Title: Giant Salvinia Individual Placement (2 Openings)

Start/End Date: October 7, 2024 – December 27, 2024 (anticipated)

Term Length: 13 weeks

Living Allowance: $600/week

Housing: Free housing available onsite

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: Travel relocation funds $500; training funds $300; 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. Participants 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 participants.

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 candidates will assist staff with invasive species control on Champion Lake (800 acres) and Timber Lake (16 acres).  These lakes are 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, water hyacinth, and alligator weed are three invasive aquatic plant species found on Champion Lake.  These plants have the ability to take over and suffocate waterways.  In addition, tawny crazy ants, an invasive ant species, has established themselves on the shoreline of Champion Lake, threatening the biodiversity of the ecosystem.  A research project has been established to help control the ants featuring a microsporidian pathogen being studied as a biocontrol on sensitive wetlands.  Staff are aggressively trying to control these plants and ants and need individual placements to join this stewardship project.  Individual placements will support staff by surveying, monitoring, and treating patches of invasive plants on the lakes. Individual placements will also assist in mapping and collecting samples from ant populations.  These participants will also assist in monitoring for alligator snapping turtles that may become beached within the lake or that have laid nests on the shorelines.  By assisting with the protection of the water ways on the refuge, participants will aid in protecting wildlife habitat as well as a public recreation area.

Essential Responsibilities and Functions:

• Survey and monitor for invasive aquatic plants on Champion Lake.
  • Walk shoreline for invasive plants rooted or beached along the shoreline.
  • Kayak/canoe the waters of Champion Lake to search for pockets of invasive plants.
  • Engage with the public about survey efforts and boat inspection to prevent moving giant salvinia to other waters.
• Control activities of aquatic invasive plants.
  • Apply herbicide to aquatic invasive plants on shorelines and water by foot, kayak/canoe, and boat.
  • Collect salvinia by hand from water by kayak/canoe.
  • Lead volunteers in collection efforts of plant biomass by kayak/canoe.
• Survey and monitor for Tawny Crazy Ants on Champion Lake and Refuge Office.
  • Walk shoreline for invasive ants along the shoreline.
  • Map ant population and set out/collect bait stations..
  • Engage with the public about survey efforts and the threat of tawny crazy ants to their homes.
• Monitor for alligator snapping turtle.
  • Monitor established nests.
  • Monitor for beached turtles.
  • Assist staff with relocating recovered turtles.

Trainings Provide:

• Kayak/Canoe safety
• Utility Terrain Vehicle Training
• Invasive aquatic plant identification
• Ant identification
• Use of Field Maps application for documenting monitoring efforts
• How to apply herbicide properly and safely
• Proper disposal of invasive plant biomass 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 position 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.

Background Check:

A DOI background clearance must be completed before the selected candidate may report to duty. FWS will provide instructions for completion of the clearance after a candidate has been selected and will notify them when they have been cleared to start service. This process will determine the participant’s exact start date.

Participants will have access to government facilities and systems, and will be supplied with access to gov’t vehicles, equipment, and materials needed to work on the projects and activities as outlined above. Participants must adhere to all government regulations and policies for operating equipment, vehicles, security awareness, and safety.

*To be eligible for a Public Lands Corps certificate, participants 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.