Overview
Conservation Begins Here.
The Student Conservation Association (SCA), America’s #1 conservation service organization seeks qualified applicants to lead, educate, and inspire members for the Northeast Ohio Program!
Program Dates: March 27, 2022 – December 15, 2022
Location: Multiple locations in Northeast Ohio, primarily the extensive natural areas managed by Cleveland Metroparks.
Position Summary:
Come lead a trail crew completing high-impact projects throughout the surprisingly varied terrain of Northeast Ohio. Project leaders are responsible for daily management and supervision of a Conservation Trail Corps project in front-country sites with members 18 & older. Project Leaders coordinate with a dedicated team at Cleveland Metroparks to plan and implement projects, and with SCA staff to manage crew safety, performance, and logistics in the field. Leaders are required to perform administrative tasks to track project outcomes, approve members timesheets, and manage a field budget as well as completing trail work in an extraordinarily popular park system that sees nearly twice as many visitors each year as the most-visited national park.
Program Description:
SCAs Ohio Conservation Trail Corps is a team-based program designed to introduce crewmembers to the rigors of conservation fieldwork and practice the interpersonal skills required in a team environment. Teams engage in project work focused on trial building and maintenance. Teams work with trail builders and land managers from Cleveland Metroparks, one of the nation’s most visited parks.
Crews will begin their program with a two-week field-based training program close to their project sites. Guided by an experienced Project Leader, Corps Members learn and practice all the requisite hard and soft skills that are essential for a successful conservation project.
After training, Trails Corps teams will work on a variety of projects. Trail projects will likely include clearing the trail corridor, installing grade dips and drainage structures, rehabbing and reestablishing the tread of a trail, building structures (i.e., retaining walls, check steps, staircases, fences, or barriers), rerouting the trail to more sustainable locations, decommissioning social trails, or logging out trees that have fallen on the trail. Trails within the Cleveland Metroparks see hundreds of visitors each week, and crews should be prepared for a variety of work projects to build and maintain sustainable trails given that unusually high intensity of use.
Crews are based out of shared housing around Cleveland Metroparks, but participants may opt to live at home instead. Work hitches may vary from 4 to 8-10 days in length, depending on project needs and partner schedules.
Field life is physically and mentally demanding. This crew will have access to amenities including electricity, running water, and cell phone reception, but should expect to spend evenings while on-hitch resting, refueling
Qualifications:
Must be a minimum of 21 years of age
Must have the ability to legally work in the US
Valid driver's license and MVR that meets SCA standards required
Ability to meet SCA's criminal background check standards
Must be able to attend mandatory Crew Leader training
Wilderness First Responder certification preferred but not required
At least one year of experience working with young adults 18 and older; managing group dynamics; teaching in an outdoor environment a plus
Required Skills:
Act as Team Leader by facilitating teamwork, managing field-based tasks, guiding group dynamics, building community, and being inclusive, transparent, and receptive to ideas when making decisions.
Serve as a Teacher by supporting personal and professional development, teaching environmental stewardship, and modeling and sharing conflict resolution skills.
Act as a Project Manager by coordinating with agency partners to ensure successful and timely completion of work projects to the partner's standards a
About Student Conservation Association
Today, SCA’s mission is to build the next generation of conservation leaders and inspire lifelong stewardship of the environment and communities by engaging young people in hands-on service to the land. Members participate in a variety of capacities and contexts. Beyond national parks, members work on marine sanctuaries, cultural landmarks, and community green spaces in our nation’s urban centers. Members do land management, habitat restoration, trail building, disaster rehabilitation or prevention work, environmental education, public outreach, and more.
