Inside RMYC’s Internship Program 
Case Study: Aaron Grimes

Rocky Mountain Youth Corps’ internship program relies on deep partnerships with such natural resources management agencies the United States Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the Colorado Youth Corps Association, and a growing list of other agency and non-profit partners. Designed to help youth and young adults gain valuable work experience and open the doors for careers in natural resources and non-profit work, the program couldn’t exist without these longtime allies in bettering the outdoors. We caught up with Aaron Grimes, district recreation staff officer for the White River National Forest, Blanco Ranger District for his take on working with RMYC internship crews and what makes the program so successful. 

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Name/title: Aaron Grimes, District Recreation Staff Officer, White River National Forest, Blanco Ranger District

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How long have you worked with RMYC interns?

I’ve been partnering with RMYC for the past 12 years, providing a variety of internship opportunities focused on public land stewardship. It’s a great organization. 

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How is the program going?

Our partnership with the staff at RMYC has been instrumental in our success of both meeting a Forest Service goal of delivering benefits to the public and engaging young people in the outdoors.

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What internships do you offer and what do they entail?

The Blanco Ranger District typically offers internships on our Blanco Wilderness Trail Crew and our Flat Tops Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Trail Crew. The Wilderness Trail Crew positions are stationed at a remote guard station, where participants hike hundreds of miles each summer while clearing and maintaining trails in the Flat Tops Wilderness with crosscut saws and hand tools. The OHV Trail Crew positions are stationed in Meeker and travel in Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTVs), as known as side-by-sides, while using chainsaws and motorized equipment to clear and maintain motorized routes. We also host several weeks of 10-person RMYC conservation crews throughout the summer to accomplish deferred maintenance work on trails, such as trail reconstruction, re-routes, and installing new drainage features.

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Has it helped lead to good placements elsewhere?

This partnership has resulted in several RMYC interns becoming full-time permanent public land agency employees over the years, and they’ve all been great. It’s also provided a lasting impact on our public lands as well as hundreds of youth from across the country. We look forward to it continuing for many years ahead.