Title: Urban Forestry Crew-Crew Leader I

Reports to: Program Coordinator, Program Director

Conservation Legacy Program: Southeast Conservation Corps  

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

Status: Seasonal, Full-time, Day Crew Program  

Dates: 03/03/2025 - 06/27/2025 (options to extend term through the 2025 season)  

Wages: $20-25 per hour, depending on prior experience and certifications, plus overtime

Health Benefits: Medical benefit options may be available for individuals serving 6 months or longer 

Other Benefits:  Wilderness First Aid certification, USFS chainsaw recognized certification, Public Land Corps Hiring Authority Certificate (upon successful completion of hours), Food & transportation provided while in the field overnight, 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

Position Summary:  

The Crew Leader I position is an opportunity to make a difference in young peoples’ lives while completing conservation projects on public and private lands. Leaders will be mentors, educators, and facilitators for young adults, working to promote the health and resiliency of our land, air, and water.

Standard schedule generally consists of Monday – Friday, 8 hour work days, plus occasional overtime. Crew Leaders may also be required to come into the office to complete administrative duties and check-ins with program staff. 

The Crew Leader I position requires patience, a consistently positive mental attitude, mentorship, technical aptitude, focus on efficiency, and a high level of competence in the outdoors. It also involves an administration role, where weekly paperwork is due in a timely manner to supervisors. Finally, crew leaders must exhibit the ability to effectively work on diverse teams and those from a variety of populations and communities.

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.

Responsibilities:  

Leadership & Mentorship 

• Mentor assistant crew leader (or Crew Leader in Development Program CLDP): provide valuable feedback, give opportunities for growth, delegate responsibilities, and encourage technical and leadership skill development.
• Understand and integrate Conservation Legacy’s DEI vision and values (diversity, equity, and inclusion) within crew community context.
• Implement skills training on worksite and facilitate intentional discussions via informal lessons to contribute to the crew’s personal growth and group dynamics.
• Promote individual corps member development and a safe, healthy, cohesive, other-centered and team-oriented community.
• Follow and enforce all policies, maintain professional boundaries, and appropriately represent the program. This includes creating a substance free work environment, refraining from the use of tobacco products, alcohol, and drugs while involved in the program.

Project Management & Implementation  

• Train, motivate and supervise a crew of young adults to efficiently complete tasks and objectives outlined in conservation projects, while working long hours and managing high quality of work and crew morale.
• Think critically to resolve issues and solve problems, requesting assistance or help when needed.
• Communicate & coordinate logistics with project partners, Assistant Crew Leader (or Crew Leader in Development), & staff.

Safety & Risk Management  

• Monitor, manage, and promote the holistic health of the crew, including physical and emotional (intimidation free community environment) safety.
• Exhibit strong situational awareness & promote a culture of safety.
• Transport crew and equipment safely in organizational vans or large SUVs with trailers in accordance with CL Driver policy.
• Manage and document incidents in the field and activate incident response system, if needed, per Conservation Legacy policy.

Administration  

• Thorough documentation of crew hours, accomplishments, disciplinary actions taken, and incident response according to Conservation Legacy policy and procedure.
• Manage credit card for purchases.
• Track and submit credit card receipts for all expenses every month.

Minimum Qualifications:  

• Full commitment to the program and its mission.
• Must be local to the Chattanooga, TN area
• Understanding of and experience with the mission and field management considerations of conservation corps and public land agencies.
• Leadership, management, and supervisory experience with youth or young adults.
• Must hold CPR/AED or higher or be willing to receive certification prior to start date.
• Ability to effectively manage all aspects of crew life and production within a 4+-hour work week including managing projects and programmatic policies and integrity.
• Flexibility, adaptability, and capacity to work in a fluid, changing work environment.
• Willingness to participate in community-building activities and solution-oriented problem solving with peer leaders.
• Able to work long days in adverse conditions.
• Must be able to speak, understand and write English.
• High School diploma or GED certificate.
• Must over the age of 21 or have possessed a driver’s license for 3 or years more without any restrictions (to pass minimum insurability requirements for crew transport driving duties).

Preferred Qualifications or a Strong Desire to Grow in the Following:  

• Experience with experiential and/or environmental education.
• Facilitation and team-building experience with diverse groups of people.
• Time-management skills and ability to work independently as well as with others.
• Strong conflict resolution skills.
• Technical trails, Crosscut or Chainsaw experience.
• Wilderness medical certifications such as Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness First Responder, or Outdoor Emergency Care.
• Sense of humor, spirit of adventure, and desire to make a positive difference and promote leadership in others.
• Experience with tree care practices
• Basic plant ID knowledge

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.