Conservation Legacy

POSITION DETAILS

Position Title: Paleontology Assistant - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: Effigy Mounds National Monument, Harpers Ferry, Iowa

Can this position be fully remote: No

Number of positions available: 1

TERMS OF SERVICE

Duration: 12 Weeks (not flexible)

Flexible Start Date: Yes

Start Date: 05/05/2025

End Date: 07/28/2025

AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 450 Hour

BENEFITS

  • Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $1,956.00 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 Paleontology Assistant is an AmeriCorps position that will address the paleontological resource management recommendations from the 2024 Paleontology Inventory. It also addresses a short-term goal identified in the park's Resource Stewardship Strategy (to be complete end of calendar year 2024). This goal identified the need to integrate paleontological information into interpretation and educational programming.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

The member will complete or assist with several of the recommendations from the park's 2024 paleontological inventory completed by Justin Tweet of the NPS paleontology division.

  1. Develop protocols for staff and visitors if they should find/see fossils.
  2. Investigate the overlook areas in the Heritage addition that were not investigated as part of the 2024 inventory.
  3. Develop educational outreach materials to tell the public about the fossil resources in the park.
  4. Work with the park's visual information specialist to update park website regarding paleontological resources.
  5. Assist museum technician with identification and disposition of fossils in the museum collection.

The member would work with other resource staff as well as the park visual information specialist, education technician, and other interpretation staff on the development of the outreach materials and standard protocols.


KEYWORDS: fossils, outreach development, hiking, inventory

DELIVERABLES

The member will produce the following deliverables:

  1. An SOP for staff and visitors on procedures to follow when seeing/finding fossils.
  2. Updated website information about paleontological resources.
  3. A public brochure/handout about paleontological resources or an educational program about educational resources.

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 12 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
The member should be an upper-level undergraduate in geology/paleontology or graduate student. They should have the ability to work independently but be comfortable working with others. The member should have good organizational skills and be able to communicate well both verbally and in written form. The member should be willing to ask questions and participate in dialogue. The member should be able to hike to the various locations in the bluffs where fossils exist (some areas are 70+ degrees of slope).

ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION

POSITION SETTING

The member will have a work station in the resources building with natural and cultural resource staff. It is a small park with a total staff in the summer of approximately 20 including permanents and seasonals. The staff do a number of events together in the summer as part of the Health and Wellness committee. These include potlucks, prairie hikes, and sharing knowledge with one another. Field work will require a fair amount of hiking in somewhat steep terrain (the bluffs are about 500 feet above the Mississippi River). Summer weather is hot and humid and the bugs can be numerous depending on the amount of rainfall.

The local area has lots to do in the summer with small town festivals, bike trails, kayaking and other activities. The closest major grocery store is in Prairie du Chien. There is also a movie theater there, a swimming pool, and other amenities. Larger communities within one hour include Decorah, IA and La Crosse, WI. Prairie du Chien has a full service hospital and clinic.


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 NOT available. The member will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area. There are many small communities within 30 minutes of the park with a variety of apartment types. Most seasonals and members live in McGregor which is about 7 miles to the south. This small town has a walkable downtown with various stores and restaurants. Across the Mississippi River in Prairie du Chien there are also lots of housing options. It is about the same distance from the park.


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 Effigy Mounds National Monument will host a Paleontology 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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