TITLE: FIELD BOTANIST ASSISTANT (1 OPENING)

START/END DATE: March 9, 2020 – March 5, 2021 (anticipated)

STIPEND: $520/week (+Education Award)

TERM: 52 weeks

REPORTS TO: Ryan Besser (Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Biologist)

LOCATION: BLM Taos Field Office (226 Cruz Alta Road, Taos, NM 87571)

STATUS: 1700-hour AmeriCorps Service Term

BENEFITS: AmeriCorps Education Award $6,095; Public Lands Corps Certificate*; both with successful completion of the internship.

SUMMARY:

CONSERVATION CORPS NEW MEXICO (CCNM):

Conservation Corps New Mexico, a program of Conservation Legacy, 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 western Texas that engage individuals and strengthen communities through service and conservation. The CCNM Individual Placement Program is managed from the Arizona Conservation Corps office in Tucson, Arizona. The CCNM program office in Las Cruces manages the CCNM field program. 

POSITION SUMMARY:

The BLM Taos Field Office (TFO) manages nearly 600,000 acres of public lands, as well as administrating over 4 million acres of Federal mineral estate.  In addition to two Wild and Scenic Rivers, the Taos Field Office oversees a large hiking trail system, three developed recreation areas, and prehistoric, historic, and cultural sites. 

Most of the work will take place at the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, where the individual will work with a team of fisheries and wildlife biologists to determine baseline habitats of upland and riparian areas, seeps, springs, and playa lakes.  The selected individual will identify, collect, and prepare herbarium specimens, aid in environmental education efforts, and perform data collection and database entry duties. The BLM Taos Field Office is in Taos, New Mexico.

 ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND FUNCTIONS:

• Work with a team of biologists and fisheries staff to study and collect data for riparian habitats, springs, seeps, rivers, streams and lakes of northern New Mexico.
• Assist with fish population, aquatic invertebrate surveys and environmental education.
• Identify local riparian community flora.
• Collect and prepare herbarium specimens.
• Gather detailed vegetation data for entry into database.
• Contribute to the program’s field guide and database for the area.
• Office duties will include performing data entry and assisting with travel preparation.

Required Skills

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Applicants should possess an undergraduate degree in biology, botany, or a related field.
• Prior experience in plant identification and experience using technical keys.
• Field navigation skills and experience using GPS.
• Ability to drive a 4-wheel drive truck on rugged gravel or dirt roads.
• Experience with data collection in Western U.S. riparian communities.
• Experience with plant voucher collection.
• Experience with data entry and data management.
• CPR and/or Wilderness First Aid certification.
• Familiarity with riparian flora of Southwestern U.S preferred.
• Applicants must pass a DOI security background check and should possess a valid driver’s license with a clean driving record.
• Previous experience with a Conservation Corps or youth-serving organization preferred.

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 camp in rough terrain at elevations over 7,000 feet.
• This position calls for high levels of concentration. A moderate amount of travel is required to attend meetings, provide assistance to other field offices, and to provide or receive training.
• Reasonable accommodations 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, the BLM 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 prescriptions medications, participants must be able to maintain proper dosage by self- medicating without assistance from

SUBSTANCE FREE:

• In accordance to 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. The BLM will provide instructions for completion of the clearance after an intern has been selected and will notify them when they have been cleared to start the internship. THIS PROCESS WILL DETERMINE THE INTERNSHIP’S EXACT START DATE.

Interns 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. Interns 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, interns must be between the ages of 18-30, inclusive, at the time the individual begins the term of service.

TO APPLY: Please submit an updated resume and cover letter along with the online application. If you have questions, contact CCNM’s Individual Placement Support Coordinator Preston Sands at psands@conservationlegacy.org.

For more information about Conservation Corps New Mexico, please visit www.corpsnm.org. Conservation Corps New Mexico is a program of Conservation Legacy.

Required Experience

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Applicants should possess an undergraduate degree in biology, botany, or a related field.
• Prior experience in plant identification and experience using technical keys.
• Field navigation skills and experience using GPS.
• Ability to drive a 4-wheel drive truck on rugged gravel or dirt roads.
• Experience with data collection in Western U.S. riparian communities.
• Experience with plant voucher collection.
• Experience with data entry and data management.
• CPR and/or Wilderness First Aid certification.
• Familiarity with riparian flora of Southwestern U.S preferred.
• Applicants must pass a DOI security background check and should possess a valid driver’s license with a clean driving record.
• Previous experience with a Conservation Corps or youth-serving organization preferred.

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 camp in rough terrain at elevations over 7,000 feet.
• This position calls for high levels of concentration. A moderate amount of travel is required to attend meetings, provide assistance to other field offices, and to provide or receive training.
• Reasonable accommodations 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, the BLM 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 prescriptions medications, participants must be able to maintain proper dosage by self- medicating without assistance from

SUBSTANCE FREE:

• In accordance to 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. The BLM will provide instructions for completion of the clearance after an intern has been selected and will notify them when they have been cleared to start the internship. THIS PROCESS WILL DETERMINE THE INTERNSHIP’S EXACT START DATE.

Interns 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. Interns 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, interns must be between the ages of 18-30, inclusive, at the time the individual begins the term of service.

TO APPLY: Please submit an updated resume and cover letter along with the online application. If you have questions, contact CCNM’s Individual Placement Support Coordinator Preston Sands at psands@conservationlegacy.org.

For more information about Conservation Corps New Mexico, please visit www.corpsnm.org. Conservation Corps New Mexico is a program of Conservation Legacy.