Orange County Conservation Corps

Sunlight through oak canopy over a corpsmember in an OCCC safety vest
Orange County · Est. 1993

Transforming OC's environment.
And young lives.

For 30+ years, Orange County's young adults have built real careers through hands-on conservation across our beaches, trails, and watersheds.

Donate Join the Corps
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Young Adults Trained
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Acres Restored
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Native Plants Grown
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Tons Recycled
Habitat Restoration Beach Cleanup Fuel Reduction Stormwater Management Bottle & Can Buyback Workforce Training Native Plant Nursery Career Placement Laguna Lake Park Sacramento Advocacy

Plenty of organizations restore land. Almost none can say the land was the classroom. That's been the difference here for 30+ years. Young people aren't the labor behind the mission, they are the mission.

OCCC field crew walking a tree-shaded trail

Orange County's wild side.
Someone has to look after it.

From the Seal Beach channels to Santiago Creek, our crews do the physical work: restoring habitat, clearing fire-prone brush, cleaning shorelines. Corpsmembers walk away with proof of what they're capable of.

See the work up close →
What we do

Every crew. Every corner
of Orange County.

Two corpsmembers clearing invasive cane
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Field & Trail

Habitat Restoration

Native planting and invasive removal along Santiago Creek, Laguna Lake, and Anaheim's parks.

Corpsmember collecting recyclables on the sand at Seal Beach
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Coastal

Beach & Shoreline Cleanup

Crew cleanups from Seal Beach to Bolsa Chica and Huntington Beach.

Crews in protective suits installing barriers during coastal fire recovery
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Fire Safety

Fuel Reduction & Fire Recovery

Defensible space, brush clearance, and post-fire debris recovery, from inland canyons to the coast.

Recycling operations
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Recycling

Bottle & Can Buyback · Irvine Facility

Full CRV rates. No sorting required. Corpsmembers earn certifications in sustainable resource management while running a facility the whole community relies on.

6 AM to 2:30 PM. A corpsmember's workday.

Corpsmembers gathered at tables inside Anaheim HQ6:00 AM
Crew muster, Anaheim HQTools checked. Assignments set. Coffee mandatory.
Corpsmember swinging a tool clearing brush beneath a eucalyptus8:00 AM
On site, Santiago CreekInvasive removal along the watershed.
Crew planting a young tree in dappled light11:30 AM
Native plantingTwo hundred seedlings in the ground before lunch.
Corpsmembers in chainsaw certification training2:30 PM
Class timeField work ends. Diplomas and certifications begin.
The Mission · Ages 18-26

A first paycheck.
A real future.

29 paid hours a week. A mentor who knows your name. Education that fits around your life. Open to Orange County residents aged 18 to 26, and to Anaheim residents through 30. No experience required.

Paid field work High school diploma Driver's license Certifications Career placement
Apply to the Corps →
Two smiling corpsmembers in hard hats and safety vests
Now enrollingRolling admissions · Anaheim, CA
The Program

Twelve months.
Four things you leave with.

01

Paid Field Work

29 hours per week on real conservation crews. Your first professional paycheck starts here.

02

Education

Diplomas, certifications, driver's license training, and post-secondary pathways built around your schedule.

03

Mentorship

An individual service strategy and a case manager in your corner. Support that doesn't disappear when it gets hard.

04

Career Placement

Direct pipelines into environmental services, construction, and public agencies. The Corps is just the beginning.

Corpsmembers in caps and gowns at an outdoor graduation
“

They didn't just hand us books. They gave us a crew, a paycheck, and a reason to get up in the morning.

Alyssa C.Program Graduate