A partnership-driven program connecting youth on Montana’s Flathead Reservation with hands-on conservation work, heritage education, and pathways in natural resource careers.
Across the country, conservation work depends on people who understand the land, feel connected to it, and see a future for themselves within it. But for many young people — particularly those from rural and Indigenous communities — access to conservation career pathways can be limited or unclear.
Without early, hands-on opportunities, it can be difficult to imagine what working in conservation looks like, let alone how to get there. Building the next generation of conservation professionals requires more than interest alone. It requires paid opportunities, mentorship, and programs rooted in the communities they are meant to serve.
The Mission Mountains Youth Crew
The Mission Mountains Youth Crew (MMYC) is a summer youth employment and leadership program based in Northwestern Montana that creates those early pathways.
Each summer, local high school students work together alongside student crew leads from the Salish Kootenai College on stewardship projects in and around the Mission Mountains. Crew members partner with both the Flathead National Forest and the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes, gaining hands-on experience while learning how conservation work happens across boundaries.
Through this work, participants build practical skills, develop teamwork and leadership abilities, and are introduced to careers in conservation and natural resource management.
While the work on the ground is important, MMYC is designed with people at the center. The program emphasizes learning, responsibility, mentorship, and continuity — helping participants build confidence and see themselves as capable contributors and future leaders.
Meet Annalysia “Chula” DuMontier
Annalysia joined the Mission Mountains Youth Crew in 2022 as a high school student looking for a summer job and an opportunity to spend time outdoors. Like many first-year crew members, she arrived without a clear sense of where the experience might lead.
What Annalysia found was more than a paycheck. Through the structure of the program and the support of her crew, she began to gain confidence — first in the work, and then in herself. Showing up each day, learning new skills, and working alongside others helped her realize that she had the want to be a leader.
MMYC became an entry point into conservation work and the beginning of a longer pathway that would continue to unfold in the seasons ahead.
Why programs like MMYC matter
Programs like Mission Mountains Youth Crew can play an important role in cultivating the next generation of conservation professionals, particularly within Indigenous and rural communities.
Early, paid opportunities help young people explore conservation as a viable career path while staying rooted in their home communities. Just as importantly, programs like MMYC offer mentorship and representation — showing participants that leadership in conservation can come from within their own communities.
By investing in youth at the beginning of their careers, MMYC helps build a workforce that brings local knowledge, lived experience, and long-term commitment to caring for the land.
The Mission Mountains Youth Crew showed me that conservation work was something I could actually see myself doing.
Annalysia "Chula" DuMontierReturning with more responsibility
As Annalysia continued with MMYC, her role within the program began to evolve.
She returned as a crew lead, taking on new responsibility and helping guide younger crew members through the same learning curve she had once navigated herself.
Today, Annalysia works as the field coordinator for the Mission Mountains Youth Crew while continuing her education in land management and forestry. Through this progression, MMYC became more than a summer job. It became a foundation — one that helped Chula grow as a leader and deepen her connection to conservation work.
Annalysia as a crew member 2022. Photo by Alex Kim 
Annalysia as a crew member 2022. Photo by Alex Kim 
Annalysia as a crew member 2022. Photo by Alex Kim The ripple effect of individual growth
Annalysia’s experience reflects the broader impact of programs like MMYC.
When participants return as leaders, they help create continuity and stability within the program. New crew members see themselves reflected in leadership and gain a clearer sense of what is possible beyond a single season.
This cycle — participant to leader to mentor — strengthens both individuals and the program as a whole. By investing in people over time, MMYC is helping ensure that conservation work is shaped by those who are connected to the land, the community, and the future of stewardship.
Behind every project is a story about the people that love and rely on their National Forest for clean water, strong economies, and safe communities.
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