Come live and work in the beautiful state of Maine! The Maine Conservation Corps (MCC) is devoted to conservation and environmental education across the state in places like Acadia National Park, Baxter State Park and on the Appalachian Trail, as well as land owned by local communities and land trusts, with positions available throughout the year. The four-fold mission emphasizes these key elements:

Accomplish Outdoor Recreation and Conservation Projects
Members build and rehabilitate campsites and trails, build outdoor learning centers for schools, construct cabins, picnic shelters, bridges and erosion control structures, maintain boundaries, improve wildlife habitat and timber stands, survey watersheds, test water quality, and oversee planting projects.

Create Conservation Employment
Participants can join the MCC on the trail, in the classroom or on the water to get involved in local efforts to protect and restore the environment.

Provide Conservation Education
Individual members serving with nonprofit organizations and natural resource agencies develop curriculum, train teachers, teach in classrooms, and do outreach presentations in the community.

Engage Conservation Volunteers
MCC programs develop a strong work and community service ethic, teamwork, communication skills, self-esteem and confidence, safety, job skills and outdoor living experiences.

Seasonal Employment Overview with the Maine Conservation Corps
Field Team Leaders | Field Team Members
Environmental Educator Program | Trail Training Academy

Come build great trails with great people! Field Teams with the Maine Conservation Corps are composed of trail crews (3-6 people) serving to construct and improve recreational trails in the mountains, along the beautiful coastline and in communities all over the state of Maine

Projects include remote backcountry hiking trails, local nature and walking paths, multi-use trails, as well as accessible pathways for wheelchair use. Some of the trail structures the MCC builds are stone staircases, timber bridges, boardwalks, bog bridging, and rock water bars, with a focus on the traditional trail skills that the MCC is famous for.

I met some really good people and we accomplished some unbelievable things. Getting thanked by a southbound hiker on the Appalachian Trail in twenty different languages; that won't happen twice! –Erika Brown, Team Member

Do you have an environmental degree, but need some real-world experience before entering the job market? Maybe you're transitioning from one career to a more environmentally-focused one, or perhaps you are simply passionate about education and conservation. If any of these are true, the Maine Conservation Corps has the ideal position for you!

Environmental Educators serve either 900 hours (approximately 6 months) or 1,700 hours (approximately 10 months) as AmeriCorps members with a nonprofit organization or state agency in the state of Maine. While community education and outreach are the primary goals, each position has unique responsibilities and activities such as biological monitoring, leading classroom activities in local schools, managing volunteers, trail maintenance & planning, logistics for an educational summer camp, or leading local watershed surveys, just to name a few.

Past organizations that MCC Environmental Educators have recently served with include the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, Pemaquid Watershed Association, Maine Department of Conservation, and Merryspring Nature Center. Many Environmental Educators have gone on to serve two terms with the MCC, often with the same organization, and some have even been offered permanent positions as a direct result of connections made during their MCC service. View current job openings & apply »

MCC was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I was exposed to career choices I had not considered, I gained work experience that has led to my career today, the learning opportunities presented through being part of the MCC group were very influential, and working at my individual placement location was great in teaching me the value of self motivation and initiative. The friendships that developed over the year are priceless. –Megan Sines, Environmental Educator

Want to spend a season honing your trail-building skills in the great state of Maine? Serving as a Field Team Leader with the Maine Conservation Corps is an amazing and challenging experience that many leaders return to year after year. As a Team Leader, you will be a teacher, mentor, leader and friend to a group of 2-5 Team Members for 3-6 months. Most Team Leaders will work on an average of 4-6 projects (often both frontcountry and backcountry) throughout each season, enabling them to learn and improve on both new and acquired skills. Responsibilities of the Team Leader include crew management, acting as a liaison with project sponsors, and working with volunteers and local media. Highly successful Team Leaders may also have the opportunity to advance and become Senior Team Leaders in future seasons. View current job openings & apply »

