Organizational Background:

The Upper Merced River Watershed Council (UMRWC) is a small nonprofit organization located in Mariposa County, just outside of Yosemite National Park in Central California. Our mission is to work with tribes, the community, and federal partners to protect and enhance the 122 miles of the Merced Wild and Scenic River and its watershed through education, stewardship, and partnership-based projects. From the Yosemite National Park headwaters to the Sierra foothills, the Merced flows through an iconic landscape, has been the continuous home of native peoples for over 10,000 years, and offers world-class recreation and an outstanding diversity of ecological values.

As a grass-roots organization, we’re made up of a dedicated group of board volunteers and community supporters. Founded in the early 2000s, the UMRWC boasted a staff of 5, a legion of volunteers and members, and completed projects across the watershed. But in 2012, statewide watershed grants dried up and a fire burned down our office, causing our organization to be literally burned to the ground. Thanks to a recent planning grant and a dedicated board, the organization spent two years collaborating with tribes, the community, and federal partners to create a Merced River Watershed Work Plan that envisions how best to revitalize the UMRWC and protect the Merced Wild and Scenic River for today. We’re now ready—with a new vision and a new plan—to bring on a half-time director and Americorps member to relaunch our efforts.

Number of Member Positions at this Site: One

Site Supervisor’s Name(s) and Title(s): Kristina Rylands, Watershed Director

Position Description:

We are looking for a member with a start-up mindset to serve as the Watershed Project Coordinator. This position will support the half-time Watershed Director and a dedicated team of volunteer Board Members in the implementation of the Watershed Work Plan. Support for this grassroots organization will be broad and leverage the candidate’s existing skills and expertise as well as cultivate additional skills to serve the organization and the candidate’s interests. We anticipate that there will be many opportunities to expand the depth and breadth of SNAP Position Description service as the position evolves throughout the term. Several key areas of responsibility for this position are summarized below.

• Focus on growing our volunteer and membership base via active outreach efforts involving participation in community and stakeholder meetings and events, including Watershed Council events like periodic river cleanups and tabling activities.
• Create and implement a communication plan that includes a social media calendar (Facebook + Instagram), periodic website updates, and a regular e-newsletter.
• Coordinate the UMRWC’s re-emerging citizen science water quality monitoring program by communicating with, recruiting, and training volunteers.
• Assist with recordkeeping for the organization including digital and hard files, media assets, recording and analyzing engagement effort data, etc.
• Support planning and execution of our annual signature fundraising event—the Wild Scenic Film Festival—including supporting the student film festival workshop series
• Assist with engaging community partner organizations to expand the efficacy of the Watershed Council and facilitate collaborative projects across organizations.
• Participate and learn about meeting facilitation by attending, taking minutes, and assisting with board recruitment efforts to build capacity.

Site-Specific Training Provided:

This position will receive hands-on training from the Watershed Director and UMRWC Board members. The professional expertise of our Board consists of an executive director from an environmental education nonprofit, a Mariposa County supervisor, a PhD educator and associate director with UC Merced, a land trust operations director, a public health nurse, a Mariposa County community planner, a retired community housing professional, and a retired PhD in chemistry. The diverse and eclectic experience of our Board—along with their deep love and connection to the Merced River and the natural world—will provide a wealth  of knowledge to draw from in this position. In addition, there are ample opportunities within the greater Yosemite community to explore areas of interest, both personally and  rofessionally. Additional training and educational opportunities could be possible depending on funding availability and needs of the selected candidate for the role. A one-year membership in the River Management Society—a nonprofit organization that supports professionals who study, protect and manage North America’s river—will be included in this position.

Things to Note:

• QUALIFICATIONS. A college degree is not required. However, since our organization as returned to start-up mode, the ideal candidate should be excited about taking the seeds of an idea and creating something tangible and lasting. Teamwork—and team-building—will be essential skills that can be expanded upon or developed through this role. Successful candidates will bring to the position their love of the outdoors and passion for sharing that with others. Solid communication skills, both verbally and in writing, will be necessary as will be a desire to help create a regular, fun, and engaging presence on social media. Creative thinkers who appreciate the value of planning and being organized will enjoy this role, as will someone who appreciates guidance but can run with a task and not need micromanaging. You’ll need your own computer, and knowledge of the Google suite is a plus.
• LOCATION. Mariposa County is a small rural community with few public  transportation options (and no Uber or Lyft). Round-trip bus transportation is available via the Yosemite Area Transportation System (YARTS) which has daily service from the city of Merced (and the Merced Amtrak station) to Mariposa and on to Yosemite Valley. Ideal candidates will possess their own form of transportation and a valid California Driver's license. Mariposa has a local supermarket, health food store/café, various eateries, little or no fast food, and an art park with summer concerts. It's a small town with a population of about 2,500 where the nearest movie theater and Costco is nearly an hour away. As a gateway community to Yosemite National Park, Mariposa experiences bursts of tourism during the late spring through fall months. At about 2,500 feet in elevation, winters can see rain and snow; depending on your location, snow levels are enough to be charming but not a lifestyle. Cell coverage can be spotty in the mountains, but there is ample wifi in the several local coffee joints.
• HOUSING. Like many communities located near major destination areas, housing options are sadly challenging. While there are lots of vacation rental options, long-term rentals can be difficult to find. Many people within Mariposa County live anywhere from in Mariposa proper to 30 minutes from town. We cannot guarantee housing but will help as we can to identify opportunities, including shared housing within reasonable proximity to the community.
• SERVICE CONDITIONS. The UMRWC has no office, so all service will be conducted from the member’s home office, at designated meeting locations, or outdoors in the watershed. The candidate will regularly engage the public in outdoor settings, so the ability to be outside for up to 8 hours at a time—standing, sitting, bending down, and walking on uneven terrain—is essential to perform the duties of the position. This position will need to occasionally carry up to 30 pounds of supplies or gear outdoors over uneven terrain. Mariposa County has hot summers and wet winters, the ability to be outside during both heat (~90-95 degrees) and rain events is also desirable. This position will require office duties and the ability to sit or stand at a desk for up to 8 hours a day.
• EQUITY & INCLUSION. Also noteworthy, the Upper Merced River Watershed Council is dedicated to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion and strongly encourages those who are underrepresented in the many natural resources fields to apply.

National Service Benefits:

• Up to 27,500 living allowance for term of service, $2,500 per month.
• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award upon successful completion of hours for enrolled term of service.
• California For All Education Award (for Full Term members only) supplements the Segal Education Award for a combined total of $10,000. (FT/1700 hr members only)
• Healthcare, Dental, Vision coverage for members (FT/1700 hr members only)
• Childcare assistance if eligible (FT/1700 hr members only)
• Student Loan Deferment & Interest Forbearance if eligible.
• Member Development fund of $500 to support training, networking, and professional development opportunities that can be utilized and will be valued by future employers after the service term is completed.

National Service Qualifications:

• Must be 18+ years of age and high school graduates or GED recipients (or minimum of 17 and working toward a high school diploma or GED); members must agree to obtain either a diploma or GED before using an education award; meeting full list of member eligibility requirements in 45 CFR §2522.200(a)
• Must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or lawful permanent resident
• Must participate in a national criminal history background check pursuant to 45 CFR §2540.200-206