Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps - Pot Creek Interpretive Team Leader Individual Placement

Title: Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps - Pot Creek Interpretive Team Leader Individual Placement
Stipend: $685.00/week
Dates: 05/20/2024/08/30/2024
Term: 14 weeks
Reports To: US Forest Service 
Location: Peñasco, NM 87553
Status: Seasonal, full time
AmeriCorps award: N/A

Applications Due April 01, 2024

Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps’ Mission:

It is the mission of the Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps to lead our nations back to cultural and ecological wellbeing. The Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps is specifically designed to engage Native American youth and young adults with offices in Acoma, Albuquerque, Gallup, Zuni, and Hopi. Along with Southwest Conservation Corps office locations in Durango, Four Corners, and Salida.  *Ancestral Lands serves local tribal communities in the regions we operate. Applicants from tribal communities near Pott Creek Cultural site highly encouraged to apply *

United States Forest Service Mission:

The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.

The Heritage Resources Program supports the US Forest Service’s mission to care for the land and serve the people through relationship building with partners and public users, sustainable recreation, and active restoration of the National Forests and Grasslands of the Southwest.

The Heritage Resources Program specifically advocates for material cultural resources, ethnographic resources, and areas of Tribal concern on US Forest Service lands, as well as upholds and adheres to laws and directives pertinent to Heritage Resources on federal public lands.

Program Overview

Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps Leaders perform many roles and are the key to our program’s success. The position is multi-faceted and demanding, but with opportunity for enormous rewards. Successful candidates will demonstrate resourcefulness, effective communication skills, excellent judgement, maturity, initiative, professionalism, and the desire to devote themselves to a crew experience where the needs of others are placed above oneself. This IP Leadership position requires, mentorship, patience, technical aptitude, focus on efficiency, and a high level of comfort in the outdoors. Crew Leaders are ultimately responsible for the day-to-day successes and short-comings of the crew. 

This internship opportunity funds three Pueblo interns to be present at the Pot Creek Cultural Site, Carson National Forest, Camino Real Ranger District, New Mexico during the peak summer tourism season.  The three interns will consist of one (1) leader, and two (2) members. This intern program lays the groundwork for a long-term partnership between the Carson National Forest and its affiliated Tiwa-speaking Pueblos to co-manage the popular sustainable recreation site on the Camino Real Ranger District.

The goals of this program include:

1. Engaging local Tribal youth in ongoing Forest restoration projects.
2. Providing relevant job skills to Tribal youth.
3. Providing Tribal youth with exposure to traditional cultural lifeways and material, cultural knowledge.
4. Cultivating meaningful interactions, points of connection, and mutual benefits between the Carson National Forest and its local Pueblo partners.
5. Integrating new technologies for natural and cultural resource interpretation.

Essential functions and responsibilities:

The ALCC Leadership Individual Placement will oversee and implement the following tasks:

• Interpretation of cultural heritage and archaeology (training provided by Forest archaeologists and Tribal partners).
• Participation in ongoing Forest restoration work.
• Execution of routine trails maintenance work and other on-site duties.
• Training in traditional cultural lifeways (educational sessions conducted by Tribal partners) and northern Rio Grande archaeology (educational sessions conducted by Forest archaeologists).

Qualifications: The ALCC Crew Leader emphasizes Leadership, Conservation, and Corpsmember Development.

Leadership – Crew Leader's must have experience or a strong desire to mentor a diverse group of young individuals. Must provide leadership in AL’s service programs and work alongside CLDP to maintain crew functions. They will lead, mentor, manage, and participate in the day-to-day details of crew life at work. Leadership duties with AL require that all crew leaders must have a clean driving record (insurable) and a current driver’s license. If you have any major driving infractions within the past 5 years (i.e. DUI, DWI, accidents, Reckless Endangerment, etc.), please check with AL staff to confirm whether or not you are insurable. Final acceptance decisions are contingent upon your driving record. Individuals that cannot be insured under AL’s insurance policy may not be selected for the Crew Leader program.

Conservation – Previous experience with a conservation corps is preferred but not required. Participants will spend their term with AL learning and strengthening their conservation skills on projects throughout their communities and the Southwest. These skills will include, primarily, trail maintenance and construction and forestry work; additional skills that may be gained (depending on contract work) include fencing, invasive species identification and eradication, stream and river restoration, habitat restoration, ecological restoration, campground improvement, and rock work. Members will receive training and certification on the proper use and safety of a chainsaw (if applicable).

Corpsmember Development – Previous experience as an outdoor educator and/or mentor is preferred but not required. Must have a strong desire to teach and implement a Corpsmember Development Program which includes personal, professional, and educational components. CLDP participants spend their first 8-12 weeks familiarizing themselves with this program and practice facilitating different aspects of the program with the rest of the crew. During this time, Crew leaders will mentor Crew Members.

In addition, Crew Leader participants must understand the need for:

Commitment – Participants must make a strong commitment to complete all aspects of the program including conservation projects, education, training, and national service. Participants must commit to participating in all crew activities, including service days in local communities.

Safety - Crew leaders are required to establish and maintain a culture of safety on their crew during all program activities. Crew Leaders must also enforce all safety Protocols.

Professionalism – participants must be willing to follow all AL policies, maintain professional boundaries, and appropriately represent Ancestral Lands and AmeriCorps. Participants are also required to be tolerant of diversity, respecting the differences of others.

Teamwork– Crew Leaders and members must be willing to demonstrate teamwork and respect for others and a commitment to group decisions.

Technology– The use of technology, including cell phones, iPods, MP3 players, and other battery powered devices is not allowed during all work, activities. Members must agree to not use these types of technology while participating in these activities and must agree to help regulate this important AL policy when in a leadership position.

Administration - Complete professional documentation of time sheets, daily and weekly reports, corps member and peer evaluations, disciplinary action forms, incident reports, etc. Responsible for all project related outcomes and deliverables.  

Substance Free – participants MUST be willing and able to refrain from tobacco products, alcohol, and/or drugs while participating in the AL program.

Fitness – Projects involve hiking, heavy lifting, and repetitive motions. Ancestral Lands projects are physically demanding!!! Projects can sometimes take place at elevations well above 8,500 feet. Crew Leaders should be ready to confront these conditions while being able to help and encourage crew members.

Citizenship – Must be a United States Citizen or Permanent Resident

• Willingness to commit fully to the program and its mission.
• Leadership experience with Indigenous youth or young adults.
• Excellent organizational & communication skills
• Strong time-management skills and ability to work independently as well as with others
• Ability to manage all aspects of crew life and production effectively and efficiently within a 40-hour work week
• Willingness to learn and be a part of a dynamic community of peer leaders
• Must be adaptive, patient, and able to maintain a positive perspective throughout
• Experience with backpacking, wilderness living and travel, LNT principles
• Must be 21, have a clean driving record (insurable by Conservation Legacy) and a current driver’s license.
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with ALCC or other conservation corps or youth corps
• Experience with experiential and/or environmental education
• Facilitation and team-building experience with diverse groups of people
• Strong conflict resolution skills
• Relevant Bachelor’s Degree
• Sense of humor, spirit of adventure, and desire to make a positive difference and promote leadership in others
• High School diploma or GED certificate
• Current/relevant medical certification (WFA, WFR, WEMT, or OEC) with CPR/AED

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.

Apply Now! 

To apply, please submit an updated resume and letter of interest along with the online application. 

 Contact Shonto Greyeyes at sgreyeyes@conservationlegacy.org with any questions.