CCNM – Seeds of Success Crew Member – Fall 2024

Start Date: 08/19/2024

Status: 450-hr AmeriCorps service term

Stipend & Housing Allowance: $400/week living stipend and $200/week housing stipend ($600/week total)

Location: Las Cruces, New Mexico

Benefits: AmeriCorps Segal Education Award; Paid training; Food budget while on project; Employee Assistance Program

 

Program Summary                                               

Conservation Corps New Mexico (CCNM):

Conservation Corps New Mexico, a program of Conservation Legacy, aims to continue the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s. CCNM crews are typically based in Las Cruces, NM and all project work will take place on public lands in New Mexico and surrounding states.

 

Position Overview: 

Crew members will work with the New Mexico Department of Interior (DOI) Seeds of Success (SOS) team, operated by Conservation Corps New Mexico. Crews will be based out of the Conservation Corps New Mexico (CCNM) Las Cruces office. The crew will collect seeds from native species in remote areas on DOI land following SOS protocols. Crew members will receive training from the crew leader and will participate in a regional seed collection training with local botany experts. Crews will be required to drive to different areas throughout New Mexico, camp overnight, potentially hike several miles a day, and return to the office for equipment and data management. This position involves significant driving relative to other types of field work. Crew members must be prepared for long days of driving and scouting from a truck.  Safety is a prerequisite, particularly where industry development (energy extraction, e.g., natural gas) is occurring and during hunting season, and will guide how fieldwork is conducted.  

Seed collected by DOI is saved in short- and long- term storage to support development of plant materials for land restoration purposes by DOI and other entities. 

Specific duties will include selecting and locating populations of plant species based on the established SOS Protocol and locally developed target species lists. Crew members will work with the crew leader to locate populations of targeted species, monitor phenology of the population, collect botanical voucher specimens, assess seed quantity and quality prior to seed collection, collect seed, record site data, prepare documentation, and ship collected seed for cleaning and short term storage The ability to identify plants both in the field and in the office via dichotomous keys is an important function of the position. However, help with plant ID will be provided and IDs will be reviewed. Crew members will use ArcGIS tablet applications (i.e., ArcCollector) to locate and document collections. Use of 4-wheel drive vehicles in rugged off highway situations is expected. Familiarity with this equipment is highly desirable, but training will be provided where needed. 

While Seeds of Success is the primary focus, the crew member will also assist with other conservation program projects during the summer to promote additional education and experience.

 

Responsibilities of an CCNM Corpsmember:

• Members can expect to work long days and must successfully adapt to various climates and working conditions.  Workdays will contain strenuous labor in remote settings and varied weather conditions.
• While serving a term of National Service, CCNM crews are expected to work in diverse team settings.  Respect for all members of the program, our partners, the public and the land they are visiting is expected.
• CCNM expects all members to represent the program in a professional manner at all times.  Crew life will include our values of challenge, stewardship, dedication, community, integrity and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
• Members are expected to be timely, hardworking, flexible, and complete all functions of the tasks assigned, including challenging physical labor and hiking several miles to remote locations under adverse weather conditions.

 

Minimum Qualifications:

• Be between the ages of 18 and 25; there is some flexibility to accept members up to age 30.
• US Citizenship or Legal Permanent Residency status.
• All offers of positions are conditional upon completion of an acceptable:
• A nationwide check of the National Sex Offender Public website
• A fingerprint-based check of FBI criminal history record; and
• A check of the State criminal history record repository for the individual’s State of residence AND State of service,
• Ability to produce identification as stipulated by I-9 upon hire
• Must be eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award
• Experience and willingness to spend multiple days (4-8 days at a time) car-camping in remote areas; familiarity or willingness to learn and adhere to best practices for field safety and Leave No Trace principles
• Flexibility, adaptability, and capacity to work in a changing environment including willingness to work a varying schedule

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience using taxonomic keys to identify plants to species in the field, from photos, and from pressed specimens

o   Familiarity with New Mexico flora in general and Flora Neomexicana III is preferred

o   Experience with Floras from adjacent states to New Mexico

o   Experience working in regions with high floristic diversity

• Experience working as part of a small team and able to work well with others
• Experience with ArcGIS tablet applications and basic troubleshooting (Collector and Survey 123)
• Experience with ArcGIS Online interface

o   Knowledge of downloading, using, and syncing ArcGIS Online Maps

• Experience collecting, managing and summarizing data for plant and/or animal monitoring programs

