Marin Conservation Corps

Americorps Program - Corpsmember

Program Description: The Volunteers in Service to the Environment (VSE) AmeriCorps Program of the Marin Conservation Corps (MCC) will address the intersection of three critically important needs in Marin County: 1) The stewardship of Marin’s natural lands, habitats and ecosystems; 2) The encouragement of environmental stewardship among youth; 3) The engagement of the larger Marin population in environmental service and volunteer activities on public lands. The program is designed to offer AmeriCorps members an introduction to field research, ecological monitoring, sustainability, recycling and waste reduction, environmental education, civic engagement, leadership skills, and public outreach.

Job Description: During their service year, members of the VSE AmeriCorps Program will be partnered with a “mentor” from a local land management agency (REM Crew) or environmental non-profit organization and schools (YES Crew) to address critical needs and inspire community members to engage in environmental volunteerism. The program is designed to offer AmeriCorps members an introduction to field research, ecological monitoring, sustainability, recycling and waste reduction, environmental education, civic engagement, leadership skills, and public outreach.

Integral to the program is member development and training. AmeriCorps members gain hands-on professional experience at their placement sites, and participate in site-specific training conducted by agency staff. AmeriCorps members also participate in MCC trainings on a regular basis consisting of technical trainings, civic engagement lessons and projects, and corps to career training and counseling. Several times during the service year members will participate in National Community Service Days including Make A Difference Day, California Coastal Clean-up Day, America Recycles Day, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Cesar E. Chavez Day, National Youth Service Day and National Volunteer Week, and Earth Day. Members will plan and lead service projects and also recruit community volunteers on these days.

The program is made up of 22 AmeriCorps members serving on either the Restoration and Ecosystem Management (REM) Crew or the Youth in Environmental Service (YES) Crew. Depending on the crew, Members will be placed at sites ranging from agencies with wide responsibilities for land management such as the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, to grassroots youth and environmental groups such as Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed (STRAW), and to middle and high schools in underserved areas of Marin County. All Members will have roles aimed at generating volunteers to participate in service programs at their placement sites. In the summer, 10 YES members will play a leadership role in Project ReGeneration, MCC’s summer environmental service-learning program. All 22 members will work together to meet the goals of the VSE program. YES members will be paired with REM members to create a partnership between local schools and adjacent public lands to help meet our goals of bringing more youth out to serve the community on environmental service projects.

Restoration and Ecosystem Management (REM) Crew
The 12 Members of the REM Crew will be placed at agencies that conserve and manage natural resources in Marin County, such as the National Park Service in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin Open Space District, and the Marin Municipal Water District. Each member is paired with a mentor at each of the placement sites, who is a professional working within agency departments charged with specific projects and assignments. In past years of the program, members have served on environmental projects including vegetation monitoring and exotic plant removal, native plant nursery maintenance, harbor seal monitoring, dune restoration projects, stream habitat surveys, salmonid spawner surveys, GIS mapping projects, spotted owl surveys, photo-monitoring, exclusionary fence construction, snowy plover habitat surveys, database development and maintenance of scientific data, and water quality sampling. At the placement sites, members will conduct scientific surveys and ecological monitoring, participate in habitat restoration fieldwork, and lead/attend volunteer programs and public outreach events.

Youth in Environment Service (YES) Crew
The 10 members on the YES Crew are charged with promoting environmental service-learning and educating youth about the environment using hands-on experiential learning techniques. The YES Crew provides a well-rounded service experience for members interested in exploring the environmental education field, by providing an opportunity to work in school-based education activities, as well as outdoor and environmental education and docent programs. Members are placed twice a week with a placement site that focuses on environmental projects with youth such as creek restoration and gardening. For the 2007-2008 school-year YES members will also serve in pairs in middle or high schools leading the following projects:

• After-school Cesar Chavez Service-learning Club in a middle school, teaching about environmental and social justice issues, and leading youth in service projects such as school gardening, recycling, and habitat restoration.
  
• Presenting lessons on environmental topics in classrooms
  
• Leading youth in setting up recycling infrastructure on the school campus.
• During the summer of 2008, YES members will lead teams of ten middle and/or high school youth in MCC’s Summer Youth Service and Environmental Education Program Project ReGeneration. Daily activities in this “junior-corps” program include field trips, environmental service projects, environmental education and recreation.

Position:

• 1700 hour AmeriCorps Term of Service
• Position Duration & Service Commitment: Starting September 17, 2007 and ending on August 31, 2008
• Training & mentorship in the environmental field, natural resource management, community leadership, & more!
• $4,725.00 AmeriCorps Educational Award upon successful completion of year-long community service program to be used to repay student loans or for future college schooling expenses
• MCC Training Program consisting of technical trainings & field trips, corps to career counseling, and civic engagement lessons and projects
• Health Insurance & Child Care

Currently Accepting Recruitment Packets for September Start: Due May 18, 2007

Job Duration: Fall, Summer
Job Status: Full-Time, Temporary
Qualifications: Minimum Qualifications (REM & YES Crews):

• U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident, between the ages of 18 and 30 years
• Interest in career development, participation in job-training program and development of new skills
• Willingness to work a flexible weekly schedule: either Tuesday through Saturday schedule (and sometimes on Sunday), or Monday through Friday (and sometimes on Saturday); over 40 hours per week is required periodically for special events, retreats, and trainings
• Applicants are limited to two AmeriCorps service terms. Applications will only be accepted by members that have served or attempted one or less AmeriCorps service terms
  
  Desired Qualifications (REM & YES Crews):
  ·Interest in serving the community and the environment, and recruiting others to do the same
  ·Interest in conservation, natural resources and land management; recycling and waste reduction; education
  ·Effective communication and public speaking skills and the ability to lead/work with diverse people of all ages
  ·Interest in engaging community members in environmental restoration efforts
  ·Experience, interest, or education in science fields such as; natural resources management, ecology, wildlife or vegetation management, fisheries biology, watershed restoration, environmental education, gardening
  
  Additionally, YES Applicants Should Have:
  ·Experience and/or desire to work with youth
  ·Ability to effectively lead middle school and high school youth
  ·Experience and/or desire to conduct environmental/outdoor education
  ·Willingness to do restoration field work and work outside often
  
  Additionally, REM Applicants Should Have:
  ·College coursework and/or BS degree in Natural Resources Management, Biology, Ecology, or related area
  ·Aptitude and willingness to learn computer software and GIS programs
  ·Interest or experience in scientific field research and sometimes strenuous fieldwork
  ·Experience in making public presentations and leading groups of adults and youth
  

Salary: Stipend of $1,200 per month
Benefits: Medical, Retirement
Housing/Meals: Not Provided
Deadline for Application: May 18, 2007
Start Date / Job Period: September 17, 2007
Application Procedure: submit a recruitment packet including cover letter, resume, 1 reference (letter or americorps reference form) and resume to:

Sandy Miles or William Pagan

27 Larkspur Street

San Rafael, CA 94901
Phone: (415) 454-4554
Fax: (415) 454-4595
e-mail: recruiter@marincc.org
Website: www.marincc.org