Giant Salvinia Intern (2 Openings)

Start/End Date: May 20, 2024 – August 9, 2024 (anticipated)

Term Length: 12 weeks

Stipend: $600/week

Reports To: Wildlife Refuge Manager

Location: Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge – 601 FM 1011, Liberty, TX 77575

Status: 450-hour AmeriCorps Service Term; 40 hours/week

Benefits: Housing available onsite; travel relocation funds $750; AmeriCorps Education Award $1,824 – with successful completion of the internship.

AmeriCorps is the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. AmeriCorps provides opportunities for Americans of all backgrounds to serve their country, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, and improve lives and communities. Environmental stewardship programs help conserve natural habitats, improve energy efficiency, protect clean air and water, and help to mitigate the effects of climate change among other environmental efforts.

Conservation Corps New Mexico (CCNM)

Conservation Corps New Mexico, a program of Conservation Legacy and AmeriCorps partner, aims to continue the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930’s. CCNM is focused on connecting youth, young adults, and recent era military veterans with conservation service work projects on public lands. CCNM operates programs across southern New Mexico and Texas that engage individuals and strengthen communities through service and conservation. The CCNM Las Cruces office manages the Individual Placement Program.

Mentorship

These Individual Placement Positions are unique development opportunities. Interns are paired with a local supervisor and gain technical, hands-on experience in the work of these organizations or agencies. Site supervisors commit to facilitate career development; provide an introduction to numerous pathways within the conservation field; and create accessible, meaningful, learning opportunities and experiences for interns.

Position Summary:

Under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1994 for the protection of the emergent wetlands and their species.  The refuge contains 30,000 acres of bottomland hardwood forest habitat and staff manage forest, lakes and all of the plant and animal species within the refuge.

The selected interns will assist staff with invasive species control on Champion Lake.  This 800-acre oxbow lake is habitat for alligators, alligator snapping turtles (protected species), alligator gar fish, nesting colonial waterbirds, neotropical migrant birds, and numerous other reptiles and amphibians.  Giant salvinia (invasive species) is an aquatic fern that floats on water and was found on the lake in May 2023.  The plant has the ability to take over and suffocate waterways, so staff are aggressively trying to control this plant and need interns to join this stewardship project.  They will support staff by surveying, monitoring, and treating patches of giant salvinia on the lake.  These interns will also assist in monitoring for alligator snapping turtles that may become beached within the lake. Interns will kayak/canoe, walk the shoreline, and treat the waters of Champion Lake to monitor for giant salvinia and alligator snapping turtle. By assisting with the protection of the water ways on the refuge, interns will aid in protecting wildlife habitat as well as a public recreation area.

Essential Responsibilities and Functions:

• Survey and monitor for Giant Salvinia Plant on Champion Lake.
  • Walk shoreline for salvinia rooted or beached along the shoreline.
  • Kayak/canoe the waters of Champion Lake to search for pockets of giant salvinia.
  • Engage with the public about survey efforts and boat inspection to prevent moving giant salvinia to other waters.
• Control activities of giant salvinia
  • Apply herbicide to giant salvinia on shorelines and water by foot or kayak/canoe.
  • Collect salvinia by hand from water by kayak/canoe.
  • Lead volunteers in collection efforts of plant biomass by kayak/canoe.
• Monitor for alligator snapping turtle.
  • Monitor established nests.
  • Monitor for beached turtles.
  • Assist staff with relocating recovered turtles.

Trainings Provide:

• Kayak/Canoe safety
• Invasive aquatic plant identification
• Use of Field Maps application for documenting monitoring efforts
• How to apply herbicide properly and safely
• Proper disposal of salvinia mass on land
• Alligator snapping turtle identification
• How to contain alligator snapping turtle until staff can handle turtle
• How to handle alligator snapping turtles if one is found and can be handled

Working Conditions: Wildlife interactions are possible; wasps, fire ants, alligators, and snakes are present in waterways and on shorelines; mishandling of alligator snapping turtles can result in severe bodily injury; sunburn, heat illness, dehydration, and drowning are of critical concern during project.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Per federal grant requirements, this internship is for young adults between the ages of 18-30 (35 for veterans), inclusive, at the time the individual begins term of service.
• Eagerness for a physically challenging and adventurous internship in the outdoors and on the water.
• Positive attitude.

Physical Requirements:

• To successfully perform essential functions, the individual is required to sit, stand, walk, speak, hear, etc. May be required to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl for significant periods of time and be able to safely lift 50 pounds on a routine basis. He/she must be able to operate office equipment, telephone, and computer and reach with hands and arms.
• Ability to hike and navigate in rough terrain.
• Reasonable accommodation may be made for qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Participant Essential Eligibility Requirements/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
• Contribute to a safe learning environment, no harassment of others for any
• Willingness and ability to complete all aspects of the program including conservation projects, education, training, and national
• Effectively communicate ideas and concerns as they arise directly to supervisors, colleagues, and organization
• Appropriately represent Conservation Corps New Mexico, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, and AmeriCorps to the public and partners at all
• Flexibility, adaptability, and capacity to work in a fluid, changing work

Safety and Judgment: 

• Effectively communicate danger to others in the form of either a warning of danger others may be encountering or a notification of personal distress, injury or need for assistance. Must be able to do so at a distance of up to 50 meters and in conditions with limited visibility or loud background noise such as darkness or high
• Effectively perceive and understand significant and apparent hazards and follow direction by others so that you will be able to successfully execute techniques to manage hazards. These directions may be given before the hazard is encountered or may need to be given during the exposure to the hazard. Ability to respond appropriately to stress or
• Stay alert and focused for several hours at a time while traveling and working in varied weather conditions.
• If taking prescription medications, participants must be able to maintain proper dosage by self- medicating without assistance from

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.

*To be eligible for a Public Lands Corps certificate, interns must be between the ages of 18-30 (35 for veterans), inclusive, at the time the individual begins the term of service.

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.

To Apply: Please submit an updated resume and cover letter along with the online application at https://corpsnm.org/individual-placement-openings . Consideration will be given as resumes are received and this position may close at any time. If you have questions, contact CCNM’s Individual Placement Program Coordinator, SamJean Simmons at ssimmons@conservationlegacy.org.

For more information about Conservation Corps New Mexico, please visit www.corpsnm.org. Conservation Corps New Mexico is a program of Conservation Legacy.