POSITION DETAILS

Position Title: Ecology Assistant - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, Northeast Temperate Network, Woodstock, Vermont

Can this position be fully remote: Yes

Number of positions available: 1

TERMS OF SERVICE

Duration: 20 Weeks (not flexible)

Flexible Start Date: Yes

Start Date: 06/01/2025

End Date: 08/24/2025

AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 675 Hour

BENEFITS

  • Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $2,817.00 upon successful completion of position.
  • Living Allowance of $665.00 per week.
  • Relocation Allowance of $400.00 distributed as a one-time lump sum.
  • Student Loan Forbearance if applicable (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly).
    • Student Loan Interest Payments if applicable (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly).

APPLICATION TIMELINE

The position will close after receiving 75 applications, or at 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, 19 January, 2025, whichever occurs first. The review of applications will begin after Sunday, 19 January, 2025.

PURPOSE

This Ecology Assistant is an AmeriCorps position that will directly support the collection and processing of forest bird data in 9 NETN parks and the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. Birds are critical components of the forested and coastal landscapes of NETN parks and are subjected to a variety of stressors within and around parks. Forests in NETN parks are being impacted by overabundant deer, invasive plants and pests with effects that are being exacerbated by climate change and fragmentation. Coastal birds are impacted by climate change, energy development, invasive species, oil spills, and other factors that influence their primary food sources. Long-term monitoring data are crucial for documenting the status and condition of these species in our parks so that threats are recognized and can be addressed in a timely manner.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

The member will work with the Northeast Temperate Inventory and Monitoring Network (NETN), directly assisting with the operations and collection of data related to NETN's landbird and coastal bird monitoring programs and will occasionally assist with other programs such as water quality and rocky intertidal monitoring, and natural resource management projects at the local parks.

The member will assist NETN and its parks with the deployment, maintenance and retrieval of passive acoustic recorders at long term monitoring sites and work with NETN and university partners at Cornell and Dartmouth to process and analyze the sound files and contribute to other project activities. The member may also conduct point count surveys of forest birds at our local parks and participate as needed in coastal bird surveys in Boston Harbor.

In the office, and with guidance from network staff, the member will assist primarily with acoustic recorder setup and maintenance, data entry, data processing, data package and metadata publication, data summarization and reporting. Member will receive training in sound analysis and sound file data management, relational databases and queries (MS Access) and basic R scripting. Member will gain additional exposure and experience with formal protocol and standard operating procedure development, computer-assisted sound identification, quality assurance and control procedures and tools, and developing communication products such as resource briefs and newsletter articles to highlight findings from analysis of NETN data (topic will be selected based on member’s interests and skills).


KEYWORDS: Monitoring, Acoustics, Birds, Invasive Species, Data

DELIVERABLES

This position will refine tools and develop products that support data analysis and outreach from the long-term monitoring programs. The member will develop a SOP for the acoustic monitoring project, contribute to a final version of the landbird and coastal bird databases with data entry completed through 2025, provide supporting data and other files required to reach this milestone, and work on and review products to support protocol reporting and outreach such as resource briefs, StoryMaps, or newsletters developed from the finalized data.


QUALIFICATIONS

  • United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien.
  • 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.
  • Prior to starting the position, agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check for the employer of record, Conservation Legacy, and a separate government security background check for the NPS site location.
  • The applicant must be available to participate for 20 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Required qualifications:
Attention to detail, ability to problem solve and work independently, when necessary, excellent organizational skills, interest in ecology, field birding experience (forest or coastal), bird identification by sound and sight, interest in data science, skills related to successful teamwork (clear communication, situational awareness, reliability, respectfulness), strong commitment to safety and NPS operational leadership principles, comfort and willingness to work in challenging field conditions (hot, humid weather; biting insects; noxious plants).

Preferred qualifications:

Experience deploying acoustic recorders, processing sound files and with bird sound identification software (RavenPro), data entry and quality control checking, data handling and analysis coding (R, Python), familiarity with forest bird and coastal bird identification.

ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION

POSITION SETTING

This position can be remotely based in the northeastern states NH, MA or VT or at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller (MABI) located in Woodstock, VT. If remote, the candidate must have a vehicle be able to travel to parks from ME to NJ on occasion. At MABI the member will sit with the staff of the Northeast Temperate Inventory & Monitoring Network (NETN) which is based on the park’s campus and works routinely with the MABI and SAGA’s resource management and leadership staff and interacts daily with all park staff. This is an area of great natural beauty alongside the Ottauquechee River in the foothills of the Green Mountains. The park opened for the first time to visitors in 1998 and is the first unit of the National Park System to focus on the theme of conservation history and the changing nature of land stewardship in America. The park includes a 500-acre forest property on the slopes of Mount Tom where hiking, nature study, and other outdoor activities are popular with visitors. The climate is moderate in spring, summer, and fall seasons; winters may be harsh. A variety of local restaurants and groceries are located in the village of Woodstock and within a 10 miles radius of the park.


VEHICLE AND DRIVER’S LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

  • Applicant must have a valid driver's license to drive a government vehicle.
  • A personal vehicle is REQUIRED for this position.

HOUSING

Park housing is NOT available. The member will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area. Members should be able to find options of local shared housing (~$800/mo.), renting a room in house ($800), or lively in a small apartment ($1200/mo.)


HOW TO APPLY

Apply online, all Scientists in Parks positions are listed at: https://conservation-legacy.breezy.hr/. Complete the application for this position, highlighting why you are interested in the position and how your background and experience will help you succeed in this position. Be prepared to upload your resume and unofficial transcript as part of completing the application questionnaire.

Once you begin applying for a position, the application must be completed in one sitting. You cannot save and return later to complete it. Applicants can apply for up to five Scientists in Parks positions per season. You need to complete a separate application for each position in order to be considered. You should receive a confirmation email after successfully submitting an application. Sometimes institutional email filters/settings can redirect or block emails related to the application. We recommend watching spam, junk, and promotional email folders in case your email service delivers messages there. Please visit How to Apply for additional resources and information about applying (i.e., learn what materials to have ready for applying, find a worksheet that previews application questions, etc.). Learn more about Scientists in Parks at: https://www.scientistsinparks.org/.


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.


TIME REQUIREMENTS

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

ORIENTATION AND TRAINING

  • Orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
  • Pertinent training from the NPS site location throughout the term of service.
  • Access to free professional development webinars led by Conservation Legacy staff or the Ecological Society of America.
  • Opportunity to join one (or more) SIP Affinity Groups. Groups include: DEIJ Change Makers, Women+ in Science, BIPOC, or Pride in STEM.
  • Opportunity to present the outcomes from the SIP position at national scientific meetings held by the Ecological Society of America and Geological Society of America.

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.


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 Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, Northeast Temperate Network will host a Ecology Assistant.


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 the application or recruiting process, please send a request to Scientists in Parks using the email address at the base of the home page, under “Questions? Contact us!”