Mendocino Center
Watch crews visit the new Mendocino Center!
Corpsmembers at the Mendocino Center complete natural resource project work across Mendocino County.
A Mendocino Corpsmembers gets an up close visit from nature during California Naturalist training in nearby Hopland, CA.
Map to Center
Mendocino Center
600 East Hill Road
Willits, CA 95490
Get Directions
Train With Us
Get paid to train! The skills and lessons you learn at the Mendocino Center will create a strong foundation for you to launch a meaningful career and transform your life.
Select an icon to learn more about project and training opportunities.
Culinary
Mendocino Center Corpsmembers train for careers in commercial kitchens, resorts, and restaurants. The culinary crew prepares and provides meals to residents at the center.
Culinary
Emergency Response
All Corpsmembers respond to emergencies across California and beyond. Assignments can last up to 21 days in a row and Corpsmembers may work up to 16 hours in a day, earning excess pay. Crews support wildfire base camps, protect homes from flooding, remove debris, and more.
Emergency Response
Habitat Restoration
Mendocino Corpsmembers assess habitats, remove invasive vegetation, plant native species, stabilize slopes, or implement additional modifications to enhance natural environments. Corpsmembers may complete this work in forests, rivers, streams, or other sensitive habitats.
Habitat Restoration
Resource Conservation
The California Conservation Corps partners with California State Parks, Caltrans, county and city departments, and area non-profits to enhance and conserve our natural resources. CCC Corpsmembers may complete a variety of projects such as building or maintaining park facilities, installing signage, retrofitting energy systems, conducting energy surveys, creating defensible space, and reducing flood risk in communities.
Resource Conservation
Trails
Serving on natural resource crews, Corpsmembers construct and maintain trails for public recreation. Project work varies but may involve clearing brush, rebuilding trail tread, installing rip rap erosion control, constructing bridges or boardwalks, and more.
Trails
Veterans Fisheries
In partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Mendocino Center enables U.S. Military Veterans to monitor species of concern and restore habitat for endangered fish, such as salmon and steelhead. The center can host up to two Veterans Fisheries Corpsmembers at once.
Veterans Fisheries
Wildland Firefighting
The CCC Mendocino Center operates two wildland firefighting hand crews in collaboration with the CAL FIRE Mendocino unit. Corpsmembers cut fire line, lay hose, and mop up wildland fires. They also reduce wildfire risk by removing vegetation, creating fuel breaks, and participating in prescribed burns. Crews respond to local calls and can be dispatched statewide.
Picture Yourself Here
Place yourself in these Corpsmember’s boots and envision life at the Mendocino Center.
Know Before You Go
Weather
Temperatures at the Mendocino Center average highs of 81 °F in the summer and overnight lows of 36 °F in the winter.
Lodging
A maintenance amount of $500 per month is deducted from the Corpsmember stipend. Corpsmembers live in one of seven dormitories with two or four people per room.
Activities
Join Mendocino’s Corpsmember Advisory Board to organize volunteer events, plan recreation trips, and build community.
Find Your Path
Work with CCC career navigators to chart out your path to success. We can help you leverage your training to launch meaningful careers and pursue educational opportunities. Don’t just take our word for it, check out this alum story.
“The CCC gave me the experience I needed. It’s prepared me mentally and physically. If you’re thinking of joining, sacrifice a year of your life to make a positive change in it. If you really want it, you can make it happen.”
Ask Us Anything
Talk to A Recruiter
Facility Questions
What amenities are available at the center?
The Mendocino Center, newly constructed and opened in 2025, featured a movie or theater room, a dedicated gaming room, a music room, computer lab, library, gym, laundry room, recreation room, conference and training rooms, indoor volleyball and basketball court, outdoor volleyball and basketball courts, a walking path, and WiFi.
Can I bring and park my personal vehicle at the center?
The Mendocino Center has assigned parking at the facility to accommodate up to 42 vehicles. To park at the facility, Corpsmembers must receive permission and provide their Driver License, proof of registration, and insurance for the vehicle. Prior to parking on site, you will need to complete the appropriate documentation and be accepted to park at the facility being provided a parking pass with an assigned slot.
