Conservation Legacy
Grants Awarded
Conservation Legacy, in collaboration with the Continental Divide Trail Coalition, will enhance accessibility to the Boot Heel section of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail by installing and repairing gates, promoting greater use of previously inaccessible trail segments. This initiative will also engage and train a crew of youth and young adults, equipping them with valuable life skills, workforce credentials, and academic scholarships to foster their personal and professional development in the local community.
Conservation Corps New Mexico (CCNM) is a program of Conservation Legacy (CL), an environmental organization that has supported local conservation service programs since 1998, delivering high quality programming to communities across the country that produce enduring impact through local action. At the organization’s core is a mission to support future leaders who engage, protect, restore, and enhance the nation’s lands through community-based service. With this comes a dedication to creating a world with healthy lands, air and water, thriving people and resilient communities. Today, CCNM supports conservation projects across southern New Mexico and creates paid service-learning opportunities for low-income and underserved youth, young adults, and veterans ages 18-35. CCNM is embedded in the local community and makes the greatest impact by meeting on the ground needs. Program participants are hired locally and intentionally to reflect the diverse demographics of the area, and each project engages participants in a broad spectrum of conservation and community service projects that provide opportunities for personal and professional development. Through a robust training program, participants, who are aspiring to become outdoor professionals, receive the opportunity to develop the skills and experience necessary to join the natural resource management workforce while contributing to the vitality of their communities. Through Conservation Legacy, CCNM tracks its impact by focusing on the following measurable outcomes: number of certifications received, number of participants served, acres of land restored, and miles of trail or river restored. These data points allow CCNM to measure its impact on both the environment and communities being served. By prioritizing authentic service leadership opportunities for young people in conjunction with conservation projects that address critical natural resource needs, CCNM is able to address the nation’s environmental and social needs of today and tomorrow.