In the 1930s, the USA experienced two crises. Poor land management and drought damaged its ecosystems, leading to dust storms that severely impacted farming. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Crash decimated the economy, leading to mass unemployment. In response, the government created the Civilian Conservation Corps, aiming to tackle both these crises simultaneously. Over nine years, the corps put three million unemployed Americans into work to restore ecosystems.

A similar scheme could be used to restore ecosystems today, guaranteeing well paid, good quality jobs. A Citizen Nature Service can help provide the huge amount of work needed to install clean technologies and improve the resilience of communities and wild areas. 

But, it needs to be well-designed. The original Citizen Conservation Corps was racist and sexist: it was only offered to young men. Indigenous People and People of Color were segregated from white participants or excluded altogether. In contrast, proposals for modern Citizen Nature Services are often founded on climate justice, with equity at their core.

A Citizen Nature Service also has benefits that go beyond employment and ecosystem restoration,  improving the physical and mental health of participants and increasing their employability. Schemes are being set up around the world in recognition of these win-wins.

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• FDR's Conservation Legacy (U.S. National Park Service)

• The Civilian Climate Corps (CCC), Explained (Sunrise) Movement

A range of schemes exist around the world. They also extend beyond nature restoration to provide work experience in the growing range of sustainability jobs. For example,

• Africa: CorpsAfrica 

• UK: Youth Environmental Service

• Global: CLIMATE CORPS