Virginia Service & Conservation Corps Seeking Members to Work in Virginia State Parks

September 28, 2022

According to a press release from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Virginia Service and Conservation Corps is seeking new members.   By joining the Virginia Service and Conservation Corps, members can build lifetime skills for all careers.

If you are interested in a career in the conservation, environmental or park management field and have an interest in public service and in gaining leadership skills The Virginia Service and Conservation Corps (VSCC) might be the answer for you.

An AmeriCorps program operating in Virginia State Parks, the VSCC places members in parks throughout the commonwealth to serve on resource management crews, to develop interpretive programs and to build and maintain trails.  Those who serve in the program gain hands-on experience and leadership skills by coordinating volunteers, assisting in the management of programs and leading interpretive programs. Members have the option to serve for 1200, 675 or 450 hours, depending on your availability.

Benefits of serving in the VSCC include First Aid/CPR/AED training, Interpretive Training (depending on program), Canoe/Kayak Guide Training (depending on park), pesticide application certification (depending on program), wildland firefighter training (depending on program) and trails maintenance training.  Members receive a bi-weekly living stipend and an education award of up to $4,546.00 upon successful completion of service. Members who are not provided with park housing receive a housing stipend to assist with the cost of living expenses.

AmeriCorps Program Director Kellie Mattingly said, “This program is ideal for those who like to use their hands to get work done and want to learn more about invasive species, trail maintenance and prescribed burns.  After completing their service, alumni of the program were able to start careers in the conservation field including jobs with Virginia State Parks, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, the U.S. Forest Service and many more. There has also been an increase in older adults applying to the program to add new skills to their resume after changing careers due to the pandemic.”

The VSCC engages participants with both the local community and nature within the state parks. During their service, members learn from the experts in their fields and are empowered to take ownership of their own programs.  Applications for the programs are open now.

For more information, visit www.dcr.virginia.gov and search “Virginia Service and Conservation Corps”.

Story By

Bonnie Ralston

Bonnie Ralston is the Assistant Station Coordinator at WVLS and a Highland County news reporter. She began volunteering at Allegheny Mountain Radio in the fall of 2005. In 2006 she became an AMR employee and worked in Bath County for eight years as the WCHG Station Coordinator and then as the news reporter there. She began working in radio while in college and has stayed connected to radio, in one way or another, for more than thirty years. She grew up in Staunton, Virginia, while spending a lot of time on her family’s farm in Deerfield, Virginia. She enjoys spending time outside, watching old TV shows and movies and tending to her chickens.
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