Conservation Legacy

POSITION DETAILS

Position Title: Biology Assistant - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: Haleakalā National Park, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii National Park, Hawaii

Can this position be fully remote: No

Number of positions available: 3

TERMS OF SERVICE

Duration: 26 Weeks (not flexible)

Flexible Start Date: Yes

Start Date: 05/05/2025

End Date: 11/03/2025

AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 900 Hour

BENEFITS

  • Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $3,697.00 upon successful completion of position.
  • Living Allowance of $565.00 per week.
  • Relocation Allowance of $1,050.00 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 Biology Assistant is an AmeriCorps position that will help natural resource managers understand the state and trends of plant communities within Haleakalā National Park. The data collected provides valuable information including detection of changes occurring in the native forests, identification of potential problems in the early stages, and measured progress of forest management practices. Introduced and invasive plant species are a major threat to natural resources in Hawaiʻi. Invasive plants have contributed to decreased biological diversity, the loss of native plant species, habitat degradation for native bird species and other native animals, and negative impacts on watershed hydrology. Data collected by SIP members will provide park managers with valuable information needed to guide resource management actions. This project is designed to capture status and changes within the native plant communities of the pacific island national parks, including detecting and estimating abundance of invasive plants, measurements of community structure (understory cover, tree sizes, canopy, epiphytes, etc.) and changes to species composition.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

The Pacific Island Inventory and Monitoring Network is recruiting 3 members to assist with backcountry vegetation monitoring within wet forest and subalpine shrubland plant communities of Haleakalā National Park. Major duties include 1) working in a group of 3-6 individuals conducting field work in a wide array of vegetation types under the supervision of a field crew leader, 2) hiking extended distance (up to 10 miles/day) in challenging terrain and environmental conditions while carrying a backpack (up to 40 lbs.), 3) routinely identifying plant species in the field and the lab using plant keys to verify species identification, 4) ensuring vegetation data (plant measurements and abundance counts) are collected following established standardized methods according to long-term monitoring protocols, and 5) entering data into project databases and checking the quality of the data entered. Important responsibilities of this position include ensuring a respectful working environment, safely conducting work in a remote and physically challenging backcountry environment, safely utilizing helicopter transport to and from remote field sites, collecting field data in a neat and complete manner, and communicating effectively with supervisors and crewmembers. Specific tasks include ensuring proper personal protective equipment and sampling equipment are maintained and readily available, participating and leading daily safety discussion before starting field work, backcountry hiking on-trail and off-trail to plot and transect locations using map and GPS, recording plant species and measurements (abundance, cover, tally of size-classes, diameter, etc.), and ensuring data is accurate, properly stored, and backed-up upon return from the field. A summary report detailing field effort, preliminary findings, maps of surveyed areas, and discussion of methods will be completed at the end of the position and presented to the park staff, partners, and the scientific community.


KEYWORDS: Botany, Plants, Forests, Botanical Resources, Ecological Resources, Natural Resources, GIS.

DELIVERABLES

Deliverables 1 and 2 are part of a group effort, while deliverables 3 and 4 are managed independently by the member. Deliverables include: 1) A database containing vegetation monitoring data for 60 plant community plots and 50 invasive plant transects. 2) GIS files containing plot/transect locations with associated photos of the vegetative landscape and plant species identification photos within the sampling unit. 3) A summary document detailing the field effort, discussion of methods, maps of surveyed areas, and preliminary findings on topic of choice related to the vegetation monitoring data collected. 4.) A science communication article, story map, poster (etc.) highlighting an aspect of this work of which the member is interested in pursuing and gaining additional knowledge in.


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 26 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Desired qualifications include background or proven interest in botany and plant species identification. Applicant should demonstrate this knowledge by describing relevant coursework, school projects, previous work experience, or personal projects. Ability to work respectfully and effectively in teams of 3-6 people. Ability to maintain positive attitude in demanding work environment (hiking and monitoring vegetation in heat, rain, mud, thick understory vegetation, etc.). Ability to hike with 40 lbs. up to 10 miles/day and tent camp up to 5 days at a time. Demonstrated skills and interest in identifying plants using dichotomous keys, detailed notes and photography, and collection of plant vouchers. Demonstrated skills and interest in data management (working with large datasets, checking data for accuracy, keeping detailed notes, organizing dataset according to an established data structure). Interest in summarizing vegetation data and creating and editing technical reports.

ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION

POSITION SETTING

Office location will be within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park located at 4,000 ft elevation in a rainforest. Fieldwork will require travel to other islands as needed. The members’ duties will be approximately 80% field work, 20% office. Hawai'i is beautiful! However, members should be aware that the work environment is extremely demanding! It requires hiking and monitoring vegetation in heat/cold, rain, mud, thick understory brush, steep inclines, etc. For these reasons, members will receive detailed instruction on established safety protocols and are expected to follow safety protocols 100% while on duty. Members should be physically able to hike with a 40 lbs. backpack up to 10 miles in one day. Work also requires the usage of helicopters. Members will receive training on helicopter protocols and need to be comfortable working around and riding in helicopters to access remote monitoring sites. The plant communities in which the work sites are located are generally rainy, however the sites range in elevation from 2,000 ft up to 9,000 ft and weather can be variable day to day, ranging from hot/sunny to cold/rainy. Extended periods of several weeks with rainy conditions are possible. A government vehicle is available for work duties and obtaining groceries/necessities, but not available for personal recreation (e.g., site-seeing).


VEHICLE AND DRIVER’S LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

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

HOUSING

Park housing is available and will be provided at no cost to the participant. Shared housing within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is available and is located within walking distance of scenic views of Kilauea Caldera, project offices, and the Kilauea Visitor Center. Members will be provided shared rooms with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. Housing has basic furnishings, kitchen appliances, cookware, plates, utensils, towels, and linens.


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 Haleakala National Park, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park will host a Biology 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!”

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