Veterans Conservation Corps (VCC)

Most of you are probably familiar with the Maryland Conservation Corps and the Conservation Jobs Corps, but did you know that there is also a Veterans Conservation Corps? It’s true! The small but mighty group has been hard at work in southern Maryland since 2017.

The VCC was originally developed by then manager of Point Lookout, Christy Bright. The idea was to model the crew after the Maryland Conservation Corps, which, when the MCC was established in 1984, was itself modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps. The CCC followed a military-style organizational model to put young men to work during the Great Depression. For our VCC crew, a corps-based work environment isn’t too far off from what a military unit might feel like.

Several iterations of VCC crews helped get the program established at Point Lookout until a cohesive team was established in 2019. This crew found a successful niche building trail kiosks and bridges and making improvements to the park’s infrastructure. In June 2020, the crew moved to Merkle NRMA, where they have been doing much of the same.

So why have a VCC, and what makes this crew different from MCC? Well, sometimes, not much at all. The two corps work closely together and both missions are to provide statewide support to the Maryland Park Service. Both programs have the potential to bring in enthusiastic, energetic individuals who have a passion for service. Members who want to make a difference to protect our natural resources and engage with the communities we serve (believe me, if you haven’t had the opportunity to work with the corps, this energy is contagious!). What the VCC members believe sets their crew apart is the mission-based work ethic that their service instilled in them. From their time in the military, the members have learned to demonstrate teamwork through adversity while providing a consistent output. The result? Autonomy, efficiency, and initiative come standard when we attract high-quality applicants to the crew. Point them in the right direction and the VCC will work until the task is done.

I submitted this blog post to raise awareness of the program within the MPS and celebrate the crew’s place within our agency, but also because the crew is eager to show their value by training, advising, leading, and assisting in parks that could use some extra hands. They are currently meeting a high priority need at Cedarville State Forest, coordinating MCC crews from around the state to revitalize wayfinding for the trail system and complete targeted trail improvement projects. This includes utilizing a new CNC routing machine that the crew can work with other parks to implement in future projects.

If you have priority project that could benefit from a dedicated, hard-working, and (my opinion) enjoyable-to-be-around crew of veterans, let us know! The current crew leader is Calvin Ogburn calvin.ogburn@maryland.gov, and anyone is welcome to reach out to me.

Guest Blogger: Ranger Luke Terrell (luke.terrell@maryland.gov)