Conservation Legacy

POSITION DETAILS

Position Title: Ecology Assistant - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: Appalachian National Scenic Trail, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

Can this position be fully remote: No

Number of positions available: 1

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 $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 build on an existing community science monitoring program that will inventory biological resources along the A.T. corridor. The National Park Service (NPS) preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. Recently, NPS has recognized the importance of understanding biodiversity and preparing for change in these protected lands; long-distance corridors like the A.T. provide a useful gradient for assessing habitats and potential for shifting assemblages as climate changes. Building on an iNaturalist project called the Flowers and Fauna along the A.T. Corridor launched in 2019 we can leverage mobile technology and crowdsourcing tools to make this approach feasible, and also provide a conduit for public engagement and education, making it easier and more efficient to meet our NPS mission. While NPS units collect natural resource information generally, trail wide data collection is cumbersome due to resource availability. The A.T. community science member’s contributions to the A.T. iNaturalist project will help the trail managers learn more about the trail’s biological resources and how they may be impacted by climate change through collaboration with the AMC’s phenology work. Data and a report updated by the member will also be used to educate the public about the biodiversity of the region and the importance of preserving mountain ecosystems and landscape connectivity in the face of climate change.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

The Appalachian National Scenic Trail (ANST, or A.T.) is 2,194 miles long, traversing 14 states from Georgia to the Maine. From its northern terminus at Katahdin in Maine, the Trail follows the hills and valleys of the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States to its southern terminus at Springer Mountain in Georgia. The A.T. and its surrounding land protects a wide range of habitats, species, watersheds, views, and historic sites. For generations, people who live nearby or visit from afar have valued it as a place for recreation, solitude, biological diversity, clean air and water, nature study, and connection to the land and one another. Because the Trail spans 11° of latitude in the temperate zone and over 6,500 feet of elevation, it is also an excellent area for understanding how species’ phenology is related to climate and how phenological change is related to climate change. A number of ongoing NPS monitoring efforts provide valuable datasets to evaluate such natural resources conditions. However, an inventory of plants, animals, and other lifeforms along the full length of the A.T. corridor would be useful to Park managers in evaluating biodiversity of this resource and to track the health of ecosystems in the face of accelerating climate change. Building on an iNaturalist project called the Flowers and Fauna along the Appalachian Trail Corridor launched in 2019 we can leverage mobile technology, crowdsourcing tools and techniques to amass helpful and robust data for resource managers and research scientists. The A.T. community science member will continue to promote this long term iNaturalist project as part of a set of mountain focused phenology projects overseen by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC). These projects will focus on plant phenology, adding to a growing mountain database that AMC is using to examine the flowering and fruiting time of a set of bioindicator plants in the context of changing climate. The member project will assist AMC researchers as they develop recommendations and educational outreach content for A.T. resource managers that can be shared with other park units. Additionally, the member will update the dataset that is the foundation for tracking climate change bioindicator species, plant flowering distributions across latitudes and elevation based on A.T. trail wide data. The member will: (1) perform field surveys in their local areas using the iNaturalist app themselves; (2) recruit and train hikers to participate at 2-3 planned events; (3) curate iNaturalist observations to maximize the usability of phenology data, (4) update a report with AMC researchers including identifying and incorporating (as feasible) other National Park units phenology data that are within the corridor. Trainings will be done both in person (as allowed under local COVID restrictions) and via webinars. Observations on iNaturalist will be curated by the member with a focus on plant identification, plant phenology bioindicators, and descriptive fields for phenology. This will allow comparison with other AMC iNaturalist projects (e.g. NET) that are tracking these same plants and phenophases. Data can also be curated by the iNaturalist community and other trained project managers. The member will promote the program through partners networks such as blog posts, web page content that links to the iNaturalist project, and contributions to social media.


KEYWORDS: biological monitoring, climate change, biodiversity, community science, plant phenology

DELIVERABLES

At the completion of this position, the member will have expanded the A.T. iNaturalist project that will continue after the term of this project in collaboration with the AMC, generated participation, trained partners, and curated and summarized data collected during the member’s term in a template form that can be updated. The member will have conducted analysis for the project that will inform which species are the strongest bioindicators of climate change and updated the report for this long-term monitoring effort for future contributions, an important management resource and educational engagement tool.


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
Strong independent work skills, outdoor hiking experience; presentation or public speaking experience; upper-level undergraduate or graduate student with at least 9-12 credit hours of environmental sciences with an outdoor field component.

ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION

POSITION SETTING

Physical/Natural Environment: the location will be at Gorham, NH or at member's home base in New England. The Appalachian Scenic Trail is 2,194 miles long, traversing 14 states from Georgia to the Maine. However, the member is not expected to visit the full trail extent and will have a more local focal area and work with partners to address other regions of the trail. Limited travel funds will be available for the member. Summers in the region can be hot and humid. Position Environment: Work will be a combination of field and office base. When collecting data in the field or doing on site trainings, member may be spending considerable time standing and hiking. Member may be subject to rain, full sun, high heat, biting and stinging insects, poison ivy and the potential for dehydration during field work. Some regions are remote.


VEHICLE AND DRIVER’S LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

  • Applicant will not need to drive a government vehicle.
  • A personal vehicle is REQUIRED for this position.

HOUSING

Park housing is available and will be provided at no cost to the participant. NOTE: AMC has housing available at no cost to the member at our Pinkham Notch campus in New Hampshire. If a candidate has housing, there is an opportunity to work remotely with some travel and overnights required. Flexibilities exist for the member to work on site, remotely, or a hybrid combination. The member should bring a pillow, sheets for a XL Twin, towel, and other toiletries. Otherwise, food is provided. Known food allergies will be requested. They should also bring proper footwear for hiking, a day pack, and outdoor gear including rainwear


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 Appalachian National Scenic Trail 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!”

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