Title: Urban Forestry Crew- AmeriCorps Assistant Crew Leader

Conservation Legacy Program: Southeast Conservation Corps

Reports to: Crew Leader, Program Coordinator

Locations: Crew will be based out of SECC’s office in Chattanooga, TN and serving within Chattanooga’s public spaces

Season Dates: 03/03/2025 - 06/27/2025

Status: This is a full-time, seasonal, 17-week- 675-hour AmeriCorps National Service position 

Stipend: $600/week AmeriCorps living allowance, pre-tax, dispersed biweekly

AmeriCorps Award: A $2,817.14 AmeriCorps Education Award upon successful completion of the program   

Other Benefits: Wilderness First Aid certification, Chainsaw certification, Transportation to and from project, Uniform shirts, personal protective equipment, and other developmental opportunities as available.  

Crew Structure: 1 Crew Leader, 1 Assistant Crew Leader, 4 Crew Members  

Southeast Conservation Corps:  
Engaging future leaders who protect, restore, and enhance our nation’s lands through community-based service.  

Southeast Conservation Corps (SECC), a program of Conservation Legacy, is a non-profit, AmeriCorps-affiliated organization. SECC selects young adults, ages 18-30, up to 35 for veterans, to complete conservation service projects on public lands throughout the Southeast. SECC provides members with impactful opportunities through a unique set of programs that engage people in meaningful education and service to their communities and natural landscapes. SECC serves a diverse population that is representative of the Southeast, including youth, graduates, veterans, and a cross-section of ethnicities and income levels. SECC is also an active member of the AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team (A-DRT), and as such, selected crews may be deployed on Disaster response projects for up to 30 days.  

SECC partners with various land management agencies in Tennessee and throughout the Southeast region, such as the United States Forest Service, National Park Service, State Parks, city municipalities, and conservation-based non-profits. Projects vary but include trail construction and maintenance, ecosystem restoration, habitat restoration, fire fuels reduction, fencing on public lands, invasive weed removal, herbicide applications, and many others. The projects are manual labor based and most projects require a hike into and out of the project site daily carrying tools and a day pack.    

Service Project:  

Southeast Conservation Corps (SECC) and the City of Chattanooga have partnered to host an In-town (day crew) Urban Forestry Crew with funding for this project provided by the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service, Urban and Community Forestry Program in partnership with the City of Chattanooga. The crew will be managed by the City of Chattanooga’s Natural Resources Department and collaboratively aid in pre-identified restoration projects with a focus on riparian/stream buffer restoration through invasive species removal and native planting.  Crew members will participate in a program that combines training and education with impactful conservation and service projects throughout the local area. The In-town crew will work in frontcountry locations in all types of weather conditions. As such, members should be open to adapting to various climates. Crew Members should effectively learn and apply new environmental conservation skills/restoration skills/outdoor-living skills, actively participate in environmental education activities, practice appropriate safety procedures in all tasks assigned, and use, maintain and repair hand and power tools as necessary.

The crew will engage in physically demanding manual labor to support environmental conservation and restoration efforts. Service projects will vary depending on seasonal factors and environmental safety considerations, with a primary focus on invasive species management. While the staff at SECC and partners strive to provide consistency throughout the season, personal flexibility is expected and should be prepared for when entering the term as schedules, times, and project locations are subject to change per project needs. However, tasks may also include, but are not limited to:

• Riparian buffer restoration
• Tree, shrub, and perennial planting
• Tree maintenance (watering, pruning, etc)
• Herbicide application
• Planting procedures
• Hand weeding
• Gardening/landscaping
• Bank stabilization
• Chainsaw use
• Community service

Crew Life:   

SECC Members with SECC serve on a crew model variation of 4-6 other Crew Members and 2 Crew Leaders who provide project expertise, mentorship, training, and support for the success of all participants. No drug or alcohol consumption is allowed during service-related travel at any time.  

SECC supports a culture of feedback and growth. Crew Members will set goals at the beginning of the season and review their performance through both self-evaluation and a review with their Crew Leader in the middle and at the end of their season. Evaluations will cover areas such as professionalism, responsibility and leadership, communication, engagement, productivity, safety, and equipment use. Crew Members will also be asked to evaluate their Crew Leaders’ performance, the overall program, and their experience at the end of their term. 

Hitch Schedule:    

The Urban Forestry Crew operates on a day crew model, where crew members are in the field during the day Monday-Friday, completing predetermined projects created in collaboration with SECC project partners. Crew members will begin and end each day at the SECC office and spend some time each Thursday or Friday afternoon at the SECC office cleaning crew gear to prep it for the following week. 

SECC is an independent, non-residential program. Crew members are responsible for finding and attaining their own housing when not in the field. Crew members will report to the SECC office at 7:30am Monday-Friday and will end each day around 4:30pm. Members will have evenings and weekends off. The day includes two fifteen-minute breaks and a half-hour break for lunch.

