Crew Member: Los Padres Backcountry Trail Recovery Team

Los Padres National Forest

Arrival and Departure Airport: San Jose Mineta International Airport

Conservation Begins Here.

Are you ready to serve in one of the most rugged and beautiful landscapes in the Western U.S.? Do you want to make a tangible difference in our natural spaces and communities while learning skills to kickstart your conservation career? Join the Student Conservation Association (SCA) as a Crew Member for our Los Padres Trail Recovery Team and embark on a journey that blends purpose with adventure.

Schedule

February 17, 2025 – May 10, 2025

·     Member Training: February 17, 2025 – March 1, 2025

·     Crew Dates: March 2, 2025 – May 10, 2025

Why Join Us?

This isn’t your average 9-to-5 job. As a Crew Member, you’ll be part of a team working on trail recovery projects in Los Padres National Forest, on lands still healing from recent wildfires. You’ll work with hand tools to rebuild damaged trails, clear debris, and install trail structures — while building the future of conservation with a like-minded crew. Living and working outside will help you develop a unique relationship to the outdoor world. Share sunrises with big trees, commute to work along rivers and streams, or explore vast landscapes of California with your crew. Now is the perfect opportunity to dedicate your time and energy to a project that helps the planet and people.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Required Qualifications

• Must be 18 or older by the position start date;
• Must have the ability to legally work in the US;
• Ability to enroll in AmeriCorps Education Award Program;
• Ability to pass SCA background check;
• Must be able to attend Crew Member Training: 2/17/2025 – 3/1/2025;
• Full engagement in all work projects and community activities;
• Must uphold project, crew community, basecamp, vehicle, and general safety standards;
• Commitment to teamwork, learning, and problem-solving;
• Ability to work in challenging outdoor conditions that will include extreme heat, extreme cold, high winds, and precipitation;
• Ability to perform manual, physical labor for up to 10 hours per day, hike 5+ miles in a day and occasionally lift and/or move 40 pounds or more;

Preferred Qualifications

• Camping and/or backpacking experience;
• Experience using hand tools;
• Strong interpersonal skills and community living experience;
• For driver eligibility, must be over 21 years old, possess a valid driver’s license for 3+ years, a Motor Vehicle Record that meets SCA standards and complete SCA driver training;

Your Impact

• Rebuild trails – You’ll play a key role in ensuring that recreation users can safely enjoy our national forests, helping them connect to the outdoors.
• Promote fire recovery – Keeping people on trails gives surrounding areas a chance to recover and minimizes future impact.
• Create community – Create and maintain a cohesive community with other participants from across the country.

What We’re Looking For

Crew members will develop skills that will make them good candidates for entry-level seasonal positions with land management agencies like the US Forest Service and the National Park Service. Work will involve physical exertion and be performed outdoors, in varying weather conditions. SCA is looking for members open to new experiences, willingness to perform hard physical labor and enthusiasm for sharing space with others. Experienced candidates will have a foundation in outdoor living (hiking, camping and backpacking) and experience working outside, but this is not a requirement. Eagerness to learn in challenging conditions, actively contributing to maintaining an inclusive community, and adaptability in dynamic work environments are equally important qualities we are seeking in candidates.

Conservation work is unpredictable. Crews will have to navigate inclement weather, from waking up in single digit temperatures, to all day sun exposure. It is possible to experience thunderstorms, extreme winds, and smoke all within the same workday. The most successful teams are those who can adapt as challenges arise and continue to work effectively with their team.

Success hinges on understanding and addressing both personal and group needs. Participants must be fully invested in taking care of themselves and supporting their crew.

Western Trail Corps is a substance-free program. Consumption of alcohol is never permitted when on duty. This begins at the start of pre-hitch and ends once all post-hitch activities are completed. Marijuana and illegal substances are never permitted. Participants will adhere to this policy, along with other expectations set by SCA.

Why You’ll Love This Job

• Meaningful work: By maintaining trails, you will be contributing to a positive recreational experience for years to come.  
• Skills for life: Learn conservation techniques, wilderness medicine skills, and how to build a cohesive, high-functioning team.
• Real connections: Create lifelong friendships with people who share your passion for the planet.
• Adventure lifestyle: Expect to camp off the grid for most of the season. You’ll camp under the stars, cook over a camp stove, and work without the distractions of modern life. (Yes, limited cell service—but trust us, you won’t miss it.)

Benefits

• $650 one-time round-trip travel allowance (paid with first pay check)
• $550 weekly living allowance;
• AmeriCorps eligibility (450-hour award, $1,956.35 education award)
• *All allowances are subject to applicable federal, state, and local taxes.
• Meals: Provided during fieldwork
• Gear: Group camping gear, like tents, stoves, and filters, are provided

Additional Benefits

• Wildlife Safety Training
• Conservation Work Skills Training
• Defensive Driver Training
• Wilderness First Aid Training

AmeriCorps Benefits

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award
• Student Loan Forbearance for qualifying student loans
• Member Assistance Program – mental health service

Living Arrangements

Participants should be prepared to camp in frontcountry and/or backcountry conditions throughout the program, both on hitch and days off. This means more chances to connect with nature, and limited access to electricity, running water and showers.

Community chores such as preparing meals and washing dishes will be shared by members and leader. SCA will provide group gear such as tents, kitchen supplies (such as pots, pans, and stoves), and uniform items. Leaders and members will be expected to bring their personal items such as a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, clothing, and mess kit. To support the crew’s efforts, crews are issued an SCA vehicle and trailer for transportation and storage, and a field budget to purchase groceries, supplies, and fuel.

What Might the Season Look Like?

Service begins at Crew Member Training, where participants will gather with other corps teams to develop skills needed for the season. Training is field-based and will include a review of sustainable trail practices, tools for conflict management and proper basecamp setup. Staff will also share expectations on risk management in the field. A Wilderness First Aid course is offered to members during training.

Upon completion of Crew Member Training, the crew will travel to Los Padres National Forest. The crew will work on trail work projects aimed at making trails safe and enjoyable for recreation users. The crew will end with crews traveling to participate in cleaning up tools and equipment at a designated derig site.

Work Schedule

In general, members should expect to work on their project for 80 hours within a two-week span. Different projects will require different schedules. Some crews work 8 10-hour workdays with 6 days off, others may work 4 10-hour days with 3 days off. Members and leaders are expected to share community tasks, like cooking meals and shopping for food, outside of working hours.

Off-time activities vary from crew to crew. Some crews use off-time to explore surrounding areas, such as visiting local National Parks. Other crews curl up in a coffee shop to decompress. Some crews do a bit of both. However your crew schedules rest, time off is an opportunity to recharge before getting back on trail.

Join Us. Apply Today!

Ready to lead, learn, and make a difference?

Create a profile and submit your application through SCA’s website.

For questions, reach out to recruiting@thesca.org

Let’s build a better future—together. ?

Equal Opportunity Statement

SCA strives to cultivate a work environment that encourages fairness, teamwork, and respect among all staff members. SCA is committed to maintaining a work atmosphere in which people of diverse backgrounds and lifestyles may grow personally and professionally.

Physical requirements and working conditions specific to the position are available in the full job description.

The Student Conservation Association, Inc. is an equal-opportunity employer. Click here to learn more about Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the SCA.