Sierra Corps Forestry Fellowship Program Background:

Sierra Corps is a Forestry Fellowship program implemented by the Sierra Nevada Alliance that aims to increase workforce capacity for forest health restoration, biomass utilization, and wildfire resilience projects in the Sierra Nevada. The Alliance places Fellows with partners throughout the region for forest-health related employment. Fellows bring their education, skills, and expertise to engage in fellowships that provide assistance in assessment, planning, permitting, project management, and other essential forest restoration and wildfire resilience work. The Sierra Corps is a program that allows you to advance your career in environmental conservation, developing skills in project management and contributing to the increase in pace and scale of forest restoration at a time when it is critically needed.

For this position, you will be a Fellow for Sierra Nevada Alliance, completing your fellowship and working under direct supervision by Columbia College.

Compensations and Benefits:

• $27.50/hr, full-time
• Employer-provided Health Insurance, paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave as identified in the Sierra Nevada Alliance Employee Handbook
• A total of $3,650.00 stipend to be used during the Fellowship term, itemized as follows:
  • $1250 travel stipend
  • $500 supplies stipend
  • $500 equipment stipend
  • $1400 training stipend

Time Commitment:

Fellows are required to complete project specific work and professional development activities and trainings over 1920 hours (approximately 11 months, working 40 hours/week). All Fellows are required to commit to the full term of their Fellowship position.  Paid holidays, accrued vacation, and sick leave are also included in this time commitment.  The position starts in January 2025 and will conclude upon completion of 1920 hours, approximately December 2025. Position ideally begins mid- January 202.

Host Site Description:
This position is located within the Forestry and Natural Resources program at Columbia College, a community college located near Sonora, California, in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The Forestry and Natural Resources program was established in 1968 and currently awards Associates of Science degrees and Certificates of Achievement in Forestry, Natural Resources, and Watershed Management. Certificates of Achievement are also awarded in Management and Restoration of Fire-adapted Ecosystems and River Ecology and Management. The Forestry and Natural Resources program addresses critical community needs including forest health and restoration, fire fuels management, and heavy equipment training. Instruction takes place in the classroom as well as in the field, on Columbia’s 285-acre campus, the surrounding Stanislaus National Forest, nearby Yosemite National Park, and at Columbia’s High Sierra Institute field station near the Sierra crest and Sonora Pass. Course work includes classroom and field lecture and lab, a great portion of which are experiential, hands on, practical, and applied. Program faculty include one full time and about eight part-time instructors. Students attain real world applicable knowledge, skills and experience in local natural history, ecology, map use, surveying, GPS/GIS, forest inventory, hydrology, soils, wildlife, dendrology, and vegetation treatments using power tools, fire, and heavy equipment. Graduates of the program go on to work locally as well as across the nation in a wide range of forestry and natural resources related careers, for federal, state, local, private, and non-profit organizations, in some cases transferring to four-year degree programs first.

Position Description:
The Forestry Instructional Support Specialist Fellow will be placed at Columbia College to aid in the implementation of the Greater Sierra Forestry Corps Program. This position will plan, coordinate, and perform advanced and complex coordination work in support of the Forestry and Natural Resources program. The fellow will operate and maintain specialized equipment related to the assigned instructional areas (such as chainsaws, drip torches, etc.); monitor and ensure the safety of student activities, perform complex technical administrative support tasks for faculty and other program staff; and perform related work as assigned. This position will provide advanced instructional and administrative support in technically complex settings and frequently serve as lead workers over multiple complex areas in such settings.

Responsibilities:

Planning and Implementation of Field Exercises (45%)

• Coordinating and implementing complex instructional exercises such as prescribed burns, meadow restoration, etc.
• Preparing complex and specialized field equipment utilized in fire fuels reduction and wildland firefighting
• Set up, disassemble, clean or replace apparatus and instructional materials used in activities and demonstrations
• Ensures that assigned learning environments are maintained in a safe condition; calibrates and performs minor repairs on equipment; monitors the cleaning and organizing of materials; monitors the safety and security of equipment.

Instruction and Mentorship (20%)

• Instructs and/or tutors individual students and small groups to reinforce and follow up on learning activities; monitors and assists students in drills, practices and study activities as a follow up what was presented during regular classes.
• Develops, explains and demonstrates specialized and complex learning exercises and instructional materials; consults with faculty as needed to develop lesson plans.

Project Administration (15%)

• Assists in the development of field equipment / supply budgets.
• Maintains records of materials ordered, issued, used and returned and prepares related reports; maintains inventories to ensure that adequate quantities are available for timely instructional use
• Ensures that equipment is stored appropriately and safely.
• Assists in the development of field equipment / supply budgets.
• Reports student progress toward the accomplishment of learning objectives.
• Posts information to a computerized and/or manual management information storage and retrieval systems; retrieves and compiles information and prepares complex clerical forms, reports and

Professional Development and Sierra Nevada Alliance (20%)

• The Fellow will have an average of approximately four hours per week to plan and participate in professional development opportunities that align with their goals as well as directly support their success at their host site. If there are professional development opportunities that are longer than 4 hours, the excess time will be subtracted during another week. One full workday per month (8 consecutive hours) to attend to Sierra Corps responsibilities, including our monthly meeting and a Fellow(s) respective professional development. These will most likely be scheduled as the last Wednesday of each month. The Fellow will develop monthly reports, and participate in monthly fellow meetings and check-ins with Sierra Nevada Alliance supervisors. They will also plan and budget their use of professional development stipend and complete timesheets.

Required Qualifications:

• Associates degree in Forestry, Natural Resources, Environmental Science, or a related field. Bachelor’s degree or above preferred.
• 1-2 years of combined experience with the following:
  • Forest health monitoring and assessment
  • Conservation planning
  • Project management
  • Natural Resource-based fieldwork
  • Environmental analysis and research
• Ability to think creatively, problem solve, and a willingness to find innovative solutions.
• Strong desire to work in a forest health related career, ideally in the Sierra.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license, and a reasonably clean driving record to operate a work vehicle.
• Familiarity with methods and techniques of student instruction and tutoring.
• Principles and practices of supervision and leadership.
• Appropriate and effective communication and listening skills.
• Work with students from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, ages and academic abilities.
• Explain and ensure adherence to laboratory and program procedures, goals and objectives.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work

Location and Working Conditions:

The Forestry Instructional Support Specialist Fellow will be working out of Sonora, CA. Work is often performed in an outdoor setting including forested areas, meadows, lakes, rivers, etc.

Columbia College: www.gocolumbia.edu 

Sierra Nevada Alliance Website: www.sierranevadaalliance.org 

Sierra Corps Website: www.sierranevadaalliance.org/sierra-corps-forestry-fellowship-program/