BLM Renewable Energy Plant Survey Crew member– AmeriCorps

Position Title: BLM Renewable Energy Plant Survey Crew member– AmeriCorps 

Conservation Legacy Program: Conservation Corps New Mexico 

Site Location: Program Office- Conservation Corps New Mexico: 560 N 17th St, Las Cruces, NM 88005 

Terms of Service: 

• Start Date: March 17th, 2025 - July 18th, 2025

• End Date: July 2025 

• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 675 

Program Summary 

Conservation Corps New Mexico (CCNM): 

Conservation Corps New Mexico, an AmeriCorps Program, aims to continue the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s. CCNM crews are typically based in Las Cruces, NM and all project work will take place on public lands in New Mexico and surrounding states. 

• This is an AmeriCorps position aiming to engage future leaders who protect, restore, and enhance our public lands through community-based service. 

• You’ll learn new skills, but it will take sweat: this program is designed to be rigorous. You will complete conservation service projects and learn many skills through experience. Service as an AmeriCorps member is an introduction to a new and exciting lifestyle - over the course of the season you will live, learn, train, and work to protect and preserve America’s public lands. 

Description of Duties: 

*Available crew models vary for each start date* 

Crew Models 

CCNM's Field Crew program engages motivated young adults, ages 18-30 (35 for veterans), to complete challenging and impactful conservation service projects throughout southern New Mexico and surrounding states. 

Renewable Energy BLM Rare Plant Survey Crew: 

Crew members will work with a crew leader for the New Mexico Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Renewable Energy Rare Plant Survey Crew, operated by Conservation Corps New Mexico. More information about New Mexico’s rare plants can be found here. The crew will consist of three individuals: one crew leader and two crew members. Together, the crew will survey for rare plants in remote areas on BLM lands across the Southwest portion of New Mexico within the Las Cruces District Office, particularly in areas where renewable energy development impacts on rare plants are anticipated. Safety is a prerequisite and will guide how fieldwork is conducted. 

Crews will be required to drive to different areas throughout New Mexico, camp overnight for 1-3 consecutive nights, hike several miles a day, and return to the office for equipment and data management.  

In addition to fieldwork, crews will be expected to uphold strong organizational skills for the sake of successful data management. All data will be georeferenced using a GPS unit and stored in an ArcGIS geodatabase. Some previous experience collecting data, producing excel spreadsheets, and entering data is desirable. The occurrence data collected by the rare plant survey crew will provide essential information for future avoidance of rare plant populations that intersect renewable energy development projects. 

While rare plant surveys are the focus, where possible, crews will assist with other plant conservation program projects in progress during the summer. Other projects may include pollinator monitoring and setting up new monitoring plots. When or if available, crews may participate in local BLM sponsored training sessions, outside symposia, and coordination meetings. 

Responsibilities of a CCNM Corpsmember: 

• Demonstrate strong botanical, statistical, and organizational skills, and maintain exceptional attention to detail in relation to monitoring efforts and data management. 

• Effectively coordinate with the crew leader and supervisor to complete tasks properly. 

• CCNM field crews operate on a set schedule throughout their season. Adherence to this schedule is essential to the success of the program; exceptions can be made for emergencies.  

• Members can expect to work long days and must successfully adapt to various climates and working conditions.  Workdays will contain strenuous labor in remote settings and varying weather conditions. 

• While serving a term of National Service, CCNM crews are expected to work in diverse team settings.  Respect for all members of the program, our partners, the public and the land they are visiting is required.  

• CCNM expects all members to represent the program in a professional manner at all times.  Crew life will include our values of challenge, stewardship, dedication, community, integrity and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).   

• Members are expected to be timely, hardworking, flexible, and complete all functions of the tasks assigned, including challenging physical labor and hiking several miles to remote locations under adverse weather conditions. 

• Demonstrate passion for botany and eagerness to learn the local flora from the crew leader and local resources to build botanical knowledge throughout the position.   

Qualifications: 

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien 

• Be between the ages of 17 and 25; there is some flexibility to accept members up to age 30 (35 for veterans); participants under 18 must have signed consent of a parent or guardian 

• Flexibility, adaptability and capacity to work in a changing environment including willingness to work a varying schedule. 

• Strong time-management skills and ability to work independently and in collaboration with a small group. 

• Must be eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award 

• Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of elementary or secondary school to enroll as an AmeriCorps participant, and agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to using the education award 

• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check. 

• No previous experience is required, but a general comfort and previous knowledge of working/living in an outdoor setting is helpful. 

Preferred Qualifications:  

• College Graduate with degree in ecology, botany, plant ecology, plant biology, plant systematics, conservation biology, natural resource management, or a related field.  

• 1 to 2 years of experience using taxonomic keys to identify plants to species in the field, from photos, and from pressed specimens   

• Familiarity with New Mexico flora in general and Flora Neomexicana III is preferred.  

• Experience with Floras from adjacent states to New Mexico.  

• Experience working in regions with high floristic diversity.  

• Experience working as part of a small team and able to work well with others.   

• Excellent communication, organizational, and planning skills.  

• Experience with ArcGIS tablet applications and basic troubleshooting (Collector and Survey 123).  

• Experience with ArcGIS Online interface.   

• Knowledge of downloading, using, and syncing ArcGIS Online Maps.  

• Experience collecting, managing and summarizing data for plant and/or animal monitoring programs.  

• Experience performing quality assurance, quality control, and data analysis using Microsoft Excel.