October 7, 2025 | Chattanooga, TN - Autumn has indeed arrived in the Southeast—bringing crisp air, golden leaves, and a renewed rhythm to our service. At Southeast Conservation Corps, this season invites reflection, deepens our commitment to stewardship, and keeps us moving forward as we support our partners, communities, and the lands we all share.

October 2, 2025 | Chattanooga, TN - There’s a moment in every veteran’s life when the noise finally stops. For me, it was the hum of helicopters fading behind me, the last gate click at the base, the quiet of a civilian morning where no one was giving orders and no one needed saving. That silence was deafening. I came home with memories I didn’t ask for, a body that remembered too much, and a heart that wasn’t sure where it fit anymore.

August 15, 2025 | Chattanooga, TN - In partnership with the Cherokee National Forest, a Southeast Conservation Corps Watershed Restoration Crew helped with restoration of the Tennessee Dace population along Citico Creek Watershed by building habitats for the endangered species of freshwater ray-finned fish, creating 80 woody structures across 1.75 miles of waterways.

August 5, 2025 | Chattanooga, TN - Welcome to the Southeast Conservation Corps Newsletter—a new and improved bi-monthly dispatch from SECC to keep you informed on our work, our members, and our collective impact.

July 2025 | Chattanooga, TN - From January through May, the Chattanooga Tree Project, with the help of dedicated volunteers, planted nearly 900 trees across the city, bringing shade, beauty, and ecological value to streets, front yards, parks, and public spaces.

April 3, 2025 | Chattanooga, TN - The Chattanooga Tree Project is a 5-year journey to plant thousands of trees in neighborhoods where they’ll make the biggest difference.

March 25, 2025 | Oneida, TN - Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area is hosting the Southeast Conservation Corps (SCC) Veterans Fire Crew during the 2025 Spring fire season. The SCC, a program of Conservation Legacy, provides members with impactful opportunities through a unique set of programs that engage people in meaningful education and service to their communities and natural landscapes. During the season, the seven-person all-veteran crew from the U.S. Army and Navy gained on-the-job training in hazardous fuel reduction and prescribed burn operations, as well as gaining various certifications in wildland firefighting.

February 21, 2025| Pickens County, SC - After months of extensive cleanup efforts following Hurricane Helene, the Nine Times Preserve in Pickens County has reopened to visitors, The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina announced.

November 18, 2024 | Gatlinburg, TN – In collaboration with Friends of the Smokies, the National Park Service (NPS) has a completed a three-year restoration of the Ramsey Cascades Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Located in the Greenbrier area, this popular trail ascends through beautiful hardwood forests to the 105-foot Ramsey Cascades, the tallest waterfall in the park. The trail is now open seven days a week following an extensive reconstruction and rehabilitation.

October 30, 2024 - If you’ve noticed a substantial amount of fresh trail work on the Bartram this summer, then you may have the Southeast Conservation Corps (SECC) to thank