Conservation Corps programs provide paid, hands-on experiences to participants from across Cook County’s diverse communities—including those with barriers to employment.
On this page:
Overview
Run in partnership with nonprofit organizations and the City of Chicago’s Department of Transportation, these programs mobilize over 300 high school youth and adults each year to restore natural areas for the benefit of Cook County’s plants, animals and people.
All Conservation Corps programs receive financial and/or training support from the Forest Preserves of Cook County, combined with training, resources and financial support from program partners—Audubon Great Lakes, Friends of the Forest Preserves, Greencorps Chicago, the Housing Authority of Cook County, the Student Conservation Association, Living Habitats, Integrated Lakes Management and Openlands—as well as Cook County Bureau of Economic Development, G.E.T. Solutions and the Forest Preserve Foundation. This collaborative approach and funding strategy ensures sustainable programs that serve the Forest Preserves’ critical need to engage the next generation of conservation leaders.
High School Programs
High school Conservation Corps programs focus on teamwork, basic job skills, hard work and environmental awareness.
Chicago Conservation Leadership Corps (CCLC)
Partners: Student Conservation Association
This program offers current high school students (or recent graduates) the opportunity to participate in hands-on conservation service in the Forest Preserves through paid summer employment. Activities include youth working as a team on a variety of projects such as trail building, mulching trees and invasive plant removal. Youth are supervised by highly trained adult crew leaders who have experience working with youth in an outdoor setting. Environmental education and nature-based recreational activities are an important component of the experience. The goal is for the youth to have one of the best summers of their lives and they do—this program boasts a 95 to 100 percent retention rate.
Requirements
- Ages 15 to 19; enrolled in high school or recently graduated
- Interest in learning about nature and being willing to get dirty
- Open to trying new things
- Ability to perform physically demanding work in hot summer temperatures
- Willing to work as part of a team
Program Snapshot
- Five‑week summer program starting in late June
- 26 hours per week, Monday through Thursday
- Pay is $15 an hour for high school members and $17.50 to $23 an hour for adult leaders
- Youth learn basic job and conservation skills
- Participants take part in environmental education and nature‑based recreation
- Program introduces youth to environmental careers
- Transportation to work sites is available from central pickup locations, such as CTA train or bus stops
How to Apply
Youth applications are due in April; adult crew leader recruitment starts in March each year.
Forest Preserve Experience Program
Partners: Friends of the Forest Preserves, Housing Authority of Cook County and Cook County Bureau of Economic Development
The Forest Preserves is proud to partner with the Housing Authority of Cook County and Friends of the Forest Preserves on the Forest Preserve Experience Program.
This summer program will engage 75 to 125 high school youth in paid summer employment and an educational experience for five weeks each year, depending on available funds. Participants come from families who utilize the services of the Housing Authority of Cook County.
Youth work to help their community’s environment through river and lake cleanup activities, tree mulching and invasive plant removal efforts in their local forest preserves.
Requirements
- Ages 14 to 19; enrolled in high school or recently graduated
- Housing Authority of Cook County residents and voucher holders
- Interest in learning about nature and being willing to get dirty
- Willing to work as part of a team
Program Snapshot
- Five‑week program beginning in early July
- 24 hours per week, 6 hours a day, Monday through Thursday
- Pay is $15.50 an hour for high school members and $17.50 to $25 an hour for adult leaders
- Youth learn basic job and conservation skills
- Participants take part in environmental education and nature‑based recreation
- Program introduces youth to environmental careers
- Transportation to work sites is available from central pickup locations, such as Pace bus stops
How to Apply
Youth applications are due in April; adult crew leader recruitment starts in March each year. Visit the Friends of the Forest Preserves website for more details.
Adult Programs
Adult Conservation Corps programs are designed to provide participants with comprehensive training in technical skills and hands-on experience essential for pursuing employment in ecological restoration, forestry and related fields. Individuals have the opportunity to acquire industry-recognized certifications and engage in local ecological experiences, allowing them to contextualize their hard work.
