Conservation Staff

Camper Conservation Staff work at remote project sites, providing educational work experiences for Philmont’s backcountry trek participants. They train scouts and advisors to safely and efficiently use hand tools in performing conservation work. They teach about Philmont’s land management philosophies, both modern and historic. They typically lead projects focused on trail construction, forestry, erosion control, or habitat restoration.

Be an active participant during Conservation Training. Remain engaged, ask questions, and volunteer to help as needed. • Be constantly alert to the welfare and safety of scouts, advisors, coworkers, and anyone else in the vicinity of your work site. Demonstrate good situational awareness. • Be a good team member, sharing the site management responsibilities with your coworkers. • Under the guidance of your Conservation Site Foreman, implement the work plan for your site. • Become an expert in safe and proper use of provided hand and power tools. • Become an expert in the project at your worksite. Learn the science and engineering principles underlying your work, and communicate them to others clearly. • Properly maintain your site’s tools and equipment to the standards of the Philmont Conservation Department. • Maintain a clean and organized outdoor classroom and tool cache. • Know and teach the appropriate safety measures to project participants, including the use of personal protective equipment and safe working practices. • Be a helpful and productive member of your camp family. Whether stationed at a Staff Camp or a remote Spike Camp, you are expected to share equally in cooking, cleaning, and other camp chores. • Enthusiastically carry out the mission of Philmont Scout Ranch by completing other duties as assigned by any member of the Conservation Leadership Team or other Philmont Managers