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GrizzlyCorps is still here– and we remain steadfast in our mission to foster climate resilience in California's rural communities through regenerative agriculture and forest stewardship.
Like many programs nationwide, we were recently impacted by the abrupt termination of AmeriCorps funding for the current service year. As a result, we are taking a hiatus from recruitment for both fellows and host sites until early 2026. This step allows us to focus more on developing a sustainable path forward for the GrizzlyCorps program.
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The impact of GrizzlyCorps continues through the work of our alumni and the lasting changes in communities we've served. Learn more about how you can help the program by clicking the button below.
What is Grizzlycorps?
GrizzlyCorps is a AmeriCorps fellowship launched in 2020 designed by Project Climate at UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment in partnership with CaliforniaVolunteers. Our program sends recent college graduates into rural communities across California to promote regenerative agri-food systems and fire and forest resilience.
mission
vision
values
GrizzlyCorps partners with farm and forest communities to accelerate rural climate solutions and build environmental workforce pathways through service.
We envision an ecologically vibrant and resilient California — with rural communities at the forefront of the climate movement— realized through the training and service of a diverse cohort of environmental leaders.
Equity: We are committed to dismantling barriers that prevent historically underserved groups from professional and service opportunities in the natural resource field. We are committed to fair treaprogrtment, ensuring all of our fellows have equal access to opportunities for growth and advancement. By building equitable structures and fostering inclusive environments, we seek to create a strong sense of belonging where our fellows and host sites feel welcomed, respected, and valued.
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Stewardship: Our fellows embrace the responsibility and privilege that comes with stewardship by fostering thoughtful relationships with the environment and communities they serve. Through mentorship from our staff and host sites, fellows develop the skills, knowledge, and commitment to become leaders in their respective fields. In turn, they meaningfully contribute to ecosystems while supporting the communities that call these places home. We believe in building a legacy of care — ensuring that people thrive alongside the lands that are being stewarded.
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Diversity: We celebrate the richness of California’s varied ecosystems and communities. Through connecting fellows to a broad range of environments and populations, we cultivate mutual understanding and innovation in addressing rural climate challenges.
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Learning: Learning is a lifelong process that fuels our personal growth and collective wellbeing. At GrizzlyCorps, we embrace a holistic learning approach anchored in an integrated socio-emotional framework for change.
Personal and Collective Wellbeing: We nurture a community where fellows find joy, curiosity, and support. By prioritizing reciprocity & respect, we create an environment where individuals and communities alike can thrive and sustain positive, long-lasting change.
Our Model
Capacity Building
building capacity across the state through support of local efforts and community stakeholders
Climate Action
promoting projects that mitigate and respond to unique bio-regional threats around climate disruptions in California
Professional Development
engaging recent college graduates in unique field-work settings and professional mentorship
grizzly voices
Petra Silverman
RCD of Tehama County
"There is something very unique and special about being a GrizzlyCorps Fellow, where you have the opportunity to find the area of overlap between your host site's capacity needs and your own professional development goals. For me, this allowed me to get my Firefighter Type 2 at the onset of my term and to gain amazing experience with prescribed fire throughout the year. Creating a sort of Venn diagram between your interests and the needs of your host site feels very mutualistic and allowed me to make the most out of my service year."
Katherine Gelsey
Tribal EcoRestoration Alliance
“I feel so lucky to have been introduced to a cohort of young people entering environmental fields whose worldviews have complemented, uplifted, and validated my own. It is a huge confidence boost to see your struggles, stories, and highlights reflected in others and to be able to support one another along the way. It is easy to get bogged down thinking about what our future will look like, but the time I've spent learning from other young people dedicated to people and the environment has allowed me to reaffirm my beliefs around the work I want to do towards a better world.”
Shamik Chandrachood
Allensworth Progressive Association
“Being in GrizzlyCorps has allowed me to get firsthand experience in the work of a nonprofit focused on revitalizing a rural community. The physical community of Grizzlies have been supportive just in giving me a sense of community in an entirely new environment. I am most proud of my work in creating a proof of concept that can show the residents of Allensworth what my site wants to do long term. Slideshows and mock ups can only be so convincing but when residents actually see you working with the land they are more comfortable in asking questions about the projects and understanding the breadth of the work.”
We'd like to offer our deep thanks to PG&E and the Central Valley Foundation for their generous support of GrizzlyCorps.
Thank you to the Andrews Environmental Law Fund and the Erin Ziegler Fund for Environmental Law for its contributions to GrizzlyCorps.