It is difficult to single out any one specific moment or event because quite honestly, every single moment I spent in the woods with my crew(s) was special! Memories were made during the summer/fall sessions that I will cherish for a lifetime! Whether building stone steps on Deboullie Mountain trail, laying bog bridge on Katahdin Lake trail, waking up to seagulls and surf on Marshall Island or cooking a great meal at the end of a long hard day of trail work at Western Head in Cutler, Maine, I enjoyed every minute of every day I spent with the MCC and the outstanding people in my crew(s) and that is no joke! At the age of 46, and after a 21 year career in the Coast Guard, I can honestly say that the summer I spent doing trail work with the MCC was the best summer of my life and I would do it all again in a heartbeat! Thanks for the memories! –Jeff Kimball, Team Leader

Have you ever wondered about the hard work that goes into your favorite trails? How about learning how to move a 500-pound boulder or building a bridge? If you like spending time outside, learning new things and aren't afraid to get a little dirty, spending a season as a Field Team Member is the way to go! You will learn valuable skills (both physical and interpersonal), get in great shape and make a difference, as well as have some fantastic stories to tell by the end of your service. Team Members serve 3-6 months on both frontcountry and backcountry crews all across the state of Maine. Ready to take on a little more responsibility? Provide support and leadership with the Team Leader as an Assistant Team Leader. View current job openings & apply »

My team took on one of the most arduous endeavors. We built the largest bridge that the MCC had ever built. The project took place on the beautiful shore of the Duck Trap River in Lincolnville, Maine. We learned how to use unique tools safely, work together under extremes (it was black fly season), endure really, REALLY, REALLY hard work (most of the wood used for the bridge we carried over a mile to the location). It was certainly an accomplishment to build a 55-foot bridge, but it was truly special what we learned during that process. During that summer we built so much together: bridges, friendships, and futures. –Nicole Chismar, Team Member/Assistant Team Leader

If you want to learn how to build trails, work as a team, and become a great trail crew leader, the Trail Training Academy is for you. Each year, the Maine Conservation Corps conducts an intensive 11-week training program for potential Team Leaders from mid-February through early May. Participants receive extensive training in trails skills including timberwork, chainsaw safety and operation, rigging & grip hoist operation, rockwork, trail design and construction, crew management, outdoor leadership, and more. In addition, all participants receive Wilderness First Responder certification. Successful participants will lead MCC teams from late May until mid-August. View current job openings & apply »

As a Trail Training Academy alum, you have at least been exposed to all aspects of trail work. So far the chainsaw training has resulted in job offers, and I believe that participation in the academy as a whole was the reason I was offered my current Field Coordinator position. The MCC allows its team leaders to actually manage the team. The MCC empowered team leaders to make decisions and then stood behind the team leader. That level of support, and the ability to develop management skills without being micromanaged was a great professional experience. –Philip Kolling, Trail Training Academy & Team Leader

• Explore the mountains and coast of Maine and everywhere in between!
• Living allowance/stipend ranging from $260 to $445 per week
• Immediate health insurance, with Cobra option when service is completed
• CPR/first aid certification
• Maine State Parks Pass
• AmeriCorps education award ranging from $1,415 to $5,350 (if eligible)
• Child care reimbursement (if eligible)
• Student loan forbearance (if eligible)
• Pro-deal purchases and gear discounts
• Unlimited networking, training and experiential learning opportunities
• A great sense of satisfaction from taking on responsibilities that directly affect the environment and the people of Maine

At minimum applicants must be a U.S. citizen, have a high school diploma (a bachelor's degree is required for the Environmental Educator Program), at least 18 years old (leader applicants must be at least 20 years old) and pass a criminal and sex offender background check.

Additional qualifications may include the ability to live and perform strenuous work under challenging conditions; the desire to learn, serve others, and make a difference; a season (or more) of trail work experience in an outdoor leadership role; previous experience with construction work; and the ability to teach trail skills; good communication, writing and public speaking skills; and a valid driver's license.

To apply for a job, download and complete the application and reference forms and send to: