Every year, Johnson County Conservation staff take local high school students on a 10-day conservation adventure in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, which contains 1.3 million acres of pristine wilderness. Along the way, students will gain backpacking skills, participate in trail work projects, and learn about the Wilderness Act and local ecology along the way.
The 2025 trek will take place from July 14-23. Applications due April 1st.
Trip Basics:
- Who is Eligible?
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Any high school student from Johnson County who has completed their freshman through senior years. No prior backpacking or camping experience is necessary.
- Application
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The online application process includes a series of short essays and a letter of support from a non-family member. Both are due April 1st. Participants will be notified by April 11th if they are selected to attend.
- Cost
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There is a $525 trip fee. Included in the fee is all food for time in the backcountry, travel expenses, and nearly all gear items such as backpacks, tents, sleeping bag/pad, water filtration, headlamps, dishes, etc. Students are responsible for providing their own hiking clothing and footwear, however, JCC also has a small loan library with clothing and miscellaneous items available on loan.
Full and partial scholarships are available for students with financial need.
Email [email protected] for scholarship questions.
Core Pillars of the Trek
- Outdoor Skills
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During the trip, students will gain greater competency with the following skills:
- Packing a backpack
- Setting up a tent
- Using camping stoves to prepare food
- Filtering water from natural sources
- Protecting food from animals using various methods
- Beginner map-reading
- Stewardship
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JCC partners with the U.S. Forest Service and the Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation to involve the students in trail stewardship. Students will learn how to use tools safely, and will participate in trail maintenance, clearing windblown trees from trails. This component is the most significant part of the experience, and takes up 3-4 full days in the wilderness. Though it is hard work, it is one of the highlights for most students each year.
- Environmental Science & History
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Students will start their learning through required podcasts and readings to gain more awareness for concepts of the Wilderness Act, ethics of public lands, fire ecology, and more. We’ll explore these concepts more through discussions and trailside learning on the trek.
- Adventure
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We aim to balance stewardship with adventure and try to fit in many joyful activities like swimming in alpine lakes, playing in the snow, star gazing, foraging wild edibles when we can, and climbing a mountain.