Does the center have a gym I can use?
Yes, the center’s recreation building houses a gym for Corpsmember use.
Does the center offer all-gender housing?
Yes, the Mendocino Center has all-gender rooms and restrooms throughout the facility. Corpsmembers are assigned to dorm rooms based on their gender identity.
Will my personal cell phone get reception at the center?
Cell phone recepition is carrier dependent. In the Willits area, Verizon, US Cellular, AT&T, and Straight Talk work the best. Other carriers may have spotty receiption. WiFi is available at the center by submitting a request to the center’s residential support staff team.
Are food delivery apps able to make deliveries to the center?
Food delivery services can drop off at the front gate. Corpsmembers must meet them there as no food delivery services will be permitted on site.
Are there laundry facilities at the center?
Yes, the center has a dedicated laundry room in the recreation building. The machines are free to use, however Corpsmembers must bring their own detergent and supplies.
Community Living Questions
What activities are available off-center?
Corpsmembers can explore a number of off-center activities during their off days, including:
- Skunk Train
- Ridgewood Ranch
- Mendocino County Museum
- Willits Center for the Arts
- Local hiking trails
The center is also a few hours drive from Redwood forests and the coast.
What should I bring to my residential center?
Your Recruiter will give you a packing list when you are assigned to a center. Generally, dorms are equipped with lockers having minimal closet space. It’s recommended to pack light. Once Corpsmembers have been settled into the program and into regular Corpsmember rooms with larger lockers, they can bring more items.
Are special dietary needs accommodated?
Yes. Culinary staff at our residential centers prepare a variety of meals catering to the different ethnic and cultural backgrounds of our Corpsmembers upon request. They serve traditional, vegetarian, and vegan, and allergen free meals which are all well-balanced, nutritious, and delicious.
Are there computers I can use at the center?
Yes, the center currently has 12 computers dedicated for Corpsmember use.
Do Corpsmembers need to sign in or out when they leave the center’s campus?
Yes, Corpsmember must sign in and out of the facility at the recreation building’s residential staff office. This is to ensure accurate counting in the case of fire or emergency evacuations.
Can my friends and family visit me at the center?
Yes, you may request to have visitors at the facility. You will need to complete a form requesting the visitor five days in advance, or with as much time as possible. Visitors are only allowed to be in common area locations and cannot enter the dorms for any reason.
If I don’t have a car, will I be able to get to a store for supplies?
Town runs and other trips will be planned the CAB Board and Corpsmember Development Unit. They will usually be scheduled around Corpsmember pay periods. There are also stores within 1 mile of the facility like CVS, Grocery Outlet, and many food locations.
Will the Mendocino Center help me get my driver license?
Yes, the Mendocino Center has a training plan for those interested in getting their Driver License. Staff will assist Corpsmembers by providing resources and readiness classes. Corpsmembers can then participate in driving school lessons provided by a local partnering driving school who will allow you to utilize their vehicle for the exam, if you meet the conditions of use. The Mendocino Center also works to help Corpsmembers obtain their Commercial C Licenses.
Crew Questions
Am I able to join a fire crew immediately?
Fire training is held a minimum of twice per year, during the winter and spring. Corpsmembers looking to join a fire crew must pass the work capacity test, or pack test, before attending fire training. Corpsmembers will be required to complete FEMA IS-100, IS-200, and IS-700, National Wildfire Coordinating Group S-110 Basic Wildland Fire Orientation, and all CAL FIRE 1C courses and exams to be eligible to join a crew.
If I join the Culinary Program, what certifications are offered?
Currently Culinary Corpsmembers are trained in a variety of cooking and food preparation techniques. Some of the most notable training offered while in the CCC are:
- ServSafe: Food Handlers
- ServSafe: Allergens
- ServSafe: Managers
- Culinary Boot Camp
- Mendocino College – Culinary Courses (in development)
Read Center News
Preparing to use 'good fire' Corpsmembers on Willits 1 fire crew help protect Mendocino County.
Corpsmembers at the CCC Ukiah Center are hoping winter rains will help their months-long work to create salmon habitat in Mendocino County creeks.
