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About Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps
Conservation corps serve their communities by helping to protect and manage natural areas so they can be enjoyed for generations to come. It takes tremendous grit and passion to thrive on a trail crew working outdoors.
The days may be long, the physical demands arduous, and the unexpected challenges difficult to navigate, but one thing is for sure: serving on a trail crew guarantees an unforgettable experience.
ESCC members gain hands-on job training while undertaking essential conservation projects in public lands. Crew members learn a range of new skills including those needed to accomplish the projects, tricks for thriving in the backcountry, and interpersonal skills that ensure the team’s success.
What Makes ESCC Unique
Upcoming Backpacking Programs
Women In the Wilderness (WIW)
2025 trips TBA
WIW is an 8-day immersive backpacking trip with the goal of developing the skills and knowledge needed to increase participants' ability to explore and steward public lands.
Queers In the Wilderness (QIW)
2025 trips TBA
QIW is an 8-day immersive backpacking trip with the goal of developing the skills and knowledge needed to increase participants’ ability to explore and steward public lands.
ESCC Highlights
Land Acknowledgment
The Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps runs out of Bishop, California, the ancestral lands of the Northern Paiute, Western Shoshone, and Eastern Mono/Monache. During our season, trail crews perform work on the homelands of many Indigenous communities across California.
ESCC recognizes that prior to colonization, California was home to hundreds of Tribes that thrived in this environment because of their culture of reciprocity with and deep knowledge of California ecosystems. Due to practices like the stealing of land, genocide, and forced assimilation, Indigenous communities all over the US lost their ability to freely exercise their culture. Daily practices and special rituals that allowed California Tribes, flora, fauna, and soil to flourish were no longer a part of the ecosystem. The negative effects of these forcibly cut relationships can be seen today, particularly in climate change and the social injustice that exists throughout Tribal communities.
ESCC acknowledges that the environmental movement has always been led by Indigenous Peoples and that the environmental stewardship activities performed in our line of work have been known and practiced by Indigenous groups for thousands of years. ESCC works to create a more inclusive and diverse outdoor community, prioritizing recruitment of participants and staff from priority populations including Black, Indigenous, AAPI, People of the Global Majority, Women, Women of color, LGBTQ2SIA+.
We couldn’t do this work without you.
The Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps is a 501c3 non-profit organization sustained by grant funding and support from individuals and businesses throughout the Eastern Sierra and beyond. Your interest in our organization and financial support are invaluable. Let’s keep in touch!