How FDR's Depression-Era 'Tree Army' Built America's National Parks

Two Chicks with Hiking Sticks · May 28, 2026 · 27m

In 1933, with 25% of Americans out of work and the land itself in crisis, FDR launched one of the most ambitious — and successful — programs in American history: the Civilian Conservation Corps.

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the CCC — how it was created in just 10 days, how 3 million young men were put to work across America's most iconic landscapes, and how the structures they built with their own hands still stand in our national parks today.

We cover:

→ The twin crises of the Great Depression and environmental collapse that forced FDR's hand

→ How Congress approved the CCC in…