Habitat Restoration Internship
Partner: Audubon Great Lakes
The Audubon Habitat Restoration Internship features work on Forest Preserves land and assists with the management and restoration of wetlands, prairies, savannas and woodlands with special emphasis on grassland birds and their habitats. This position offers the chance to contribute to the growing network of individuals and organizations in Cook County committed to conservation.
This is an excellent opportunity to learn natural areas management while working as part of a team.
Requirements
- Must be at least 18 years old
- Environmental science majors or those in related fields preferred
- Ability to perform physically demanding work in all weather
Program Snapshot
- 40 hours per week, 12‑week seasonal position (September to November)
- Geographic focus: Calumet Region
- Pay is $19 an hour for interns and $20 to $22 an hour for field leaders
- Ability to meet at the Chicago Park District’s Big Marsh site in the morning
How to Apply
Applications are typically available in March. Visit the Audubon website for more details.
Contact: Kayla Lindsay-Fisher, [email protected]
Resource Management Career Immersion Program
Partners: Integrated Lakes Management and Living Habitats
The Forest Preserves Department of Resource Management is proud to partner with Integrated Lakes Management and Living Habitats to host the Career Immersion Program. Participants gain practical, on-the-ground experience working with staff in the fields of forestry, fishery management, ecological restoration, and ecology (native seed collection and production) for experiences lasting from 10 weeks to six months. Interns are embedded with the staff in all aspects of the job and get to see what it’s like to work in the Forest Preserves doing these critical roles. Expect to be on your feet all day working outdoors and getting dirty. We typically have eight positions with Forestry/Ecological Restoration, two with Native Seed Collection and Nursery Care and one with Fishery Management.
Requirements
- Must be at least 18 years old
- Serious about pursuing a career in a chosen area; experience level varies by position
- Ability to perform physically demanding work on one’s feet all day in all weather conditions while maintaining a positive attitude
- Willing to work some weekends
Program Snapshot
- Four to five days per week (32 to 40 hours, depending on position)
- Seasonal: 10 weeks to 6 months
- Interns are transported via Forest Preserves work vehicles while on the job but must be able to reach their designated field office each day (all located in suburban Cook County)
- Valuable industry certifications and training provided
- Ideal for those seeking careers in ecology, forestry, fishery management, and ecological restoration or land management
- Pay is $18.50 an hour with paid time off and holidays
How to Apply
Applications are posted January through March, with internships beginning May through July depending on the position.
Contact: Hannah Miller, [email protected]
Friends of the Forest Preserves’ Adult Crews
Partner: Friends of the Forest Preserves
Friends of the Forest Preserves manages multiple Conservation Corps crews throughout the Forest Preserves. Conservation Corps participants are paid for their work to help restore woods, savannas and prairies. They also gain essential skills like job readiness and financial literacy. And, perhaps most importantly, they are the next generation of front-line advocates for natural areas.
Requirements
- Must be at least 18 years old
- Comfortable using tools
- Ability to perform physically demanding work in all weather
- Team player
Program Snapshot
- 36 hours per week, Monday through Thursday
- Year‑round positions with benefits
- Works in crews of five to six people
- Valuable conservation industry certifications and training provided
- Some positions require a personal vehicle to reach pickup sites (Forest Glen in Chicago, Barrington, Willow Springs and South Holland)
- Crew members start at $18 an hour, assistant crew managers start at $23.39 an hour and crew managers start at $29.12 an hour
How to Apply
Varies by program. Visit the Friends of the Forest Preserves website for more details.
Contact: Brenda Elmore, [email protected]
Greencorps Chicago
Partners: Chicago Department of Transportation, WRD Environmental, G.E.T. Solutions
Greencorps Chicago is a City of Chicago green industry job training program, run in partnership with WRD Environmental and G.E.T. Solutions, for individuals with barriers to employment. The Forest Preserves is proud to partner with Greencorps Chicago by providing valuable training as well as hands-on experience in restoration, forestry and natural resource projects. Participants also work on other diverse green industry activities, including landscaping, tree care and green infrastructure projects with the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Department of Planning and Development and other public/community partners.
