The Conservation/Trail Crews work on trail maintenance and construction, forestry, vegetation, agriculture, and ecological restoration projects. Crews are led by team leaders who have backgrounds in outdoor education, leadership, and conservation. Team leaders create opportunities for Junior Rangers to learn about the natural world and gain valuable work and life skills. The Conservation/Trail Crews work closely with many OSMP workgroups. This provides Junior Rangers the opportunity to explore careers in natural resources and become confident stewards of public lands and leaders in their community.

The Youth Ranger Crew is an opportunity for Junior Rangers to work closely with law enforcement Ranger Naturalists from OSMP. Junior Rangers participate in skills-based training in natural resource management and customer service while exploring career paths in conservation. Junior Rangers are exposed to various aspects of what it means to be park rangers, and by engaging in experiential trainings, participants develop skills that can be applied to their academic and professional pursuits. The Youth Ranger Crew provides Junior Rangers the opportunity to interact with law enforcement officers on a daily basis to help youth build positive connections with law enforcement and professionals in natural resource protection.

Each year the program seeks leaders (18+ years old) to build functional teams, complete trail maintenance and other natural resource projects, and support youth stewardship and job skills development. Team Leaders come from a variety of backgrounds in leadership, education, and conservation. They supervise the Conservation/Trail Crews, integrate learning opportunities into their project timelines, facilitate environmental education lessons, support program and department goals, and receive career and leadership development themselves as they work beside project sponsors and attend organized talks and trainings from OSMP department staff.