AmeriCorps NCCC members receive ‘boots on the ground’ training on the Homochitto

MEADVILLE, Miss–Sept. 19, 2023–A new team of AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) members hit the ground running here, helping the Forest Service with everything from fighting wildfires to preserving endangered species.

Twenty-eight AmeriCorps NCCC members attended the 13-day training, during which they completed courses related to fire safety and heavy equipment operation and maintenance—learning both in the classroom and out in the field. All AmeriCorps members became certified type 2 wildland firefighters. The training, held at the NCCC Southern Region campus in Vicksburg in late August, included learning how to use a chainsaw and build a fire line.

A group of AmeriCorps NCCC members are prepped during a recent training with National Forests in Mississippi employees in Vicksburg (NCCC Southern Region Campus/Portia Langley).

This marks the fourth year AmeriCorps NCCC teams have served on National Forests in Mississippi under an interagency agreement with the Forest Service. This year, the team of eight young adults is assisting the Homochitto with tasks such as trail clean-up, trail bridges construction, campground maintenance, timber sale preparation, archaeology surveys, red-cockaded woodpecker habitat preservation, southern pine beetle suppression, and prescribed fire applications.

Nic Rowe, 22, an AmeriCorps member from Seattle, said he has really enjoyed the variety of the work with the National Forests in Mississippi.

“Each day, we're doing something different, and I feel like I'm getting a really valuable overview of what work with the Forest Service looks like,” Rowe said. “Working in the wilderness is challenging at times, but I'm really grateful for all these opportunities for personal growth.”

Homochitto District Ranger Shaun Williamson said the AmeriCorps program provides a big boost in capacity on the district, while at the same time helping the next generation learn about natural resource conservation and forest management.

“We’re currently at half capacity which leaves many important projects to be much more time consuming or even designated as lower priority due to what can be accomplished by Forest Service workforce,” Williamson said. “The AmeriCorps crews are boots on the ground to get a lot of work done.”

AmeriCorps NCCC is a national service program open to adults 18 to 26 years old. Teams are made up of young adults from across the country who commit to 10 months of service. Since 2020, teams have served in 12 different states throughout the Forest Service’s Southern Region, including on five ranger districts in Mississippi.

The crew will remain in Mississippi until Oct. 10, spending four days a week working on the Homochitto National Forest and one day a week at Percy Quinn Campground, where they are being housed. They will then move on to other national forests throughout the Southern Region.

Lauren O’Donnell, 25, from Tuscon, Ariz., taught middle school band for 3 years before deciding she was tired of being stuck in a classroom all day and wanted to change career paths and do more hands-on work.

“It’s been really refreshing to learn something totally new,” said O’Donnell, who is the team lead for the NCCC crew currently stationed on the Homochitto. “Basically, everyone had zero base knowledge coming in. A really interesting concept was how they fight fire with fire.”

O’Donnell said she is leaning towards trying to land a job with the Forest Service or the National Park Service after her year of service is complete.

AmeriCorps members gain a wide variety of skills and experience. AmeriCorps NCCC Assistant Program Director Stephanie Chan said the program can also connect students to potential career paths within the Forest Service.

“Everybody is hiring right now. Having eight 19- to 26-year-olds on your forest for 8-10 weeks is a great way to recruit them into your pipeline,” Chan said. “It’s a great way to jumpstart a career, especially if you’re not a typical book learner and learn better with your hands.”

An AmeriCorps member clears a trail on the Homochitto National Forest (USDA Forest Service Photo).

Williamson agreed that a bonus to this partnership is that many AmeriCorps members may find that they would like to start a career within the Forest Service after they’ve worked on a district.

“This program is a great way to provide learning experiences for future careers or at least give future generations a better understanding of what this agency does and why,” Williamson said.

Rowe said his experience has been invaluable in terms of career development.

“Getting the chance to interact with peers from diverse backgrounds as well as seasoned professionals with years of experience in their fields has been really eye-opening, and I feel that I'm now aware of far more professional possibilities that are open to me than ever before,” he said.

Mark Jamieson, retired Forest Service employee and operations chief with a Southern Area Incident Management Team, helped train new AmeriCorps NCCC members in Vicksburg (NCCC Southern Region Campus).

Williamson hopes the Homochitto will continue to host AmeriCorps crews on an annual basis.

“I really believe that this is a very worthwhile program that helps everyone involved: AmeriCorps, the Forest Service, and the individuals involved in the program that come to help us get work accomplished on the ground that we can all be proud of,” Williamson said.