Download - Cascade Land Conservancy

in our backyard ////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Forterra’s Washington Conservation Corps Crew
By Cary Hofmann, WCC Crew Supervisor
Many people know that Forterra does restoration
work around the region, but far fewer know that
we sponsor a crew of Washington Conservation
Corps service volunteers. Cary Hofman has led
Forterra’s WCC crew for over three years now. In
this article he shares his experience with field
work, leadership and Forterra’s impact on the
communities in which he works.
My name is Cary Hofmann. I am supervisor
for the Forterra sponsored Washington
Conservation Corps Crew. I’ve been leading WCC
crews for three years and October will mark the start
of my fourth. My crew consists of five 18–25 year
olds on a one year contract with Forterra. Our work
primarily consists of restoration and maintenance on
Forterra properties and Green City sites. We plant
native plants and trees, remove invasive species and
mulch. Because the vast majority of our work takes
place in the community, we are the face of Forterra
out in the field every day.
I enjoy our work because of the sincere appreciation
the Forterra staff has for what we do, from the
smallest projects to major undertakings. It is really
nice to work with people that not only enjoy their
jobs but also choose to be at Forterra because they
believe in its goals. It encourages my crew and
me to strive to do better every day. I get the most
enjoyment out of watching my crew develop and
grow and seeing them push themselves out in the
worst conditions doing hard work.
Another fun aspect of our job is helping Forterra
with their annual Conservation Awards Breakfast.
While the Forterra staff tackles every small detail to
plan the event, we get the fun assignment of turning
the Convention Center into a forest. It is a great
experience for the crew to see how big Forterra is
and to get to know the people involved who support
us. It is also the one time of year the crew and I are
not covered in dirt for most of the day.
The annual Awards Breakfast always shows the
impact Forterra is making in the community, but
the Crew and I also often see that impact working
in the field. People who knew us as Cascade Land
Conservancy have approached us at work wanting
to know about the name change. Initially this didn’t
seem like a big deal, but I realized these people
were making an effort to ask about a name change
because they cared about the organization.
The WCC work is certainly difficult at times, but it’s
very important. We have something really special
with this region’s natural spaces and I want to make
sure future generations get to enjoy it the way I
do. It doesn’t matter to me that we are out there
every day in all weather conditions, because we are
doing this for our world and its future. I feel proud
when my crew come to work every day and at the
end of the year tell me that despite all they have
been through—the ups and downs—that they really
enjoyed their experience.
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Cary and his WCC crew battling knotweed at the Cedar River. Photo by Judy Blanco
FALL 2012