🌟on March 5th @ 6pm - join us to learn more about this years Crew and IP opportunities - https://lnkd.in/ejmvC9VU

Today, we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy through service to our communities. 💙 Join us in making a difference by giving back, whether it's through volunteering, supporting local initiatives, or simply spreading kindness. Not sure how you can participate? Visit AmeriCorps.gov/MLKDay to find all you need to take action and find in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities on MLK Day! #MLKDay AmeriCorps

📣 Save the Date: MLK Day of Service — THIS Monday, Jan. 20! What better way to kick off the year than by honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy through acts of service in your community? Need ideas? Clean up a local park, volunteer at an animal shelter, organize a food drive, or even a random act of kindness—anything that makes a positive impact. Let’s make it a day on, not a day off. 💙 💪 AmeriCorps #NationalService #Volunteer #MLKDay #MLKDay2025 #MLKDayOfService

The best way to kick off a new year? With NEW CREWS! We’re beyond excited to welcome new members from Conservation Legacy programs across the country! Check out some photos from the FOUR new crews that just kicked off their season with Conservation Corps North Carolina! They welcomed USFS Chainsaw crew working in the Croatan national Forest, NPS Chainsaw crew working in the Outer Banks, a Wildlife Resource Commission Fire Crew and a Wildlife Resource Commission Boundary Marking Crew! Especially big kudos to their NRCS crew who just officially wrapped up their red card certification, passing their practical exam yesterday! Conservation Corps North Carolina

Check out these new opportunities with Southeast Conservation Corps!

2024 was a big year for AmeriCorps! Take a look back at CEO Michael D. Smith's top ten highlights from the past year.

🌟 Corpsmember of the Year Nominee: Arey Clark 🌟 “She is an absolute day brightener.” As we close out the year and look ahead to 2025, we’re celebrating incredible individuals like Arey Clark, who exemplify the spirit of service and stewardship. Arey joined Conservation Corps North Carolina (CCNC) as an Individual Placement with the NC State Parks Trails Program after serving as an Interpretive Park Ranger on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Over two years, she hiked and assessed every trail in her region, developed improvement plans now being implemented by CCNC crews, and pursued certifications and trainings, including GIS and national trails conferences. When Hurricane Helene struck, Arey stepped up to support recovery efforts and is now serving her third term with CCNC. Her hard work and dedication earned her a nomination for Corpsmember of the Year, and she continues to inspire us all with her resilience, self-confidence, and commitment to building a brighter future for our trails and parks. 🎉 As we ring in the new year, we’re grateful for changemakers like Arey who make it all possible. Thank you for all you’ve done! The Corps Network AmeriCorps Conservation Corps North Carolina #ConservationCorps #CCNC #CorpsmemberOfTheYear #AmeriCorps #YearInReview #NewYearsEve

This year, our incredible SECC crew members and individual placements dedicated themselves to serving communities across the Southeast while making a BIG impact. As we wrap up this season, we want to thank YOU—our amazing alumni, supporters, and partners—for making this possible and for the incredible impact you’ve had on our program this year. Your contributions fuel our mission, from providing members with essential gear to funding vital tools and housing during emergency situations. Every dollar you give and each opportunity you help to provide makes a real difference. Together, we’re engaging future leaders in vital conservation projects across the Southeast and creating a lasting legacy of healthy lands, clean air and water, thriving people, and resilient communities for generations to come. By coming together in the ways we can, we sustain our collective work and foster a community rooted in generosity. 🌍 Let’s keep the momentum going into 2025! 💚 Join our end-of-year giving campaign and donate today to help our programs where they need it most—when they need it most! Donate today and be a part of the impact!: https://lnkd.in/gKN6dk_G Donations of any size are deeply appreciated. #SECCWrapped #YearInReview #SupportLocal #CommunityImpact #NextGenLeaders #DonateNow

"This experience has impacted my education and future career by giving me a new perspective on all the hard work that goes into fisheries and fish conservation," shared Maya Bass, a Bureau of Indian Affairs WaterCorps Intern with Conservation Legacy. Through her service with the Washington Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, Maya discovered a passion for aquatic species, overcame challenges, and gained invaluable skills in conservation. From snorkeling among Coho salmon to collecting data on invasive species, Maya’s story highlights the life-changing opportunities made possible by your support. 🌟 Read Maya's full story, "A Fish-eye Perspective for my Future," and see how service shapes futures and preserves our natural world. Stewards Individual Placements U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) 🔗 https://ow.ly/RiJe50UrZry