Join The Nature Conservancy for the 2024 field season in this program that provides hands-on conservation work experience and numerous certifications!
Come explore the wilds of New Hampshire and work with us to manage The Nature Conservancy's preserves throughout the Granite State! We are partnering with the Lakes Region Conservation Corps again in 2024 to host two AmeriCorps members in half-year positions running from mid-May through mid-October. These are paid positions made possible through a grant from the LRCC.
From salt marsh monitoring to maintenance of accessible trails, and lots in between, you’ll work in innovative ways with state-of-the-art tools in a collaborative fashion with TNC staff, community volunteers and conservation partners. The AmeriCorps members perform and participate in a wide variety of land management and stewardship tasks, including preserve operations, maintenance and management, rare species or habitat monitoring and communications with the public.
Housing is available in a small rustic cabin along the beautiful shoreline of Whitton Pond in Albany, New Hampshire, or in a small apartment room in our office in Newmarket, New Hampshire. Travel will be required throughout New Hampshire, and occasional longer field trips may be required, which may require overnight accommodations.
The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire has 2 half-year (900-hour) positions available beginning May 20, 2024 and ending October 30, 2024 for the summer/fall Lakes Region Conservation Corps (LRCC) program.
AmeriCorp Field Assistant Essential Functions
The Field Assistant AmeriCorps members are responsible for stewardship support of TNC’s preserves throughout New Hampshire. They will perform routine maintenance of preserve areas and infrastructure frequented by the visiting public, which may include trail work, trailhead maintenance, minor carpentry and tree or brush removal. Additionally, they will perform land management activities, which may include removing exotic species, conducting ecological monitoring, field mowing, boundary maintenance, etc., and be responsible for the maintenance of tools, equipment and supplies. The members will enter and manipulate field data using a mobile device, maintain preserve records using a database and prepare reports as needed. We are fortunate to have a small crew of loyal and hard-working volunteers that help us manage our lands. The members will engage with volunteers and provide leadership during workdays.
The AmeriCorps members may work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances. This position requires physical exertion and/or muscular strain, long hours in isolated settings and presents frequent possibility of injury. Because preserves tend to be at least an hour away from any of the three TNC offices in New Hampshire, independent decision making and an ability to work through challenging situations as a team member are critical to the success of this role.
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- Works with stewardship staff and volunteers to perform preserve maintenance tasks (maintaining signs, building and maintaining trails, maintaining parking lots, marking boundaries, controlling invasive species).
- Interacts with preserve visitors by providing information about the preserves, promoting TNC's work, answering questions and enforcing preserve policies.
- Deals with problems as they arise on preserves (may include dumping, unpermitted uses, vandalism, camping, etc.)
- Assists stewardship staff with ecological monitoring.
- Assists with maintenance of basic equipment such as hand and power tools, chainsaws, tractors, UTVs, etc.
- May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances. Requires considerable physical exertion and/or muscular strain.
- Participates, when available and as certified, as crew member on controlled burns in New Hampshire and Maine.
- Assists with special projects as needed.
- May require long hours in isolated settings.
- Makes day-to-day decisions as delegated by supervisor.
- May work under infrequent supervision.
- Members will generally work 5 days/week (8-12 hours/day), and occasionally on weekends, up to 40 hours/week.
- Collects and reports data including, but not limited to, record keeping, field data collection and entry, and biweekly timesheets.
- Receives mid-term and end-of-term performance evaluations.
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- Must be 18 years of age by May 20, 2024.
- Must be covered by health insurance for the duration of the program.
- Must be a US citizen, US national or legal permanent resident.
- Must clear all required national service criminal history checks.
- Must be a high school graduate, GED recipient or be working toward obtaining one during the term of service.
- Experience recognizing plant and animal species.
- Experience operating various types of equipment in a safe and efficient manner (e.g., lawn mower, chainsaw, UTV, ATV or OHV, tractor, two-way radio or similar equipment).
- Experience working in a team environment.
- Experience performing physical work.
- Valid driver’s license.
- Available from May 20, 2024 through October 30, 2024.
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- Experience working with or knowledge of natural systems.
- Knowledge and familiarity with New Hampshire biota, geography, natural history and environmental science preferred.
- Ability to identify invasive plant species common to New Hampshire, and experience with control and monitoring projects.
- Possess basic carpentry skills as may be needed to build or repair preserve signage and kiosks.
- Safe and competent use of chainsaw; preferably training in chainsaw safety and maintenance.
- Experience working with volunteers and/or leading volunteer work activities.
- Knowledge of, and demonstrated experience with, a GPS unit to find and mark field locations. Able to read and interpret road and topographic maps, aerial photos and other sources of mapped information.
- Experience with Microsoft Word, Excel and ArcGIS.
- Willingness to travel throughout New Hampshire over extensive periods of time, work weekends and occasional evenings.
- Ability to accept and follow instructions and take responsibility.
- Experience working productively and efficiently alone minus direct supervision (a "se;f-starter"), including ability to independently plan, solve problems, improvise and adapt to shifting demands.
- Communicates effectively in person and in writing with a wide variety of people, including preserve neighbors, private landowners, partners, preserve visitors and volunteers.
- Ability to be aware and observant as well as objectively assess risks, employ sound judgment and avoid potential hazards.
- Attentive to detail, well-organized, energetic and self-motivating.
- First Aid and CPR certifications.
- Qualified as a Fire Fighter Type 2 (FFT2), including Introduction to ICS (I-100), Human Factors on the Fire line (L-180), Introduction to Wild Land Fire Behavior (S-190), Firefighting Training (S-130), and one training burn serving under the supervision of a qualified FFT2. Explore TNC's fire program.
- Able to achieve physical fitness standard as determined by local fire program manager and the TNC Fire Manual.
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- Wilderness First Aid and CPR certifications.
- Living allowance: $772.17 biweekly stipend distributed biweekly.
- AmeriCorps Education Award of $3,447.50 (half-year) received upon successful completion of program (minimum of 900 hours for half-year).
- Provided housing (please note: no housing stipend will be provided if electing to live elsewhere); May include an apartment room in an office in Newmarket and/or a rustic, three-season cabin in Alton.
- Student loan forbearance and interest repayment on qualified loans.
- Optional: Federal Standard NWCG Wildland Fire Training (S-130/190).