Conservation Begins Here.
The Student Conservation Association (SCA), America’s #1 conservation service organization seeks qualified applicants to lead, educate, and inspire students for the programs.
Training Dates: 4/17/2023 – 5/12/2023 (paid mandatory training)
Program Dates: 4/17/2023 – 9/10/2023; 1 position will end 10/1/2023
Location (City and State: Anchorage, AK; Multiple Locations, depending on position placement; Interior, Southeast, Southcentral
Primary Responsibilities:
Project leaders are responsible for daily management and supervision of a Conservation Trail Corps project in a remote site, living and working with members 18 & older. Project Leaders coordinate with agency partners to plan and implement projects, and with SCA staff to manage crew safety, performance, and logistics in the field. Leaders are required to perform the administrative tasks to track project outcomes, approve members’ timesheets, and manage a field budget. Leaders are responsible to teach the crew outdoor living skills to meet basic needs of shelter and nutrition throughout the season. Leaders are responsible for meal planning and purchasing, gear acquisition and transportation logistics to/from the work site.
Program Description:
SCA’s Conservation Trail Corps is a team-based program designed to introduce crew members to the rigors of conservation fieldwork and practice the interpersonal skills required in a team environment. Teams engage in project work focused on trial building and maintenance. Teams work with a variety of land managers including the National Park Service, US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, State Parks, etc.
The crews will begin their program with a two-week field-based training program before traveling to their respective project sites. Guided by an experienced Project Leader, Corps Members learn and practice all the requisite hard and soft skills that are essential for a successful conservation project.
Trail Corps Teams will travel to their project sites after training and could work on a variety of projects. Trail projects include clearing the trail corridor, installing grade dips and drainage structures, rehabbing and reestablishing the tread of a trail, building structures (. e. retaining walls, check steps, fences or barriers), rerouting the trail to more sustainable locations, or logging out trees that have fallen on the trail. Oftentimes, our teams are the first people to work on these trails in years, and crews should be prepared for a variety of work projects to build and maintain sustainable trails.
Crews are based out of remote tent camps near project sites. Work hitches will be typically 4 or 8 days in length but vary depending on location and project needs. Teams work 8 to 10 hours per day. The crews act as an intentional living community and have shared resources such as food and gear. The project leader is responsible for managing the food and purchasing when needed. They are responsible for teaching the members how to cook and sharing the responsibility of camp chores among the crew members.
Field life is rugged, and while on hitch, members should expect to live without electricity, running water, and cell phone reception; additionally, while on hitch, this program is alcohol and substance-free.
Off time travel and transportation is limited in Alaska. Crew leaders act as a resource for members during off time and typically share one vehicle with the crew. Crew leaders are not responsible for planning off time for members; crew members are responsible for planning and managing their off time to enjoy the recreational opportunities in Alaska and be ready for the next work week. In some locations, off time travel is not a possibility due to the remoteness of Alaska.
Specifically, the Crew Leader will:
- Act as a Team Supervisor by facilitating teamwork, managing field-based tasks, guiding group dynamics and community building, and being transparent and receptive to ideas when making decisions.
- Serve as a Teacher by mentoring personal and professional development, teaching environmental stewardship, and teaching conflict resolution skills.
- Act as a Project Manager by coordinating with agency partners to ensure successful and timely completion of work projects and upholding a positive representation of SCA.
- Perform tasks as a Program Administrator by organizing logistics, completing timely documentation, managing a budget, and communicating with SCA staff, agency partners, and their own team members.
Leader Qualifications:
- Must be a minimum of 21 years of age
- Must have ability to legally work in the US.
- Valid driver’s license and MVR that meets SCA standards required to drive SCA vehicles
- Ability to meet SCA’s criminal background check standards
- Wilderness First Responder and CPR certification is required prior to member start
- Experience working with young adults 18 and older; managing group dynamics; teaching in an outdoor environment
- Experience with conservation work skills or related skills preferred – i.e., habitat restoration, trail maintenance, trail construction, chainsaw, carpentry, landscaping, and gardening
- Experience living or working in Alaska is preferred
- Experience working/living in a field camp for at least 60 nights
- Experience leading a group of 4 in an outdoor, overnight setting for at least 30 days, can be cumulative
- Ability to perform manual, physical labor for up to 8 to 10 hours per day, exposed to the elements, occasionally lift and/or move 50 pounds or more, and potentially hike up to 8 miles in a day.
- Experience with mental health first aid
- Not required to provide own housing during the dates of the program.
- Ability to implement and enforce SCA COVID policies and procedures
- Must be able to attend mandatory Leader training: April 2023
Leader Benefits and Compensation:
- Salary range: $700 – $800/week, DOE
- Relocation benefit: $1,100 (half paid on first paycheck, half paid on last paycheck)
- Benefits such as Health Insurance are available for leaders who have accrued 6 months of service time in a 12-month period.
- Field-based meals provided.
- Housing, primarily tent camping, provided for duration of position
To Apply Click HERE
Conditions of Employment:
Beginning on 1/18/22, all new SCA program participants are required to provide proof of up to date vaccination against COVID-19. Per CDC guidance, up to date vaccination now includes all recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including any booster dose(s) when indicated. For example, if someone has completed the primary series but is not yet indicated for a booster shot, they are considered up to date. Once a person is indicated for a booster (6 months after Pfizer or Moderna primary series, 2 months after J&J primary series), full and up-to-date vaccination includes the completed booster shot. Visit the following website for more information, including medical and religious exemptions: www.thesca.org/covid.
The Student Conservation Association, Inc. is an Equal-Opportunity Employer.