Urban and Community Forestry Placement

Position: Urban and Community Forestry Placement (AmeriCorps, ages 18-30; 35 for Veterans)

Location: Various in Minnesota

Austin, MN

Fairbault, MN

Rochester, MN

Duluth, MN

Twin Cities, MN

    This is not a residential program; participants must secure housing preferably near the crew location

Service Term and Education Award Amounts:

*Members are eligible for an education award up to the amount listed by enrollment type.

Benefits:

• Living Allowance: $2,400/month pre tax
• Training, certifications, networking
• Access to gear lending library
• Access to Employee Assistance Program
• Health insurance
• Childcare assistance
• Student loan forbearance (on qualifying student loans)
• Service term eligible to count towards Public Service Loan Forgiveness program

Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa (CCMI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and AmeriCorps grantee that engages hundreds of youth and young adults each year in programs and initiatives that improve access to outdoor recreation, restore natural habitat, protect waterways, and respond to community needs and natural disasters. Our mission is to cultivate a community of emerging leaders in service to people and the planet. Learn more at conservationcorps.org.

Our values embody safety, justice, stewardship, community and leadership. In working toward our vision, we believe that it is important we commit to the following:

• Using equity as a lens for the work we do and decisions we make
• Building a shared vision surrounding Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion goals with our partnering organizations and communities, and
• Providing an equitable training environment and high-quality programming to all our participants.

Position Summary: Urban and Community Forestry Placements serve alongside community and urban forestry professionals in partnership with agencies such as municipalities, counties, nature centers, and nonprofit organizations. Urban and Community Forestry Placements learn hands on skills related to forest and urban forest management, including tree inventories and data collection, silviculture, Emerald Ash Borer monitoring and remediation, tree planting, tree maintenance, and community outreach. Tasks may include using a variety of field tools, navigating with map and compass, public outreach, and tasks related to urban and community forestry. The Urban and Community Forestry Placement program prioritizes personal and professional growth while teaching hands-on conservation skills in the field. Urban and Community Forestry Placements develop technical skills throughout their term while completing challenging and impactful projects.

Placements are directly supervised by Conservation Corps Program staff and partner site supervisor. Members complete service projects with directions provided by partnering agencies and representatives of those agencies.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Complete service projects to the best of their ability, serving safely, effectively and efficiently to ensure projects are completed to the satisfaction of project hosts and the community.
• Abide by Corps program safety regulations as well as applicable federal/state/municipal law and OSHA requirements; communicate any safety concerns and incidents.
• Contribute actively to the team to complete projects, demonstrating a commitment to the Corps values of safety, justice, stewardship, community and leadership.
• Positive attitude, desire to learn new skills, interest in community service; represent Conservation Corps in positive manner in public
• Commit to completing the entire service term per the start and end dates listed on the Member Service Agreement
• Specific projects depend on the site assignment but may include:

• • Conducting field surveys evaluating tree size, class, diameter, and health
  • Reporting and analysis of data
  • Evaluating harvest sites for impacts on water quality
  • Organizing logistics related to project and/or travel
  • Landowner outreach and engagement
  • Public outreach and engagement
  • Urban and community forest health and survey data collection
  • Perform native plant and tree identification, determine soil types, assess planting success
  • Collect various plant and tree samples
  • Data collection
• Complete and approve timecards and other required reports and paperwork in a timely manner
• Some positions may require regional travel overnight for days at a time.

Hours & Schedule

Schedules can vary, including in-person and hybrid options depending on their site and position. Members should expect to be scheduled for at least 40 hours of service per week. A typical schedule is Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM, including a mandatory 30-minute lunch break which does not count towards service hours.

Training & Development

The Corps provides orientation and skills training at the start of the program year. Additional region or project specific training may be included throughout the service term depending on project need, length of term and other factors. Examples of potential training include: