Great Basin Institute
FOUNDED IN: 1998
Address:
16750 Mt. Rose Hwy
Reno, Nevada
89511
Leadership Development Program
JOB DETAILS
Actively Recruiting: Yes
Position title: Leadership Development Program
Type of Position: Corpsmember (Crew)
Town, City, Park, etc: Las Vegas
State / Territory: Nevada
Benefits: College Credit, Dental Insurance, Education Award, Health Insurance, Housing – Primarily Camping, Housing Stipend/Assistance, Vision Insurance
Project/Program Focus: Habitat Restoration
ORGANIZATION/PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Co-founded in 1998 by two PhD students, Jerry Keir and Sanjay Pyare, at the University of Nevada, the Institute began as a field studies program to mobilize University faculty, students, and volunteers in applied science and direct service to support national parks, forests, open spaces and public lands. Since then, for over two decades, GBI has supported over 7,000 conservationist serving hundreds of projects to realize positive environmental change across the western US. GBI has raised over 165MM for research, education, and service, making impactful contributions to serving the public and our public lands. GBI is based out of Reno, Nevada, with Satellite offices in Las Vegas, Nevada and South Lake Tahoe, CA. GBI is the recipient of the 2015 USFS’s “Regional Forester Award,” the Nevada Governor’s Points of Light Award in 2005 and was named “Outstanding Non-government Organization” by Environmental Leadership in 2001.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
Member Position Summary
Members in the Leadership Development Program (LDP) will serve on a restoration crew, gaining hands-on experience in conservation work alongside targeted training and mentorship in leadership, safety, and technical skills. Service projects may include trail construction and maintenance, hazardous fuels reduction, habitat restoration, exotic weed treatment, fence installation or removal, cleanup of illegal dumping sites, and decommissioning unauthorized motorized routes.
In addition to restoration work, members will participate in comprehensive crew leadership training. Topics covered will include conflict resolution, mental health first aid, prioritization, performance management, accountability, collaboration, team development, decision-making, and goal-setting. Training is delivered through a combination of classroom instruction, mentorship, and practical field experience.
Upon successful completion of the program and the leadership retreat, members will be eligible to serve as a restoration crew leader, equipped with the skills and confidence needed to lead a crew in the field effectively.
Member Schedule & Location
Members will report to the Great Basin institute’s Offices (field stations) for departure to and return from project sites. Members may serve in the field on 4-day tours, 8-day tours, or a mixture of the two, in an outdoor setting, usually camping in the field for the duration of the tour. Camping locations are often in "front country" settings where there is ready access to crew vehicles, however members often camp in undeveloped sites without access to water or restroom facilities where members practice Leave No Trace techniques for camp etiquette. Members may also camp in back country settings where a base-camp is established several miles from vehicles in remote locations. Project site locations may include remote, backcountry locations requiring hiking in steep or otherwise rough terrain for several miles carrying tools and camping equipment.
Typical work days are 10 hours long from 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Schedules will be dictated by project site and distance from the field stations. All schedules are subject to change due to unpredictable
Statement of supplantation, duplication or displacement of staff:
These positions do not duplicate work of previous or existing employees or volunteers, supplant the hiring of workers, or include service or duties that have been performed or were performed by a current employee, an employee who recently resigned or was discharged, an employee subject to a reduction in workforce, or an employee who is on leave.
Service Environment Description and Inclusive Position Description Statement: Inclusive Position Description:
This program prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, gender, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, political affiliation, or disability. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. The functions of this position may be completed with or without reasonable accommodations.
Program Mission and/or Goals:
Nevada Conservation Corps harnesses the energy and idealism of youth to meet the needs of Nevada public lands and communities. The NCC promotes ecological literacy through field research and direct conservation service. The NCC provides students and young professionals opportunities to make meaningful contributions toward protecting and conserving Nevada’s natural heritage, while also gaining valuable work experience in the natural resource management field.
Additional Guidelines or Expectations:
While serving in the field, members will adhere to a strict uniform and personal protective equipment policy as dictated by the specific project requirements and as outlined in NCC or partnering agency policy, including the display of an AmeriCorps logo while in service. Members will be required to participate in any additional service events as required by AmeriCorps. Arrangements for service events will be made by NCC staff, and members will be notified well in advance of the service event.
Evaluation & Reporting:
Members will receive an end of term performance evaluation, and mid-term evaluation if serving for 6 months or more. Members must submit a weekly member service log (timesheet) in OnCorps for review by their Host Site Supervisor. Members are also expected to provide or contribute to a weekly or quarterly report of work accomplishments and service provided. The frequency of these reports will depend on the members? service activities and the report contents will be discussed in the member’s orientation to the program.
Briefly describe how the Member's activities strategically address a community need:
Fire Mitigation.
To help reduce fuels and fire hazards and to create defensible space in the wildland-urban interface, regional land managers have conducted thinning-piling-burning treatments that have effectively demonstrated the value and need of addressing forest conditions through varied fuels reduction strategies. In efforts to reduce high surface fuel loads and potential wildfire severity, a variety of fuel treatments have been applied, evaluated, and assessed for viability and positive conservation outcomes. Studies of common fuels reduction management practices have offered researchers opportunities to quantitatively measure their efficacy in wildfires. Using the availability of data on pre-wildfire conditions, data collected after a fire offers necessary information to assess the effects of different types of fuel treatments. Such research considers tree mortality and tree damage in the context of wildfire severity and is evaluated in randomized controlled trial (RTC) study units, with thin-only treatments, thinning followed by prescribed burning treatments, and no treatment (Chambers et al. 2014). Such comparative field trials have provided resource managers with definitive evidence to determine which fuel treatment methods will be the most successful at reducing fuels and mitigating wildfire severity. Research also indicates fuel treatments favorably impact fire behavior, vegetation, water, and overall diversity within the riparian areas. Corps members will reduce fuels through varied prescriptions, thereby improving forest health and lessening fire risk.
Fire Restoration.
As the number, size, and severity of wildfires escalate across the western U.S., so does the need for post fire rehabilitative efforts. With the increase in post-fire restoration, researchers examined and quantified the effectiveness and ecological effects of these treatments. Studies included an evidence-based review of post-fire seeding literature and an assessment of Forest Service Burned Area Reports to examine seeding trends and the probability of successful restoration actions. Forty papers and sixty-seven Burned Area Reports dated between 1970 and 2006 reflect an increased use of native species during seeding treatments over time and reveal marked improvements to rangeland recovery (Chambers et al. 2014).
Results from related studies also suggest that fall herbicide application can extend the restoration interval even further through reduction in cheatgrass density. Corps members will arrest exotic plant species succession and re-vegetate burned landscapes using treatment methods that include broadcast seeding, weed abatement, and re-vegetation with bare-root plant stock, resulting in healthy ecosystem resilience and improved watershed functionality.
Fire Trail Access.
The increasing pressure resulting from housing development at the wildland urban interface (WUI) requires a more aggressive implementation of trail maintenance plans. The National Wildfire Hazard/Risk Model rates 74% of Nevada communities as "extreme," "very high" or "high" fire risk. Approximately 14,000 homes are located in vegetation types capable of supporting fire behavior that will destroy homes and threaten lives in the WUI. Home construction in the WUI is increasing, while the size and intensity of wildfires is also increasing, resulting in record numbers of homes being threatened and destroyed annually. Ongoing human environmental conflicts, such as the destruction of homes by wildfire, habitat fragmentation, and the introduction of exotic species, all can be related, in part, to the growing presence of humans along Nevada‘s wildland boundaries. To reduce human-caused fire risk, trail systems used for both motorized and nonmotorized recreation will be restored to proper width and grade. The NCC will also mitigate fire threat by reducing vegetation encroachment along trail corridors. Trail systems targeted for intervention include those that serve as fire-fighting trails and roads, offering improved access for fire management. The new trail may also serve as fire containment lines and support back-burning operations. As such, Corps members will support agency trail programs for increased protection of forest lands.
Briefly describe how the AmeriCorps program adds value to the placement site/community:
Our underfunded government agencies struggle to provide successful conservation intervention programs to address these compelling environmental and constituency consensus challenges. The steady, and at times overwhelming, increased demand for NCC services attests to our successes, while underscoring the ongoing need for a Corps program in Nevada to aid in the recovery of species. Our program's focus is now largely centered on demonstrating successful conservation actions, thereby supporting and building stakeholder consensus, and fostering an environment in which agencies, private industry, and the general public may agree upon viable strategies that reconcile the competing demands of environmental stewardship and economic development.
Associated Performance Measures:
Acres of Forest Treated for Hazardous Fuels and Ecosystems Treated for Invasive Plants Trail Construction, Restoration, Re-Designation, and Maintenance.
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PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands, stand, walk, bend, and have specific vision abilities to include close and distance vision, and ability to adjust focus working with computer business equipment and other job/industry specific equipment. Ability to perform heavy physical labor. Must be able to lift up to 80 pounds on occasion and up to 50 to 75 pounds for field-related work. The noise level in the work environment is usually mid level.
The overall nature of the position is active in nature, requiring frequent physical effort and exertion. There is frequent exposure to environmental conditions such as heat, cold, and temperature changes while in the field.
Nevada Conservation Corps (NCC), a Program of The Great Basin Institute:
Established in 1999 as a federally-funded AmeriCorps program, NCC is a vital component of the Great Basin Institute's efforts in conservation. This 21st-century service corps harnesses the enthusiasm and dedication of youth and volunteers for resource management, focusing on land restoration and conservation internships. NCC offers extensive professional development opportunities for those seeking careers in conservation and land management. Celebrating diversity, the NCC assembles members and staff from varied backgrounds to effectively address the needs of Nevada's public lands and communities. It provides a platform for students and emerging professionals to make impactful contributions to the preservation of Nevada’s natural heritage, while also gaining invaluable experience in the field of natural resource management.
