Habitat Restoration Member - AmeriCorps

Position Title: Habitat Restoration Member - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: Pinnacles National Park, Paicines, CA.

Application Timeline: Position is open until filled. Preference given to applicants that submit application by 1/16/2025

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: 3/3/2025
• End Date: 7/25/2025
• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 675 Hour Position

Purpose:

Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards), a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with AmeriCorps service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants serve with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits to provide institutional capacity, develop community relationships, and support ecosystem health. Stewards in partnership with the Division of Research and Resource Management at Pinnacles National Park will host a Habitat Restoration Crew Member.

This Habitat Restoration Crew Member is an AmeriCorps position that will perform habitat restoration activities such as invasive plant management, and rangeland and plant population monitoring.

These activities are core responsibilities in maintaining the resources of the park and providing continued habitat for native flora and fauna, including special status wildlife present in and around the park. They support the National Park Service’s mission to preserve natural and cultural resources and provide for the enjoyment of those resources for future generations. Members on our team are taught to preform habitat restoration and invasive plant management tasks safely and to high professional standards, providing an excellent introduction to conservation work and a career in natural resource management.

Description of Duties:

This position will serve as part of a crew conducting invasive plant treatment and habitat restoration efforts (80%). Additional duties (< 20 %) may include projects on other resource-related projects such as:

• Seed collection
• Planting
• Rare plant surveys
• Vegetation monitoring
• Aquatic resources
• Wildlife resources monitoring
• Physical resources monitoring
• Interpretation-related projects
• GPS mapping
• Data management with computer software applications (e.g., Access, Excel, Word, ArcGIS etc.)
• Create reports and recommendations from natural resources projects.

Qualifications:

• A valid driver's license and able to pass a driving record background check.
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Ability to serve outdoors in arduous field conditions
• Must be able to hike up to ten miles per day carrying gear and equipment weighing up to 40 pounds
• Must be willing to mix, load, and apply herbicides with the direct supervision of a licensed applicator for the purposes of vegetation control as a major part of work duties.
• Must be willing and able to observe all safety protocols.
• Possess a degree, experience, and/or demonstrated interest in biology, ecology, vegetation management, botany, environmental studies, natural resource management, park management, or a related discipline.
• Willing to undergo and ability to pass the required federal background checks for network access.
• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• Applicants must be between ages of 18-30 years old, or up to 35 for veteran, based on Public Land Corps Act of 1993 authorizing this AmeriCorps opportunity.
• Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of 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.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Practical knowledge of a wide range of field restoration skills and invasive plant control techniques.
• Residents of San Benito, Monterey, and southern Santa Clara counties are highly encouraged to apply.
• Bilingual applicants are encouraged and welcome.

Additional Position and Community Information

Pinnacles National Park is in Paicines, California. Pinnacles National Park is located in California's Central Coast region of the Gabilan Mountain Range east of the Salinas Valley. The surrounding landscape is largely chaparral with areas of oak savannah and grasslands. The position is located at the eastside park headquarters in Paicines, CA. Nearest communities for shopping, doctors, hospitals, and other amenities are Hollister (40 miles, population 34,400), King City (40 miles, population 14,000), Gilroy (65 miles, population 41,400), Salinas (70 miles, population 151,000), and Monterey (90 miles, population 30,000).

Pinnacles National Park is remote. Applicants must have a personal vehicle, as the nearest services are a one-hour drive in any direction. Additionally, there is no cell-phone service in the park.

For more information about the park, please visit https://www.nps.gov/pinn/index.htm

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $2,817.14
• Living Allowance of $480 (if housing provided) or $600 (if no housing is provided) per week.
• Student Loan forbearance if Eligible (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly)
• Interest Payments if Eligible (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly)

How to Apply
Apply on-line at: https://stewardslegacy.org/open-positions. In addition to your resume, please submit a one page cover letter highlighting why you are interested in this position and how your background and experience will help you succeed in this position.

Application Timeline: Preference given to applicants who submit applications by January 16, 2025.

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:

• Program Contact information: Gillian Watson, gwatson@conservationlegacy.org
• Service Site Supervisor information: Andrew Harmon, andrew_harmon@nps.gov

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. This program is available to all, without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, political affiliation, marital or parental status, genetic information, and military service. Where a significant portion of the population eligible to be served needs services or information in a language other than English, the recipient shall take reasonable steps to provide written material of the type ordinarily available to the public in appropriate languages.

We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with AmeriCorps requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Additional Details

Physical Requirements:

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions. Some positions may require periodic overnight travel, non-traditional hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Time Requirements:

• This position is expected to serve 40 hours each week, but exact service schedules may vary.
• Lunch breaks will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service.
• Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.

Orientation and Training:

• Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
• The park and park staff will provide opportunities in leadership development and career exploration within the field of land management.
• The park will provide training on park resource information, operating procedures, and safety protocols for Core duties including:
• • GIS data collection and management
  • plant identification
  • invasive species management using herbicide and manual methods
• In addition to regular duties, members will be given an opportunity to learn from park professionals working in areas such as condors, raptors, bats, invasive wildlife species, entomology, herpetology, cultural and historical resources, interpretation, and maintenance.
• Members are often able to observe many species of animals up close and experience many areas of the park not generally visited by the public.

Evaluation and Reporting:

As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of hours, the member has satisfactorily completed assignments, and if the member has met other performance criteria that were clearly communicated at the beginning of the term of service.

Reporting requirements include, but are not limited to, bi-weekly timesheets and accomplishment tracking.