About EarthCorps



EarthCorps is a non-profit organization founded in 1993. It is dedicated to building global community through local environmental restoration service. As an AmeriCorps affiliate, EarthCorps provides one-year intensive programs for young adults [18-25] to learn best practices in conservation techniques and develop skills in leading volunteers [ages 8-80].



Global leadership

EarthCorps is based in Seattle, Washington. Work consists of volunteer-based and contracted restoration projects on public lands in the Puget Sound and Cascade mountains. EarthCorps alumni volunteer on environmental restoration projects around the world, for example building and maintaining the Great Baikal Trail in Siberia. Two-thirds of EarthCorps’ program participants come from the United States, one-third come from partner organizations from six different continents.



Community-based expertise in environmental restoration

Environmental service is a uniquely effective way to build community. When people put their hands into the dirt together and see their efforts transform a threatened area into a more vibrant landscape, they forge a special bond. Schoolteachers have noted that young children, who may not have known the difference between a tulip and a maple, quickly learn to appreciate the natural gardens they create. Each year, EarthCorps brings 10,000 community volunteers and hundreds of school-age children into direct contact with their environment and each other.



Mission, Vision and Values



EarthCorps` mission is to build global community through local environmental service.



EarthCorps envisions a global community of environmental leaders and engaged citizens. EarthCorps brings together young people from the USA and around the world to work, learn and grow. Our efforts unite best practices in environmental restoration with a community-based approach to service, education and action. Together with a global network of partners and friends, EarthCorps restores key ecological sites around the Puget Sound and supports our international partner organizations on projects around the world.



At EarthCorps, we value sustainability, diversity, integrity and service:



Sustainability: The long term strength, viability, and sustainability of the natural environment depends on work we can do, now. Through leadership, education, and example we can expand the knowledge and commitment necessary to sustain the health of our natural systems.



Diversity: The strongest systems are those that bring together the strengths of diverse constituents. We are committed to working with youth and young adults, developing human potential across racial, ethnic, economic, and gender lines. Through community outreach work, we support the empowerment of disenfranchised communities.



Integrity: We have an obligation to the community, the environment and ourselves. We are committed to working hard, having fun and maintaining the highest moral, ethical and technical standards.



Service: Everyone can act to improve the world. These contributions enrich the givers, the natural environment, and human communities. Our work shows that people work best when they work together, in teams that foster leadership, support individual empowerment and build community.