Conservation Legacy

POSITION DETAILS

Position Title: Ecology Assistant - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: Colorado National Monument, Fruita, Colorado

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: 05/19/2025

End Date: 08/11/2025

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 Ecology Assistant is an AmeriCorps position that will generate information that will be utilized for planning decisions related to developing a fire management plan for the park and to help prioritize resource protection decisions in the event of wildfire. It will also collect data important for pinyon jay conservation, a species currently being considered for protection under the Endangered Species Act, as well as other management actions related to climate change vulnerability.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

This member will conduct stand structure and health assessments of the park's pinyon-juniper woodlands to contribute to several ongoing projects. The member's assessments will build off a 2012 study of pinyon-juniper stand structure and fire history conducted at COLM by Colorado Mesa University (CMU). Recently, the Northern Colorado Plateau I&M Network unveiled the project “Establishing management priorities by mapping values to PJ stands in NCPN parks”. This project assigns and maps pinyon-juniper “value” based on qualitative characteristics such as the presence of pinyon jay habitat, old-growth, cultural resources, or recreational sites. The member will conduct field work that contributes to this project by observing a subset of the sampling points used in the 2012 CMU study and qualitatively assessing the characteristics of those sites using the protocol developed by the NCPN.

The member will also collect quantitative data on fuel structures to inform the development of a fire management plan during FY25-26. Using the same subset of sampling points, the member will quantify dead fuel loads and the continuity of live fuels using Line Point Intercepts.

Additionally, the member will collect quantitative data (e.g. tree height, size of tree crown) at a subset of sampling points on mortality and crown dieback of pinyon pine and juniper. This data will be used to ground truth remote sensing models of pinyon and juniper dieback, which will be used to determine where future woodland diebacks are more likely to occur.


KEYWORDS: Forestry, Vegetation, Ecology, Assessment, Fire, Climate

DELIVERABLES

1) A dataset consisting of:

a. Values assigned to plots based on presence/absence/proximity of various characteristics (e.g., park infrastructure, sensitive cultural or natural resources).

b. Dead fuel loads and live fuel load composition and continuity.

c. Tree size and crown dieback in plots.

2) A summary report and PowerPoint presentation to park leadership summarizing the project that can also be used for informing development of content highlighting the project for the park's webpage.


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
- Experience with field mapping, GPS, and GIS

- Responsible and able to work independently or with a team

- Strong interest in Natural Resource Management

- Attention to detail

- Proficient and diligent with data collection and organizing field notes

- Able to work well independently in field and office settings but flexible enough to work well as part of a team

- Ability to work independently and travel on foot in rugged, remote areas using topographic maps and a compass (not just a GPS unit.)

ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION

POSITION SETTING

Colorado National Monument covers 20,500 acres of red rock canyon country in western Colorado (elevation 6,200 ft). There are 11 main canyons which dissect the arid landscape with dominant vegetation communities of pinyon juniper woodland, shrublands, grasslands, and riparian zones. This project includes approximately 75% field work and 25% office work (research, writing, GIS) and requires the member to be in good physical shape for hiking in a backcountry, high desert setting. Summers are hot and dry (90-100F) with scorpions and venomous snakes calling our park home. While two-thirds of our park is managed as Wilderness we are not terribly remote. Park headquarters is located 4 miles south of Fruita, CO with Grand Junction, CO only 12 miles further down the road. A variety of amenities are close by in our community including a regional airport, several hospitals, a state university, and plenty of shopping, restaurants, music, outdoor recreation, and so forth. As the largest city between Denver, CO and Salt Lake City, UT, Grand Junction is a regional hub.


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 NOT available. The member will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area. Park housing may be an option if a room is available, but the member should plan on it not being an option. Given our proximity to Fruita and Grand Junction, CO where Colorado Mesa University is located there is a wide range of housing available. In the past, members of our park friend's group (Colorado National Monument Association) have also stepped up to provide members with affordable housing in a pinch.


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 Colorado National Monument 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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