Since 1926, Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions (CGE) has created transformative outdoor experiences that foster personal growth, build community, and inspire a lifelong connection to the natural world. In 2018, CGE created a residential summer YCC program funded by the U.S. Forest Service for young adults to participate in conservation work in a similarly immersive environment to CGE’s summer treks for youth ages 8-18. In 2024, CGE received funds from the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) to create a brand-new fall YCC program for New Mexico residents to get involved in this meaningful work here in Albuquerque.

Our fall YCC will empower and inspire New Mexican young adults ages 18-25 to become leaders, conservationists, and educators over the course of 15 weeks. The Crew Lead will collaborate with the full-time YCC Coordinator to implement programming throughout the fall by co-leading conservation projects at our partner sites and co-facilitating life and career skills training for the crew.  The Crew Lead will begin work 2 weeks before the crew begins, on August 18, 2025. Our fall YCC begins on 9/2/2025 and ends on 12/12/25, with paid holidays off on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Thanksgiving, and the day after Thanksgiving; sick leave is available upon request, subject to supervisor approval. The Crew Lead finishes their term on December 18, 2025.