Position Title: Water Steward - AmeriCorps
Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements- BIA WaterCorps Program
Site Location: 166 Moosehead Lake Road, Greenville, ME 04441 (site location remote on AMC's property in Piscataquis County, Maine)
Application Timeline: Preference given to applicants that submit application by February 15, 2025
Terms of Service:
- Ideal Start Date: April 15, 2025
- End Date: October 10, 2025
- AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 900 hour
Purpose:
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 partners with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to facilitate the WaterCorps Program to provide opportunities to Tribal Members seeking to gain experience in the water resources field. This WaterCorps position will be hosted at the Appalachian Mountain Club's Maine Woods Initiative in Piscataquis County, Maine.
The Water Steward is an AmeriCorps position that willsupport the efforts of watershed restoration within the Penobscot River watershed in both Penobscot and Piscataquis Counties in Maine. This position will serve the Penobscot Nation in their water quality research and monitoring efforts and support fish passage restoration work in rural areas of Piscataquis County. Both the Appalachian Mountain Club and Penobscot Nation are deeply committed to preserving and restoring the waterways within the Penobscot watershed to promote better water quality, habitat, and fish passage for the endangered Atlantic Salmon and other species. This position will serve to further the efforts of both groups in the region and promote an ethic of landscape restoration and land stewardship.
This position will work closely with both the Appalachian Mountain Club's Land and Research Departments as well as the Penobscot Nation's Water Resources Department. The Water Steward will assist in gathering information related to fish passage projects, small order stream mapping, lake water quality, macroinvertebrate sampling, and mercury within the larger Penobscot River watershed. This team member will work closely with professionals throughout both organizations and with other project partners within the state of Maine.
Description of Duties:
- Collecting water quality samples in lakes, rivers, and streams.
- GPS mapping of small order streams.
- Inventorying fish passage crossings both pre and post construction.
- Attending partner meetings and site visits with either AMC staff or the Penobscot Nation.
- Macroinvertebrate sampling in streams and rivers.
- Fisheries work to both tag certain fish species and assist with brook trout release with local partners.
Qualifications:
- Must have a valid U.S. driver's license
- Ability to hike and navigate in remote settings and spend a full day in a backcountry setting
- Must be able to lift 50 lbs on an occasional basis
- Comfortable working on and around water including with canoeing or kayaking on lakes or waterways
- Attention to detail, supporting field notes and documentation of sampling and environmental conditions
- Must be a member of a Federally recognized Indian Tribe, Band, or Village; Alaska Native; or meet one of the following descriptions:
- Persons who possess at least one-half degree Indian blood derived from Tribes Indigenous to the United States
- Descendants of Members of Federally recognized Indian Tribes, Bands or Communities who were residing on any Indian Reservation on June 1, 1934 - shown by completing BIA Form 4432
- 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
- Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check
Preferred Qualifications:
- Wabanaki tribal affiliation is preferred
- Experience with field work in remote settings
- GIS or prior GPS experience, including data collection and map development
- Prior work on water resource related projects, including summer field work or internships
- Enrolled or have completed some college credit in a natural resources field
- Navigational experience through personal or professional experiences
- Ability to work well in both a group setting and independently on work tasks
Additional Position and Community Information:
- The Water Steward will have access to a fleet vehicle while working on the Appalachian Mountain Club's property and projects. Having a personal vehicle is essential to travel in the rural areas of Maine beyond AMC's ownership
- The Water Steward will have access to a fleet vehicle, when necessary, while working on projects for the Penobscot Nation. Candidate must have a valid driver's license and a clean driving record to be insurable for vehicle use
- The setting for this position is rural, in the least populated county (Piscataquis) within the state of Maine
- The Appalachian Mountain Club will provide housing for this position in a remote setting with other seasonal staff. The housing will include some meals, showers, laundry, and internet. The cabin that this position will be housed in is off the grid with generator power for electricity
- The nearest medical facilities would be in either Greenville or Brownville Maine, both of which will be an hour from the housing location
- Work with the Penobscot Nation will require use of a personal vehicle to travel to Indian Island, Maine or other project sites hosted by the Penobscot Nation
- Essential electronic devices will be supplied by the Appalachian Mountain Club and Penobscot Nation, including a work laptop, GPS unit, and field tablet
Benefits:
- Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $3,697.00 awarded upon successful completion of position
- Living Allowance of $600.00 per week
- Additional Benefit of $100.00 per week
- Professional Development fund of $2,255.00 for entire term
- Option to choose Healthcare Coverage and Childcare Coverage
- Student Loan forbearance if Eligible (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly)
- Interest Payments if Eligible (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly)
How to Apply:
In addition to your resume, you must upload a copy of your Tribal ID proving you are enrolled in a federally recognized Tribe, Band, or village. Please also submit a one-page cover letter highlighting why you are interested in this position and how your background and experience will help you succeed in this position.
Application Timeline: Preference given to applicants who submit applications by February 15, 2025.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Position will close on March 15, 2025.
Supervisor Name and Contact Information:
- Program Contact information: Andre Nguyen, anguyen@conservationletgacy.org
- Service Site Contact information: Carolyn Ziegra, cziegra@outdoors.org
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 application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.
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. 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.
Time Requirements:
- This position is expected to serve 40 hours each week, but exact service schedules may vary.
- Lunch breaks will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service.
- Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.
Orientation and Training:
- Water Steward will receive an orientation that includes program expectations and AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
- Wilderness First Aid training if not already certified.
- Driver training for the Appalachian Mountain Club vehicle fleet.
- Lake Stewards of Maine training for lake quality monitoring.
- Training will be provided on Penobscot Nation Water Resources Standard Operating Procedures
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.