Crew members will need to supply their own personal equipment such as a day pack, work pants, hiking/work boots, etc. SECC will provide tools, protective gear and transportation between SECC office and project sites. SECC has a limited supply of loaner gear available for crew members to borrow. While this gear can be helpful, we strongly recommend that members bring as much of their own gear as possible, as the loaner equipment may not fully meet personal preferences or specific needs.

Expectations of an SECC Corpsmember:   

• Expect to spend project hours outdoors in all weather conditions inclusive of strenuous labor.
• Work as part of a team, using a variety of tools and techniques to maintain City owned lands and landscapes.
• SECC is a non-residential program, meaning crew members are responsible for attaining and paying for their own housing during their off time.  
• Crew members must supply their own personal outdoor gear such as day pack, work pants, hiking/work boots, etc. SECC will provide tools, protective gear, and transportation between SECC office and project sites.   
• While participating in a term of National Service, SECC crews engage in a variety of team dynamics, emphasizing respect for fellow members, partners, the public, and the land they encounter.
• SECC expects members to represent the program in a professional manner. 
• Crew life will include our corps values of challenge, stewardship, dedication, community, and
• Members are expected to be timely, hardworking, flexible, and complete all functions of tasks assigned. 

 Minimum Qualifications:      

• Must be between ages 18 and 30, and up to 35 if a military veteran. 
• Must be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident and provide primary documentation to support this  
• Must be cleared through an acceptable check of the National Sex Offender Public Registry, as well as state and federal Criminal History Checks  
• Must have a high school diploma, GED, or agree to work toward attaining either during term of service (this is essential to obtaining and using the AmeriCorps Education Award)  
• Must be local to the Chattanooga, TN area

Preferred Qualifications:   

• General comfort with and prior experience in outdoor environments.

Orientation and Training:

• Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
• Trainings related to Urban Forestry service projects
• Proper tree planting and young tree care practices
• Wilderness First Aid
• Chainsaw

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. 

Compensation:      
AmeriCorps members will receive an AmeriCorps living stipend of $600/week AmeriCorps living allowance, pre-tax, dispersed biweekly. Upon successful completion of the term of service AmeriCorps members will earn an AmeriCorps Segal Education Award to be used for student loans, qualifying programs/classes, or tuition for traditional Title IV accredited colleges.      

Time Requirements:

• Typically, this position is expected to serve March to June, but exact service schedules may vary. A half hour lunch break 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.

Note: Stated are required by AmeriCorps. Programs may add additional requirements

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.

Participant Essential Eligibility Requirements   

Essential eligibility requirements for the program must be met. If you are unable to meet certain requirements, we may be able to assist you with some modification unless it alters the fundamental nature of the program, compromises the health and safety of participants or staff, or places an undue financial or administrative burden on the organization. These requirements are written the same for all positions and therefore may not apply directly to your particular position.  

Participation and Expedition Behavior   

• Serve 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 differences  
• Contribute to a safe learning environment; no harassment of others for any reason.  
• Willingness and ability to complete all aspects of the program including conservation projects, education, training, and national service. Members must commit to participating in all crew/team activities, including service days in local communities where applicable.  
• Effectively communicate ideas and concerns as they arise directly to supervisors, colleagues, and organization staff.  
• Have the cognitive ability to learn necessary skills and apply them to effectively carry out the service project requirements  
• Appropriately represent the Program and AmeriCorps to the public and project partners at all times.  

    
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. You 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 winds.  
• Effectively perceive, understand, and follow direction by others so that you will be able to successfully execute appropriate and perhaps unfamiliar techniques to manage hazards. These directions may be given before the hazard is encountered or may need to be given during exposure to the hazard.  
• Stay alert and focused for several hours at a time while traveling and serving n varied weather conditions  
• Perceive and comprehend significant and apparent hazards, including those hazards previously identified by others.   
• Respond appropriately to stress or crises.  
• If taking prescription medications, participants must be able to maintain proper dosage by self-medicating without assistance from others.   

Environmental Ethics:  

• Learn and practice ‘Leave no Trace’ techniques 

Outdoor Skills and Fitness (where appropriate)   

• Learn and safely perform fundamental outdoor living, travel, and industry skills as appropriate to the project. Additionally, remain adequately hydrated, fed, and properly dressed so as to remain generally healthy and safe, avoiding environmental injuries.   
• Live in a physically demanding, possibly remote environment for an uninterrupted period of up to several weeks. Conditions of this environment may vary significantly and may include severe and/or trying weather. The remoteness is such that it may require at a minimum one hour, but perhaps in excess of 12 hours, to reach the nearest advanced medical care.   

Substance Free  

In accordance with a drug free environment, alcohol and drugs are prohibited while participating in AmeriCorps and program activities and while on organization property.  

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 reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.