Seed Collection Members

Overview

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management, is seeking Three Seed Collection Members to contribute to the Seeds of Success project alongside the Border Field Office Bureau of Land Management Staff.

For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

Target Start Date: Late May 2025 (contingent upon passing a government background check)

Estimated End Date: September 2025

*a 16-week minimum commitment is required *

Location Details/Description: Spokane Valley, WA

Eastern Washington state is the home of the Border Field Office, part of the Spokane District. The office is responsible for BLM lands ranging from the Canadian border to the north, to the Oregon state line to the South and lands East of the Columbia River. Some work, no more than 30%, may occur out of the Wenatchee Field Office. The Spokane District manages nearly 450,000 acres of public lands across the state of Washington. Botanically, plant communities range from extensive Columbia Plateau Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe, Palouse Hills, and Scablands to Ponderosa pine woodland/savanna, Okanogan Highland Dry Forest, and Selkirk wet mixed-conifer forest.

For more information about the Border Field Office, please visit the BLM website.

Position Overview: Much of the work will be accomplished in remote locations on rugged terrain that require a 4×4 truck to access, it may take 1-4 hours of driving to reach a work site. Seed collection would involve following the BLM Seeds of Success protocol. Seeds of Success (SOS) is the national native seed collection program, led by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in partnership with a variety of federal agencies and non-federal organizations. SOS’s mission is to collect wildland native seed for research, development, germplasm conservation, and ecosystem restoration.

Duties:

Field Work (~ 80%)
Learn and implement seeds of success seed collection method
Identify native plant species with training and reference tools
GPS/GIS: using GeoPlatform and ESRI products, data collection and navigation for the Seeds of Success program
Hiking in remote locations
Camping in established and dispersed sites
Driving safely for long distances to reach work sites
Collaboratively work in a team setting
Maintain and report any issues of equipment including data collection tablet and laptop computer
Office Work (~ 20%)
Learn and implement seeds of success seed collection method
Using GeoPlatform and ESRI products to store, compile, and analyze data from field collection.
Collaboratively work in a team setting
Maintain and report any issues of equipment including data collection tablet and laptop computer
This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with professionals. This could include gaining experience in different conservation fields and shadowing different work group

Tagged as: Conservation

Qualifications:

Required:

Members must be authorized to work in the United States. ACE does not provide sponsorship for employment visas.
Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner.
Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.
A valid driver's license and an insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request). Members must be 21+ to drive due to ACE's insurance

Preferred Skills:

Competitive applicants for this position can hold or be pursuing a minimum of an undergraduate degree in biology, ecology, environmental sciences, botany or similar studies and/or have relevant experience in subject areas such as plant identification.
All candidates are encouraged to apply, though local candidates will be strongly considered.
Deep interest in learning botanical identification skills, or field experience identifying plants.