Community Volunteer Ambassador – Little River Canyon National Preserve - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy is seeking a Community Volunteer Ambassador for the Little River Canyon National Preserve in Fort Payne, AL, as part of AmeriCorps. The position, starting January 21, 2025, involves recruiting and managing volunteers, promoting the park, and engaging with local communities. Applicants should have strong communication skills, be friendly and outgoing, and work well with diverse groups. The application deadline is December 8, 2024, and requires a resume, cover letter, and references.
PLEASE NOTE: Applicants will need to apply here: https://form.jotform.com/StewardsIPP/cva-member-application-winter-2025 Application form requires a resume, cover letter, professional references.

Position Title: Community Volunteer Ambassador – Little River Canyon National Preserve - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: Fort Payne, AL

Application Timeline: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. First review will occur in early November. Final deadline is Sunday, December 8, 2024.

Terms of Service:
• Start Date: Tuesday, January 21, 2025
• End Date: Friday, December 19, 2025
• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 1700 Hour

Purpose:

Stewards Individual Placements, a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. The Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) Program combines the strength of a national leader in conservation service with the National Park Service to train a diverse group of emerging leaders to assist park units in building lasting connections to communities.

The CVA will help build back the program at both Little River Canyon and Russell Cave parks and get involved with community businesses and organizations. The CVA will promote the park and the volunteer program with the National Park Service in the communities. The CVA will recruit volunteers to assist with events, visitor services and much more.

Site Description

Little River Canyon national preserve is 15,000 acres. The park has waterfalls, hiking trails, kayaking, horseback riding, rock climbing, fishing, and a 11-mile scenic drive. The canyon is 600 feet deep is one of the deepest canyon systems east of the Mississippi River and the deepest in the state of Alabama. The volunteer program consists of visitor services at the front desk, roving outside on the hiking trails, assisting with special events, and assisting the biotech and maintenance.

Russell Cave is an archeological site with one of the most complete records of prehistoric cultures in the Southeast. In the 1950s, archeologists uncovered a large quantity of artifacts representing over 10,000 years of use in a single place. The volunteer program consists of helping with interpretive programs of the cave and helping special events and assisting at the front desk.

Description of Duties:
• Help recruit volunteers at Little River Canyon NP & Russell Cave NM
• Work with current volunteers to learn volunteer duties and responsibilities
• Work with local colleges, community civic clubs, and businesses to recruit new volunteers learn the importance of the NPS volunteer program
• Build up the volunteer program at both parks

Qualifications:
• Good communication skills
• Friendly
• Outgoing
• Work independently
• Works well with diverse groups of people
• Hard-working
• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of elementary or secondary school to enroll as an AmeriCorps participant, and agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to using the education award
• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check.
• Participate in the CVA National Early Service Training in March 2025 (date TBD)
• Be 18-30 years old at time of service (veterans up to 35 years old)
• Must be over 21 years old or have had license for at least 3 years to be insured in this position
• Be able to provide proof of a driver’s license and complete a MVR check

Preferred Qualifications:
• Public speaking
• Effective communication skills
• Experience with public engagement

Physical Requirements:

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions. Some positions may require periodic overnight travel, non-traditional hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Time Requirements:
• This position is expected to serve a 40-hours each week, but exact service schedules may vary and will be set by host site.
• Lunch break will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service hours.
• Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.

Orientation and Training:
• Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
• Week-long, in-person training on NPS volunteer program management and leadership skills.
• Year-long continuum of learning supporting professional development
• $1,200 in Professional Development Funds

Additional Information:
• Working weekends
• Required drivers license
• Driving an hour between parks
• Government housing is at Russell Cave National Monument or getting an apartment in Fort Payne near Little River Canyon National Preserve

Benefits:
• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $7,395
• Living Allowance of $600 per week.
• Additional Benefit of $150 per week, if housing is not provided.
• Healthcare Coverage
• Childcare Coverage
• Loan forbearance
• Interest Payments
• $1,200 in Professional Development funds for training, networking, conferences, and/or travel.
• Networking opportunities within the National Park Service and partnering organizations
• Public Land Corps Hiring Authority
• Week-long in-person training at NPS site with travel/meal expenses covered.

Evaluation and Reporting:

As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of hours, the member has satisfactorily completed assignments, and if the member has met other performance criteria that were clearly communicated at the beginning of the term of service.

Reporting requirements include, but are not limited to, bi-weekly timesheets and accomplishment tracking.

How to Apply

Please visit Community Volunteer Ambassador (cvainternships.org) to review “Member Positions” by region and find instructions on how to apply.

The CVA position will start on Tuesday, January 21, and run for 48 weeks until Friday, December 19, 2025.

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants will need to apply here: https://form.jotform.com/StewardsIPP/cva-member-application-winter-2025 Application form requires a resume, cover letter, professional references.

Please ensure your cover letter addresses how your experience aligns with the CVA program, your experience working with diverse populations, and position details for this park/position. You may submit one application for multiple positions by selecting all sites you are interested in.

Applications Deadline

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. First review will occur in early November. Final deadline is Sunday, December 8, 2024.

For Application Questions:

Please contact James Gasaway, Program Director at jgasaway@conservationlegacy.org

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. This program is available to all, without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, political affiliation, marital or parental status, genetic information, and military service. Where a significant portion of the population eligible to be served needs services or information in a language other than English, the recipient shall take reasonable steps to provide written material of the type ordinarily available to the public in appropriate languages.

We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with AmeriCorps requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.