Our mission is to engage the next generation of environmental leaders through guided, hands-on service opportunities that benefit our region’s public lands.
Our primary focus is to engage young adults through hands-on service opportunities in environmental stewardship, accomplished through partnerships with land management agencies and environmental education organizations across Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest.
About Wisconsin Conservation Corps
Be prepared to work hard in beautiful places with the Wisconsin Conservation Corps! WisCorps operates the Crew Program and the Individual Placement Program.
Crews build trails, manage habitats, and complete carpentry projects on public lands. Participants live, work, and travel together and have the opportunity to network with conservation professionals and serve local communities during their AmeriCorps service term. The program runs in the summer (May-August) and fall (September-November), and you can choose to participate in one or both terms.
- Crew Leaders oversee and motivate their crew members to complete outdoor conservation projects. They work directly with project partners, ensure crew safety, educate members on conservation operations, and maintain communication. They also drive WisCorps fleet vehicles and promote awareness through community engagement.
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Crew Members work as a team to complete restoration projects across Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest. They promote community service and environmental awareness on and off the project site.
Individual Placement AmeriCorps Members serve directly with WisCorps partner organizations, focusing on natural resource conservation and environmental education.
- Members promote community service and environmental stewardship through training and engagement in service projects that benefit their community. They receive a biweekly living stipend, AmeriCorps benefits, and a Segal Education Award upon successful completion of their service term.
The Employee Experience
With WisCorps, you will:
- work/serve directly with WisCorps staff and project partners
- maintain a positive attitude in the face of adversity
- learn and master techniques in different aspects of conservation
Ideal Candidate
Placements, Crew Leaders, and Crew Members are:
- Highly self-motivated, hardworking, confident, autonomous
- Passionate about the environment or nature
- Creative thinkers and have a sense of humor
- People who appreciate being outside
- Understanding of the importance of conservation work
Room and Board
WisCorps offers housing for the Crew Program. Most crews live and work together throughout the entirety of training and the project season. Housing accommodations vary by crew. Crews may be stationed at various front country campgrounds, may need to camp in backcountry or remote locations, and may live in an apartment or dormitory style space depending on the project and time of year. Tents are provided for all Crew Leaders and Crew Members in the Crew Program, but you may use your own tent if you prefer. All food is provided for the entire season in the Crew Program.
Housing is offered for some Individual Placement positions by the Partner Site. If housing is offered, Members should be prepared to live in communal housing with other members of the program. If housing is not offered, it is the responsibility of the Individual Placement to find accommodations.
Employee Perks
- WisCorps crews get to live and work in some of the most beautiful National Parks, State Parks, public lands, and wild areas in the Upper Midwest
- WisCorps provides excellent opportunities to network with land management agencies and nonprofits to learn about potential career paths
- Participants get to learn about themselves, become exposed to other cultures and opinions, learn about professional conservation techniques, and experience new places around the Midwest
Getting Here and Getting Around
Crew Program Travel Logistics:
- Please do not bring personal vehicle. Please get a ride from friends or family, take a bus or train, take a plane to the Minneapolis - St. Paul Airport, or talk to staff about other transportation options.
- If driving your personal vehicle is your only option:
- There is a $100 parking option available for the summer season. The parking is available through UW-La Crosse and we will put you in contact with their parking managers. The parking location is at a UW-La Crosse lot near the WisCorps warehouse.
- There is parking available at Camp Ehawee in the fall. If you must drive a personal vehicle to a fall season, you will be able to leave your vehicle at Camp Ehawee for the duration of your season.
- We operate a shuttle from the Minneapolis - St. Paul airport on Arrival Day before Crew Leader and Crew Member Training. WisCorps also operates a shuttle back to the MSP airport on the Saturday after the season ends. Using MSP as your airport option is cheaper and more reliable than flying to the La Crosse (LSE) airport.
Individual Placement Program Travel Logistics:
- Individual placements are accountable for organizing their own travel arrangements. Partners sites will convey any details or logistics that are specific to their location.
For Fun
WisCorps offers a unique experience for Crew Leaders and Crew Members, including the ability to work and live in the areas below:
- The Wisconsin Conservation Corps main office is located in La Crosse, known for its beautiful bluffs, river activities, hiking, camping, and outdoor music events
- Crews and Individual Placements live and work in some of the most beautiful places in the Midwest
- Locations include Isle Royale National Park, Voyageurs National Park, the Keweenaw Peninsula, Chequamegon National Forest, the St. Louis River (near Duluth), the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, the shores of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, the prairies of southwestern Wisconsin, and Door County
Contact Info
- Eric Robertson
- eric.robertson@wiscorps.org
- www.wisconsinconservationcorps.org
