A Path into Conservation: Inside Montana FWP’s AmeriCorps Program
- Luis Diego Molina
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 8 hours ago
Highlights from the third Alumni Webinar of 2026, featuring Duane Schlabach (Program Manager, MFWP AmeriCorps) and Ryan Binga (Education Technician and former 2025 AmeriCorps member).
Ryan Binga has a pretty interesting job. One day he might be in a Missoula classroom teaching students what to do if they encounter a bear. Another day, he could be conducting a fly-tying program to senior citizens or reading storybooks to preschoolers about bear diets. He does all of this as an Education and Customer Service Technician with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP).
"One week is completely different than the next, and you never really know what kind of requests you'll get. But that's what keeps it fun!", says Ryan.
How did he get there at such a young age? Through AmeriCorps. Ryan joined the MFWP AmeriCorps program, eventually becoming a team leader in 2025. That experience became the platform that opened the door to a full time position with the organization.
If you have ever visited a national park anywhere in the United States, chances are you have walked on well maintained trails, climbed rock carved stairways, or attended an educational program about the natural environment around you. There is a good possibility that some of that work was carried out by an AmeriCorps member or another conservation corps volunteer.
During the webinar, Duane Schlabach, Program Manager for MFWP AmeriCorps, explained that volunteering and service corps organizations have a long history. Their roots can be traced back to the essay The Moral Equivalent of War by philosopher William James, who argued that the energy of young people could be better directed toward service for the common good rather than military service.
Later, as part of efforts to address the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) as a source of employment.
"If you look at the Lewis and Clark Caverns, the steps built inside were done by the CCC in the 1930s. The Fort Peck Reservoir was another large CCC project. The CCC operated from 1933 to 1942, building trails and shelters, including work on the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier Park," Duane explained.
Although the CCC was discontinued during World War II, several similar organizations emerged during the second half of the twentieth century. Some are still active today, including the Peace Corps, established under the Kennedy administration, and AmeriCorps, created during the Clinton administration. While both focus on service, the Peace Corps works internationally, whereas AmeriCorps serves communities across the United States.
At the heart of AmeriCorps is the idea that service can strengthen a country, a community, and an individual at the same time. Although it is a national program, it operates through local initiatives in every state.
While AmeriCorps receives federal and state funding, local organizations can partner with the State Government to operate their own programs. In Montana alone, examples include Big Sky Watershed Corps, MSU HealthCorps, Justice for Montanans, and MFWP AmeriCorps. To establish an AmeriCorps program, an organization must identify a community need and provide matching funds, with a minimum required match of 30 percent.
MFWP has hosted its AmeriCorps program since 2012. The organization operates 12 of Montana's 56 state parks, stretching from Makoshika in the east to Lone Pine in the northwest. Visitation to these parks has increased by 27 percent since 2015, creating a growing need for staff support. AmeriCorps members help fill that gap.
It is important to note that these participants are not unpaid volunteers. While they are not agency employees, they receive a biweekly living allowance and complete an extensive training process. Their work supports land stewardship, education, volunteer management, and community outreach.
The impact has been substantial. Since 2012, members have helped treat 5,800 acres of land, maintain 241 miles of trails, educate more than 177,000 people, and recruit over 6,500 volunteers.
Beyond conservation outcomes, MFWP Americorps places a strong emphasis on member’s educational and professional development. Ryan's story is not unique. Today, seven other former AmeriCorps participants hold full time positions with MFWP. As Ryan put it: you can get your foot in the door for future jobs.
The AmeriCorps program lasts ten months and requires 1,700 hours of service. During that time, members receive orientations, monthly support calls, résumé building workshops, and interview preparation. All participants also complete a 40 hour Certified Interpretive Guide training. At the end of the program, members also receive a $7,300 education award.
"The certifications, specifically the CIG training, built my confidence. Whether you are doing trails or heritage work, you have to talk to people. Service forces you into micro leadership roles, like leading a bear talk on a busy holiday weekend," Ryan shared.
While the program is especially attractive to people in their twenties with degrees in biology, forestry, or outdoor recreation who want to learn how a state agency operates, it is also open to those pursuing a career change.
"One individual joined in their mid fifties after leaving the finance world. They are now a ranger and site supervisor at that same park", explains Duane.
What matters most is a willingness to contribute, a passion for outdoor work, and the flexibility to travel long distances when assignments take place in rural areas.
For Ryan, the experience was transformative: "This shaped me and helped me realize different career paths."
If the adventure of becoming an AmeriCorps member sounds appealing, this may be the opportunity you have been looking for. If you are in Missoula, you can learn more in the MFWP website. If you are in other states, you can check out the AmeriCorps website.
And be sure to join us for our upcoming Alumni Webinars. The next session will take place on August 12, when our EPI colleague, Erick Bolaños, will discuss effective communication in conservation. Sign up here!