Physical Requirements:

• Physically capable of standing and walking (approximately 2 miles/day on rough, uneven terrain), bending, crouching and stooping for long periods of time, and lifting/carrying items that weigh up to 40 pounds in upwards of 100-degree (F) heat while maintaining a positive attitude
• Ability to work in and respond to adverse weather conditions including extreme heat and sun exposure, monsoonal rains, flash flooding, lightning, and hazardous wildlife (i.e., rattlesnakes, scorpions, bears)
• Ability to sit, stand, walk, speak, hear, etc.
• Ability to operate office equipment, telephone, and computer and reach with hands and arms
• Ability to hike and navigate in rough terrain
• Ability to drive/be in vehicle for up to 10-hours per day
• This position calls for high levels of concentration. A large amount of travel is required to conduct fieldwork and to provide or receive training
• Reasonable accommodations may be made for qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions

 

Training:

Most AmeriCorps terms will begin with an orientation. Crew members who attend the full orientation will receive training on Leave No Trace, Outdoor Living and Nutrition, Crew Culture and Diversity, and goal setting.  Informal hands-on training will continue throughout the term with on- the- ground skills training. During the season members will have the opportunity to participate in a Wilderness First Aid certification course.

 

Schedule:

Crews generally work an 8-day, 10-hours/day ‘hitch’ schedule, while camping in front and backcountry settings. Typically, members will have 6 days off in the town of the home base office. Drive time to and from the work site from the home base office is typically included in the hitch schedule. Applicants should expect the project schedule and type of work to vary. 

Workdays will start with a safety meeting including exercising and stretching. Days typically include two 15-minute breaks and one 30-minute lunch.

 

Gear:

Participants must supply his/her/their own personal outdoor gear and equipment such as a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, day pack, multi-day pack, work pants, hiking/work boots, etc. A suggested gear-list will be provided prior to starting the term of service. CCNM will provide tools, personal protective gear, budget for crew meals and transportation to projects. Additionally, CCNM has pro-deals and some gear available to borrow.

 

Housing:

 

Housing on days off is not provided.

 

Expectations

Substance Free:

In accordance with a drug free workplace, alcohol and drugs are prohibited while participating in AmeriCorps and program activities and while on organization property. CCNM is a drug-free organization; alcohol, marijuana (medical and recreational), and illegal substances are prohibited.

 

Physical, Emotional, and Mental Safety:

Proper safety procedures must be observed in all tasks, including at the work site, campsite, and during travel. Participants must:

• Effectively communicate danger to others and ensure a safe environment.
• Effectively perceive, understand, and follow directions.
• Stay alert and focused for several hours at a time while traveling and working in varied weather conditions.
• Identify and communicate significant and apparent hazards.
• If taking prescription medications, participants must be able to maintain proper dosage by self-medicating without assistance from others.

Participation and Expedition Behavior:

• Work effectively as a member of a team despite potentially stressful and difficult conditions. This may require problem solving on an interpersonal or group level as well as a willingness to accept differences.
• Contribute to a safe learning environment: no harassment of others for any reason.
• Members must commit to participating in all crew/team activities, including evening chores, check-ins, and service days in local communities.
• Effectively communicate concerns as they arise directly to supervisors and organization staff.
• Have the cognitive ability to learn necessary skills and apply them.
• Appropriately represent the program and AmeriCorps to the public and project partners at all times.

 

Environmental Ethics: 

• Learn and practice ‘Leave no Trace’ techniques at all times.
• Learn and safely perform fundamental outdoor living, travel, and work skills.
• Practice self-care by staying adequately hydrated, fed, and properly dressed, to remain healthy and safe, avoiding environmental injuries.
• Live in a physically demanding, possibly remote environment for an uninterrupted period of up to several weeks. Conditions of this environment may vary significantly and may include severe and challenging weather conditions.

 

Participant Essential Eligibility Requirements:

Essential eligibility requirements for the program must be met. If you are unable to meet certain requirements, we may be able to provide some accommodations, excepting that which alters the fundamental nature of the program, compromises the health and safety of participants or staff, or places an undue financial or administrative burden on the organization. These requirements are written the same for all positions and therefore may not apply directly to your particular position. 

 

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. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, political affiliation, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.