The Great Basin Institute (GBI):
Founded in 1998 at the University of Nevada, the Great Basin Institute is a leading interdisciplinary field studies organization, fostering environmental research, education, and service throughout the West. GBI specializes in applied research to support science-based management of public lands and is fervently committed to the promotion of scientific understanding through its field studies, conservation efforts, and public outreach. GBI is home to numerous influential programs, including the Nevada Conservation Corps, International Conservation Volunteer Exchange, Research Associate Program, Cultural Resource Program, Basin & Range Forestry, NEPA Services, Ecological Monitoring Program, and oversees visitor centers at Taylor Creek, Galena Creek, and the Tallac Historic Site, thereby expanding its reach and impact in safeguarding the region's natural and cultural heritage.
Disclaimer: Although the Company has attempted to accurately and thoroughly describe this position, the Company reserves the right to change the same, including to change, add to or subtract from the duties outlined, within the sole discretion of the Company, at any time, with or without advance notice.
JOB DUTIES
Basic Learning & Training:
- Learn and practice trail construction and maintenance using hand tools and other equipment at designated project sites.
- Receive training in hazardous fuels reduction and habitat restoration using tools like chainsaws, handsaws, and loppers.
- Develop skills in exotic and invasive species removal, native planting techniques, and riparian restoration.
- Gain experience in illegal road decommissioning and fence or barrier construction/removal using hand tools.
- Understand and adhere to AmeriCorps, Nevada Conservation Corps (NCC), and agency sponsor policies at project sites and camp locations.
- Cultivate a positive, professional attitude while learning to communicate effectively with crew members, leaders, NCC staff, and project sponsors.
- Work towards meeting production and quality standards as established by NCC administration, crew supervisors, and project partners.
- Assist with basic campsite duties such as cooking, cleaning, and organizing crew equipment.
- Engage in in-field education sessions to deepen understanding of restoration practices.
Intermediate/Advanced Learning & Training:
- Participate in leadership development training, covering key topics like conflict resolution, mental health first aid, prioritization, performance management, accountability, collaboration, team development, decision-making, and goal-setting.
- Learn how to teach and mentor fellow crew members in crew roles, tool use, and construction techniques under supervision.
- Develop an understanding of safety protocols and assist with the maintenance, repair, and organization of tools and equipment in the NCC shop and field.
- Receive guidance on supporting crew members in their training and ensuring tasks meet NCC and AmeriCorps standards for production and quality.
- Build skills in completing weekly reporting of accomplishments and outcomes.
Additional Learning Opportunities and Requirements:
- Dedicate off-hitch time to studying and obtaining certifications, such as a pesticide applicator "QAL" license, or extending knowledge from classroom and field education sessions.
- Develop adaptability, openness to feedback, and a commitment to continual learning and growth.
- Learn how to navigate and apply the chain of command in a professional setting.
- Gain experience contributing to a positive and cohesive team dynamic.
The ideal candidate is:
- Eager to learn and gain hands-on experience in conservation and leadership.
- Adaptable and open to constructive feedback from peers and supervisors.
- Committed to building skills and contributing positively to a team environment.
- Excited about the opportunity to grow into a leadership role.
Commitment:
Successful completion of the Leadership Development Program (LDP) training may lead to an opportunity to serve as a Crew Lead for the following summer season in Reno, NV. Based on performance and project availability, there may also be opportunities for the fall season in Northern or Southern Nevada.
REQUIREMENTS
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Physical and Mental Resilience: Ability to sustain focus and effort during long workdays in adverse conditions while completing labor-intensive projects.
- Strong Communication Skills: Effectively convey information and collaborate with team members, leaders, and project partners.
- Adaptability: Capacity to adjust to evolving project requirements, schedules, and priorities in a dynamic field environment.
Required Academic and Experience Qualifications
- Commitment: Upon successful completion of the Leadership Development Program (LDP), agree to a full 13-week commitment for the subsequent summer season as a Crew Lead.
- Experience and Aspiration: Previous experience in restoration fieldwork and a strong desire to advance into an NCC Crew Leader role upon program completion.
- Possess a valid, state-issued driver’s license and clean driving record; and
- Meet AmeriCorps eligibility requirements: (1) U.S. citizenship, or U.S. national or legal resident alien status, (2) at least 18 years of age (3) High School Diploma or GED certificate (4) eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award (4) pass National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) and federal criminal background checks
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS
Member Benefits:
Members will be provided a living allowance in an amount determined by the number of hours served and the level of responsibility required for the position. Members are also eligible to receive the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award upon successful completion of their service term and required hours. Health insurance and child care are available for eligible members, and opportunities for professional development are available.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Please contact the NCC Recruitment Coordinator: Diana Kaskie at DKaskie@thegreatbasininstitute.org
