Seventeen young conservationists were honored by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources at a graduation ceremony held June 23 at Sandy Point State Park, marking the completion of the 2025-26 Maryland Conservation Corps program.
The graduates finished 9.5 months of hands-on job training, conservation projects, and stewardship work carried out through the Maryland Park Service. The Maryland Conservation Corps first launched in 1984 and became one of the earliest programs supported by AmeriCorps funding roughly a decade later. After the federal government abruptly cut AmeriCorps funding in 2025, the program shifted to operating through a partnership with the Department of Service and Civic Innovation Maryland Corps/Service Year Option.
DNR Deputy Secretary David Goshorn offered his congratulations to the graduating class. “Congratulations and thanks to the Maryland Conservation Corps Class of 2026 for contributing a year of service to our citizens and the environment,” Goshorn said. “DNR remains committed to the Corps. Their conservation work helps ensure we can maintain and share Maryland’s beautiful natural areas with the public. We look forward to the contributions that we know Corps graduates will make as they move through their careers and lives.”
Corps members, all between the ages of 18 and 24, begin their service every September. This year’s class was spread across five regions of the Maryland Park Service: Assateague State Park in the east, Deep Creek Lake State Park in the west, Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area in the north central region, Gunpowder Falls State Park in the south central region, and Merkle Natural Resources Management Area in the south. Teams traveled from those home bases to assist additional parks and public lands, tackling high-priority work including habitat restoration and trail construction.
The accomplishments of this year’s class were significant. Members improved more than 1,000 acres of public land and 125 miles of trails, delivered educational programs to over 9,000 students and park visitors, cleared acres of invasive plant species, and planted thousands of trees, native plants, and grasses.
Maryland Park Service Director Angela Crenshaw praised the graduates’ dedication. “Our graduating Maryland Conservation Corps members are the future of the conservation, stewardship, and service movements in the great state of Maryland,” Crenshaw said. “Each year a new team of young adults from diverse backgrounds unite to work toward the common goal of improving public lands.”
The program provides real-world, team-based experience covering topics from aquatic systems to public lands management. Numerous program alumni have gone on to careers in conservation, including positions within the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Partner organizations supporting the program include the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the Maryland Department of Agriculture, the National Park Service, and The Nature Conservancy.
Those interested in applying for a future class of the Maryland Conservation Corps can register for an upcoming informational webinar through the Park Service website.
