Age: 16-19
Length: 5 weeks
Positions: 40
Location: Idaho or Oregon/Washington
Tuition: $225

You have successfully completed your summer conservation corps program, or maybe even a few, and are now wondering, what’s next? The Backcountry Leadership Program may be the next challenge you crave.

The Backcountry Leadership Program (BLP) provides crew members with additional leadership skills and opportunities. As a part of the BLP team, you will hike deep into secluded wilderness areas and work on intense, challenging, and technical projects. Here the landscape is more pristine, the laughter more bountiful, the expectations higher, and life fuller than any place you may have ever been. In past years, The Backcountry Leadership Program projects have been in Idaho's Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness and Washington's Glacier Peak Wilderness

“Leader of the Day” takes on a whole new meaning during the BLP experience. Through a combination of instruction and practice you will develop the skills needed to take charge of individual projects, coordinate camp activities, present natural history lessons and eventually accept all crew leadership responsibilities for a day. Each crew member must do the necessary research prior to their session so they are prepared to teach their leaders and peers their own SEED lesson. This can be on a variety of topics, but should be something you are interested in and can share with others

After your completion of the Backcountry Leadership Program, you will have gained more than just the ability to lead a group of peers at NYC. You will have leadership skills that will assist you in your future pursuits. A few of the many skills you’ll learn and practice are taking initiative, goal setting, time management, and positive motivation. Most importantly, you will gain self-confidence in your own ability to lead a group through the hands-on experience of BLP.

Since 1992, Backcountry Leadership Program crews have earned a reputation for incredible productivity, quality workmanship and an unwavering commitment to getting the job done. Graduates of this program are in high demand to return to NYC programs as a Peer Leader (aka “Swamper”), as well as by the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management for their summer trail crews. Only 40 BLP positions are available each year.

Please be aware that, due to the nature of the high elevation locations of the BLP projects, orientation locations are subject to change.