Shortly after 7 a.m. on a cool July morning, a group of teens bustles around a secluded truck bay on the Deschutes National Forest Supervisor’s Office property. Dressed in pants, work boots and gray shirts emblazoned with the logo of the Central Oregon Youth Conservation Corps (COYCC), they greet each other and begin the process of loading tools into their white pickup truck. The crew has an easy way about them, a result of many days spent side by side. Once their equipment is secured in the back of the truck, they gather around Mack Norman, their crew leader and the heart and center of the team.
Once Norman has confirmed that everything is in its place, the crew piles into their truck, which has a pride flag draped over the dashboard, and discuss their plans to clean up the Cultus Lake day use area and boat launch and do fire mitigation around the Fall River Guard Station. One crew member, Grace Lickwar, takes her turn calling out to dispatch on the truck’s radio, stating their schedule and intended destination. Afterwards, they cue up a playlist of their favorite songs and lapse into a comfortable silence.
In many ways, this group of dedicated youth is just like any other COYCC crew working around Central Oregon this summer—they are teens aged 16–18, working for eight weeks and earning $15 per hour, all with a mission of familiarizing themselves with the conservation field. But there is something unique about Norman’s crew that sets them apart. Every member is part of the LGBTQ+ community.
The LGBTQ R.I.S.E. (Respect, Inclusion, Strength, Equity) Crew was founded this year through the efforts of Norman and her colleague Madi Cunningham, Summer Programs Manager for COYCC’s parent organization, the Heart of Oregon Corps. Cunningham was the one to propose the idea, and Norman was thrilled to receive an invitation to lead the crew.
Coming from a wildland firefighting background, Norman knows firsthand what it’s like to work for the Forest Service as a queer person, and she has made it her mission to teach the members of the LGBTQ R.I.S.E. Crew that there are opportunities for them in the conservation field. They participate in the same activities as any other COYCC crew, including cleaning up local recreation areas, maintaining trails, mitigating fire risk and managing invasive species. Over the course of the summer, they explored many out-of-the-way places across Central Oregon and learned valuable skills that could put them at an advantage in a variety of careers. However, in addition to their hands-on conservation work, the crew has met with a variety of LGBTQ+ representatives and Forest Service employees. By introducing the teens to older queer role models, Norman hopes to inspire them to pursue their dreams.
LGBTQ R.I.S.E. Crew members and crew leader Mack Norman spend a day at Lava Butte with OUT Central Oregon President Lauren Rose and Vice President Stefanie Siebold. Credit: Mack Norman
“I think that the major [difference between the LGBTQ R.I.S.E. Crew and other COYCC crews] right now is just [that we are] getting people to show up and be who they are and show the youth that it’s possible to be out and it’s possible to be a strong leader in a workplace, even as an LGBTQ person,” Norman explained. “[Conservation] is grueling work and it tends to be a more stereotypically masculine, tough space, and I think it’s important to have the diversity and be able to find different strengths within the affinity space.”
The conservation field may not always feel like a safe space for queer people, but the LGBTQ R.I.S.E. Crew certainly has been. For Alexander Haley, a transmasc Redmond Proficiency Academy (RPA) student, the program has been an incredible chance to explore his interest in forestry and conservation in a queer-friendly environment.
“I’ve felt nothing but acceptance, I feel comfortable, I feel no hatred towards me or my identity, and I feel safe,” said Haley.
Lickwar, a transfem Realms High School graduate, has had a similarly positive experience with the R.I.S.E. Crew. When she began thinking about summer jobs in the spring, she was concerned that she may not feel comfortable in her workplace. After seeing an informational flier about the crew posted at her school, Lickwar quickly made the decision to apply.
“Being with other queer people is always great because you already have that base level of shared experience,” she said. In addition to the strong sense of community she has felt as a member of the LGBTQ R.I.S.E. Crew, Lickwar has appreciated the opportunity to spend time outside and explore remote areas of Central Oregon.
“I think that having spaces where people can learn about themselves and express themselves at the same time is great, and I think being outside is a wonderful place to have that [experience],” she said.
Mountain View High School student Makenna Lambert also appreciated the opportunity to be open about her identity in the outdoors and in the workplace.
“I feel like I can be a part of the team and do my job without constantly feeling like I need to hide,” said Lambert. All the members expressed satisfaction with their time working on the LGBTQ R.I.S.E. Crew this summer, and encourage other teens to consider the program.
RPA student Hannah Waldeck, for one, hopes that her peers will take a chance and apply, even if they aren’t sure that they will like it.
“[I would recommend the LGBTQ R.I.S.E. Crew to] anyone who’s queer, even if you’re not an outdoorsy person,” said Waldeck, who was pleasantly surprised by how “welcoming and open” the crew has been.
The LGBTQ R.I.S.E. Crew poses with a pride flag in Drake Park. Credit: Mack Norman
Norman echoed this sentiment, saying “I think if any youth wants to [join the LGBTQ R.I.S.E. Crew], it could be a really amazing start to their career and it could also be a really amazing start as a human being, entering the world and into their adult life.” This is Norman’s main goal of the program, after all—to show the next generation of queer people that there’s a place for them, both in their career and in their lives as a whole.
“It’s really exciting to be a part of this,” said Norman. “Being queer and being out is still a very new thing. There are still some places where we are not safe in our own country, and I think it’s really amazing to be a part of something where we can actually make it happen and be out and show people that it’s okay to be different.” The LGTBQ R.I.S.E. Crew is an incredible opportunity for Central Oregon’s queer teens, and its first summer was a resounding success. With Norman at the lead, it will surely be the first of many.
