Our path – past, present and future.

Where we started

Fittingly, the idea for CCNB took root on a running trail in the Marin Headlands back in 1981. Richard Hammond was taking his daily run and noticed the trails were in disrepair. He began formulating a summer project for his teenage sons and their friends.

His hope was that this small project would instill in his boys a sense of personal responsibility for maintaining Marin's abundant natural resources and perhaps prepare them for careers in community service.

After the success of his summer project and spurred by the floods in 1982, Hammond enlisted the aid of forward thinking community leaders to create a program designed to engage and empower youth by teaching them to cultivate and preserve the environment.

From these humble beginnings, the country's first local non-profit was born.

Where we are

Over the years, CCNB has flourished, becoming a national leader in the local corps movement. Since our inception, we've helped 5,000 young men and women break the cycle of poverty while serving the environment and community.

We now provide year-round job training and education services to 120 youth. Our programs prepare young people from all corners of the North Bay to become strong environmental leaders, develop an ethic of service and create strong, sustainable communities.

In all, our volunteers and corpsmembers have performed nearly three million hours of work on 150,000 acres of public lands. If you haven't seen them scattered throughout the county cheerfully doing their work, you've certainly seen the results of their labors in pristine trails, clear rivers and streams, fewer wildfires, reduced carbon footprint, as well as reduced crime in your neighborhood.

In short, we teach youth with uncertain futures to create a better present and future for all of us.

Where we're going

As a result of our success in Marin County, we've branched out into Sonoma. And with your help, today the North Bay, tomorrow, the world!