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2024 MCC Members and Staff

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The Maryland Conservation Corps (MCC) is an award-winning program that engages young adults in extensive natural resource management and park conservation projects. The mission of the program is to provide young adults with opportunities for service in the community and the environment by preserving, protecting, enhancing, and restoring Maryland’s natural resources.  

Managed by the Maryland Park Service since 1984, MCC provides members with opportunities for skill development and personal growth through a supportive, team-based environment, emphasizing the satisfaction of completing projects that benefit Maryland’s natural resources. Since 2025, MCC operates in partnership with DSCI’s (Department of Service and Civic Innovation) Maryland Corps/Service Year Option.​

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Under the supervision of experienced Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staff, MCC members work in crews of 5-7 members. From State parks and forests to the Chesapeake Bay, they are engaged in projects in Maryland's most beautiful places.

Conservation Crew Members Make Change Across the State and Within Themselves

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"Each year a new team of young adults from diverse backgrounds unite to work toward the common goal of improving public lands."

In an average year, MCC members will:

• Plant thousands of trees and native plants
• Build and maintain hundreds of miles of trails
• Improve park’s facilities
• Restore wildlife habitat and remove invasive species from parks
• Conduct educational programs in state parks for over 10,000 park patrons and school groups
• Improve park’s nature centers
• Support the improvement of the Chesapeake and Coastal Bays
• Help preserve Maryland’s rich historical heritage
• Oversee volunteers assisting with park projects
• Assist with special events
• ​ Participate in large-scale regional conservation projects throughout the state in partnership with the Maryland Veterans Conservation Corps

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Partner Organizations

• National Aquarium in Baltimore
• Maryland Department of Agriculture
• National Park Service
• The Nature Conservancy
  

Benefits for members participating in the Maryland Conservation Corps program include:​

• Health care benefits
  
• Low-cost park housing​
  
• Valuable professional and networking opportunities
  
• Professional skills development to prepare participants to enter natural resource conservation or park operations and management careers
  

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