Urban Conservation Corps of the Inland Empire

The Southern California Mountains Foundation

Urban Conservation Corps of the Inland Empire (UCC)

A State Certified Conservation Corps

Helping to Improve the Lives of Youth and the Environment

The Urban Conservation Corps Urban Forestry Program operates in the City of Bernardino

The program is designed to address multiple interconnecting problems in the urban community

From poor student achievement to youth violence to unemployment to

advocating for trees and parks

To develop this type of urban forestry program, we developed a new paradigm.

One that looks at Urban Forestry…

....as a Social Value

“Managing Trees to develop Positive Youth”

With Urban Forestry as a Social Value, we can engage a broader group of stakeholders and

funders to fund urban forestry programs with both a social and environmental context

For example, we receive funds from HUD to train youth and young adult residents in public housing

about tree care and planting

Public Housing Young Adults Learning About Tree Care

Another example, we receive funds from the California Gang, Intervention, Prevention (CAL GRIP) state funded program to

train at risk youth and at risk young adults in vocational training in landscaping, urban forestry and parks maintenance

Before……After……

Gang Prevention & Early InterventionVocational Tree Care Training

When Urban Forestry is Defined as a Social Value

Who Benefits?

TREESBecause they become integrated into the social service system of a city and become part of a solution to a problem

YOUTHBecause of the Psycho-Social Benefits they get from managing trees and learning new

skills

COMMUNITYBecause more trees and youth are cared for in the community