Conservation Legacy

POSITION DETAILS

Position Title: Education Assistant - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park, Woodstock, Vermont

Can this position be fully remote: No

Number of positions available: 1

TERMS OF SERVICE

Duration: 52 Weeks (not flexible)

Flexible Start Date: Yes

Start Date: 05/04/2025

End Date: 05/03/2026

AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 1700 Hour

BENEFITS

  • Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $7,395.00 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).
  • For 52-week-long positions only:
    • Healthcare Coverage
    • Childcare Coverage

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 Education Assistant is an AmeriCorps position that will contribute to the analysis of a critical tree species in our park and share key results of the analysis. This data is critical in informing resource management at the park on the overall trends in forest regeneration in the face of multiple stressors such as deer over-browse and climate change with the goal of forest resilience. The Beech Management project associated with the monitoring plots is funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The park will be conducting forestry treatments for beech trees at specific plots. Many beech trees at our park have been affected by Beech Bark Disease, caused by an invasive scale insect. This results in dying trees sending up dense groves of young saplings. These saplings are susceptible to the scale disease because they are genetic clones of the adults. These saplings prevent regeneration of other tree species which results in a loss of biodiversity in our forest. This results in a decline in forest biodiversity and less climate resilience of the forest stand overall. The SIP will be providing support on a project that could have huge benefits to our forest’s health. Additionally, the continued support of the community science programs (salamander and phenology monitoring) at the park will also provide the park with critical data to inform management decisions in the face of climate change. The work on the community science program will reduce the burden on the natural resources team to conduct the monitoring protocols because more schools will be involved in the monitoring process. There is also the opportunity to collect and analyze off-site data from these projects if schools wish to use the monitoring protocols on their school properties or

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

​​This position will be a part of a two-park Natural Resource Management, Science Communication and Education team with technical support from the Northeast Temperate Network. The member will be responsible for valuable data collection, entry, analysis, and science communication at the parks.

The primary project will involve monitoring forest regeneration and analyzing and sharing the results with school groups and the public. The SIP will assist foresters and resources staff in resampling areas where forest stand improvement operations occurred. They will also be a part of a team working to analyze 15+ years of silvicultural inventory data to confirm or deny regeneration deficits in the forest. This will include educational programs, creating signs and displays, and writing articles and other media to inform the public about the importance of this project.

A secondary project will be maintaining the park‘s two community science projects (salamander and phenology monitoring) that previous SIPs have developed. These community science projects occur at both MABI and Saint-Gaudens. Tasks related to this include: collecting data, data stewardship, facilitating public and school groups to collect the data, and creating educational materials.

Additional natural resource management and education tasks:• Assist with coordinating “Working Woodlands” a science communication workshop designed to connect nature enthusiasts and landowners with natural resource professionals to provide skills and knowledge to promote land stewardship. • Assist with educational activities at the parks including but not limited to events, field trips, outreach, family programming, teacher trainings, and camps.​ • Assist with GIS data collection around various park monitoring needs.• Serve as a forestry safety ambassador tasked with interacting with the public during timber harvesting activities as part of the park’s Emerald Ash Borer and Beech Management Plan • Maintain tablets, GPS receivers and other scientific equipment.


KEYWORDS: Forest Diversity, Science Communication, Community Science, Monitoring

DELIVERABLES

​​Deliverables include: 1. portfolio of science communication about beech management operations at our park including but not limited to: educational programs (plan and lead at least 4 programs for adults and children), tabling activities (design activities to set up at a table for public to interact with at special events and high foot traffic days), signs (design signs for treatment site and visit center explaining beech bark scale disease), website articles (write at least 2 website articles about the park‘s beech treatment), social media posts (write at least 2 posts specifically about the park’s beech treatment).

2. Coordination of Community Science Monitoring Programs including but not limited to: leading monitoring events and educational programs (at least 4 in fall and 4 in spring), data collection and stewardship (maintaining calendar and websites/spreadsheets that contain the parks’ data), seasonal reports (​4 reports with information on who collected data, what data was collected, and what it means).

3. Working Woodlands Program Coordination including but not limited to: planning 2 events per month (coming up with themes, finding presenters, advertising, communication with attendees and presenters, and facilitating the events)


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 52 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
​The ideal candidate will have a bachelor’s degree in biology, natural resources, forestry, environmental science, and/or science communication or environmental education. Skills – attention to detail, experience with field work, ability to make complex data easy to understand, a background in education/working with children, excellent writing and communication skills, willingness to work outside for long hours in a variety of temperatures/conditions, ability to hike multiple miles often up hill. Desired strengths - team player, flexible, organized, able to work independently at times​, ability to engage with children in nature.

ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION

POSITION SETTING

Position Environment: This position will include a combination of office and field work. Office work will be conducted from the historic carriage barn visitor center with intermittent field work and guiding outdoor programming. The office space available includes a large sitting/standing desk within the natural resources and education team hubs. Saint-Gaudens NHP and Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park (MABI) share a natural resources team. This position would primarily work on projects at MABI, but will often do work at Saint-Gaudens NHP as well. This position may require the SIP to lift 25lbs and spend extended periods of time outdoors in cold, hot, or humid conditions. Hiking off trail will also be a component of the position. Job hazards include working in an outdoor environment (animals, ticks, sun exposure) and the potential hazards of working with tools (saws, loppers, pruners, etc.). Local Area - Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park is located in Woodstock, Vermont – 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. It manages and interprets the early 19th century Billings/Rockefeller mansion and grounds complex, as well as a 500-acre forest property on the slopes of Mount Tom where hiking, nature study, and cross-country skiing are popular with visitors. A variety of local restaurants and groceries are located in the village of Woodstock and within a few miles radius of the park. Woodstock, VT is about 30 minutes from West Lebanon, NH which has many chain restaurants and stores. The weather in Woodstock varies from season to season. During summer, temperatures average around 70 degrees, and winter temperatures average around 30 degrees.


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. Most members are able to find housing options in the population hubs within a 30 minute drive from the parks. These include Lebanon, NH, West Lebanon, NH, Hanover, NH, Hartford, VT, and Windsor, VT. The parks also have a document with rentals available from landlords who typically work with the park to find housing for seasonal employees and members. Typically, these are room rentals and are at a lower cost than those found online. Housing costs vary widely depending on the location and size of the unit. Housing in the more populated areas or those in desirable tourist areas are much more expensive than those in the rural areas between the larger towns. Online prices for a 1-2 bedroom apartment can vary from $800 to $2,000+ per month. Depending on availability there could be park housing available, but it is not guaranteed.


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 Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park will host a Education 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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