Hayfork & Weaverville Youth Conservation Crews

The Hayfork Youth Conservation Crew (HYCC) is a summer work experience program for local youth initiated in 2001. Summer of 2023 marked the debut of the Weaverville Youth Conservation Crew (WYCC). Both of these crews consist of high school students (ages 15-18) who learn stewardship skills by implementing conservation work such as trail maintenance, noxious weed management, fuels reduction, native plant protection, stream monitoring, rangeland fence repair, and much more.

As one of the few employment options for youth in Trinity County, this program offers valuable job skills and hands-on learning while fostering mentorship connections between youth and our professional natural resource management partners.

In 2024: The Hayfork YCC completed work in the Yolla-Bolly Middle-Eel Wilderness, Chanchelulla Wilderness, on the South Fork Trinity River Trail, in the Hayfork Wetlands, and around Ewing Reservoir. Meanwhile, the Weaverville YCC completed its second season maintaining trails in the Weaver Basin, around Lewiston Lake, and in portions of the Trinity Alps Wilderness! The two crews maintained just over 55 miles of trail throughout Trinity County.

All Youth Crew members earned CPR and First Aid certifications, developed leadership and teambuilding skills, and learned about natural resource stewardship with professionals in their field. Natural resource education subjects included prescribed fire, meadow protections and watershed health, wilderness ethics and leave-no-trace principles, soil science, western pond turtle surveys, sensitive habitat protection, as well as both native and invasive flora.

To learn more about this program or apply for a position contact Jack Lienhard at (530) 628-4206 or email jack@thewatershedcenter.com. If you would like to donate to help supply and support the YCCs, you may contribute via our GoFundMe Charity page or, if you have a PayPal account, via the smaller donate button on this website.