Title: Rare Plant and Pollinator Intern (1 opening)

START/END DATE: January 24, 2022 – October 10, 2022 (anticipated)

STIPEND: $500/weekly

TERM: Full-Time- 40 hours/week - 38 WEEKS

LOCATION: Bureau of Land Management, Taos, NM (226 Cruz Alta Road Taos, NM)

STATUS: 1200-hour AmeriCorps Service Term (90% field work and 10% office work)

BENEFITS: AmeriCorps Segal Education Award up to $4,336.50; Public Lands Corps Certificate that allows for competitive hiring for USAjobs/government jobs; *; both with successful completion of the internship. Health insurance eligible.

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 CCNM office in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

POSITION SUMMARY: The Rare Plant and Pollinator Intern position’s purpose is to assist the Bureau of Land Management’s Ecologist/Botanist with rare plant and pollinator monitoring, surveying, NEPA, and other field work.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND FUNCTIONS:

• Conduct rare plant surveys for proposed actions, following a standardized protocol
• Conduct surveys for milkweed and monarch monitoring, following a standardized protocol
• Serve as a crew leader with a team of volunteers
• Assist in NEPA language for environmental assessments and permit review processes
• Analyze the effects of management activities on natural resources for environmental assessments
• Assist in developing a citizen science program for pollinator monitoring
• Utilize Collector, Survey123, Field Maps, and QuickCapture for data collection
• Conduct surveys on western bumble bee habitat, following the Bumble Bee Watch protocol
• Assist in bat acoustic monitoring

Required Skills

MINIMUM SKILLS:

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Applicants must have a background in plant identification and be able to use a dichotomous

• Be between the ages of 18 and 25, there is some flexibility to accept members up to age

• Have US Citizenship or Legal Permanent Residency

• Have a high school diploma or

• All offers of positions are conditional upon completion of an acceptable:

  • A nationwide check of the National Sex Offender Public website;
  • A fingerprint-based check of FBI criminal history record; and
  • A check of the State criminal history record repository for the individual’s State of residence AND State of service.

• Must be eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education

• Must be able to hike long distances for multiple days a

• Applicants must have strong project management, written and oral skills and be proficient in the use of Microsoft Office Suite and ArcGIS online, Survey 123, Quick Captures

• Applicants should demonstrate strong organizational skills, have experience working as part of a team, be able to work well with others in a professional setting, and be self-motivated and able to work independently with limited supervision after the initial training

• Applicants must have great attention to detail and be capable of problem

• Applicants should have a general understanding of federal land resource management policies (e.g., multiple use management).

• Applicants must pass a DOI security background check and should possess a valid driver’s license with a clean driving record.

 PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (botany, ecology, conservation management, environmental science, biology, natural resource management etc.)
• Experience driving a 4x4 vehicle in backcountry conditions
• Experience with ArcGIS
• Proficiency in scientific writing
• Knowledge or familiarity of Southwest native plants

Required Experience

WORKING CONDITIONS: Applicants must be able to work long days and successfully adapt to various climates and working conditions. This includes focused driving to field location and strenuous labor in remote settings and all weather conditions.

Testimony from the 2021 Rare Plant and Pollinator Intern: “This position is a wonderful opportunity to learn about rare plants and assist in their conservation and management. The work you will do is dynamic, engaging, and will make a difference. You will have the priceless opportunity to experience our public lands in one of the most beautiful field offices with diverse plants, animals, and landscapes. You will be working alongside an amazing botanist/ecologist/scientist who will encourage and support you every step of the way and will truly value your work. The skills that you will learn and develop while on the job will be highly applicable to many other natural resource positions and will make you a competitive candidate for future career opportunities. If you want to be involved with meaningful conservation work, develop your skills in the field of natural resources, experience our public lands in a purposeful way, and love going to work every day, this job is for you.”

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 service. Members must commit to participating in all team activities, including service days in local communities where applicable.
• 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

All tasks will have COVID-19 mitigation strategies to reduce the spread in the local community. The selected individual must be willing to adhere to current CDC and state of New Mexico standards, in addition to BLM and Conservation Legacy COVID-19 Policies and Procedures.

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
• If taking prescriptions medications, participants must be able to maintain proper dosage by self-medicating without assistance from

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 including attending necessary trainings and virtual education where necessary.

 SUBSTANCE FREE:

• In accordance with a drug free workplace, alcohol and drugs are prohibited while participating in program activities and while on organization

*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 at https://corpsnm.org/ip-positions. If you have questions, contact CCNM’s Individual Placement Coordinator SamJean Simmons ssimmons@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. 

MINIMUM SKILLS:

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Applicants must have a background in plant identification and be able to use a dichotomous

• Be between the ages of 18 and 25, there is some flexibility to accept members up to age

• Have US Citizenship or Legal Permanent Residency

• Have a high school diploma or

• All offers of positions are conditional upon completion of an acceptable:

  • A nationwide check of the National Sex Offender Public website;
  • A fingerprint-based check of FBI criminal history record; and
  • A check of the State criminal history record repository for the individual’s State of residence AND State of service.

• Must be eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education

• Must be able to hike long distances for multiple days a

• Applicants must have strong project management, written and oral skills and be proficient in the use of Microsoft Office Suite and ArcGIS online, Survey 123, Quick Captures

• Applicants should demonstrate strong organizational skills, have experience working as part of a team, be able to work well with others in a professional setting, and be self-motivated and able to work independently with limited supervision after the initial training

• Applicants must have great attention to detail and be capable of problem

• Applicants should have a general understanding of federal land resource management policies (e.g., multiple use management).

• Applicants must pass a DOI security background check and should possess a valid driver’s license with a clean driving record.

 PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (botany, ecology, conservation management, environmental science, biology, natural resource management etc.)
• Experience driving a 4x4 vehicle in backcountry conditions
• Experience with ArcGIS
• Proficiency in scientific writing
• Knowledge or familiarity of Southwest native plants