Requirements
- Must be at least 18 years old
- City of Chicago resident
- Must pass initial and random drug screenings
- Able to meet the physical requirements of the work
Program Snapshot
- Nine‑month paid training program
- 30 hours per week, Tuesday through Friday
- Trainees earn $18.50 to $19.50 an hour; supervisors start at $22.75 an hour
- Extensive training and professional development offerings, including valuable industry certifications
- Work as part of a team
- Wraparound social services provided
- Meeting site is on the West Side of Chicago
- Background‑friendly
How to Apply
Greencorps Chicago’s recruitment process begins in January each year. Successful applicants begin training in mid-March. Visit the Greencorps Chicago website for more details.
Openlands Arborist Registered Apprenticeship
Partners: Openlands
Openlands’ Arborist Registered Apprenticeship is a three-year training program administered by Openlands in partnership with the Department of Labor, Tree Care Companies across the Chicago region and the Forest Preserves among others.
The apprenticeship coordinates with the industry to improve recruitment and retention and create a path to welcome more diverse and experienced applicants.
Requirements
- Must be at least 18 years old
- Commitment to complete the three‑year program and an intention to pursue a career in arboriculture or urban forestry
- Ability to lift more than 50 pounds repeatedly and to stand, crouch and perform various types of manual labor
- Tolerant of working outdoors in inclement weather and other environmental factors
- Must be punctual and responsible
- Proof of high school diploma or GED
- Valid driver’s license that must be maintained for the duration of employment, with a clean driving record
- Proficiency in speaking, reading and writing English
- Willingness to work in all neighborhoods of Chicago and surrounding communities
- Must pass all drug and alcohol screens as required by company policy and, if applicable, Department of Transportation regulations
Program Snapshot
- More than 35 hours per week, Monday through Friday, with some weekend work
- Starting wage is $19 an hour, with progressive six‑month wage increases
- Extensive training in the use of chainsaws and tree‑care skills to prepare for a career as an arborist or forester upon program completion
- Works in teams of four to eight people during the first year with Openlands
- After two years, participants are embedded with an employer, such as a tree‑care company, to gain advanced skills
How to Apply
Applications are due in January, with the program beginning in March. Visit the Openlands website for more details.
Gap Year Internship
Partners: Student Conservation Association
The Gap Year Internship is designed to provide advanced conservation job training and leadership skills for young adults, ages 18 to 24 with particular emphasis on engaging high school youth Conservation Corps alumni. The program is comprised of two parts to give a variety of experiences for career exploration and advanced skills training such as chainsaw certification, prescribed burn certification and more.
Part One: Includes training followed by five weeks of real-world conservation, leadership and communication skills where participants serve as assistant leaders who mentor and co-manage a group of 10 high school youth through the Chicago Conservation Leadership Corps Program (CCLC) with their crew leaders.
Part Two: Participants come together to form a new team to gain advanced ecological restoration skills that ensure healthy land for people, native plants and wildlife. Work activities include invasive plant removal and native seed collection.
Requirements
- Members must be 18 to 24 years old; leaders must be at least 21 with a clean driving record
- Ability to work in all weather conditions doing hands‑on land‑stewardship work, primarily invasive species removal, using power tools and applying herbicide for seven to eight hours a day, four days a week after training
- Positive attitude and ability to work as part of a team in an environment that is welcoming to all
- Willingness to mentor teenagers and provide leadership so youth learn job skills that prepare them for the future
- Willingness to gain certification and apply herbicide
- Willingness to be trained and operate forestry and restoration tools, including chainsaws and brush cutters
Program Snapshot
- Nineteen‑ to 20‑week paid program (June through October, depending on funding)
- About 30 percent training and environmental education and 70 percent hands‑on work
- Six‑person crew (two leaders, four members)
- 26 to 34 hours per week, Monday through Thursday
- Crew members earn $17.50 an hour for Part One and $18.50 an hour for Part Two; crew leaders earn $23 an hour
- Extensive training and professional development offerings, including valuable industry certifications that prepare participants for a career in restoration
- Program work sites are primarily in the southwest and west suburbs of Cook County. The program will offer centrally located pickup sites for suburban and West/Southwest Side Chicago participants to ensure equitable access, including for those without a personal vehicle to reach the Forest Preserves when possible.