Buffers Assessment Individual Placement with Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley

Job Overview

Title: Buffer Assessment Individual Placements with Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley

Location: Mt. Crawford, VA or New Market, VA

Positions Available: 2

Service Dates: Start end of May 2026 for an 18-week term

Pay Rate: $750/week living stipend paid biweekly ($600/week living stipend + $150/week additional benefit)

Status: Full-time 40 hours/week, Temporary AmeriCorps National Service Member

Contact: [email protected]

Please submit a resume and cover letter with your application. Applications will be accepted through March 15th.

Appalachian Conservation Corps:

Our Individual Placement program works to connect young people to conservation service work across Appalachia and neighboring communities in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, DC, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. ACC is a program of Conservation Legacy, a nationwide network of conservation organizations.

As an AmeriCorps program, participants commit to a term of service at their placement site in order to gain hands-on experience and a variety of benefits to help them succeed in achieving their career goals. ACC welcomes national applicants but also emphasizes the engagement of local individuals who represent the communities in which they serve.

Placement Site:

The Buffer Assessment Individual Placements will serve with the Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley. Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that serves Augusta, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Page, Warren, and Frederick counties in northwestern Virginia. This position will require approximately 75% field work on private lands and travel to those sites, and 25% office work generating plans and reports related to those site visits. Member will travel throughout the Central Shenandoah Valley using an ACC vehicle, which can be housed at the ACC office in Mount Crawford, VA, or the ASV office in New Market, VA. Member will have the option to work out of either office space as needed for administrative tasks.

Position Summary:

The primary purpose of this position is to perform site assessments and develop maintenance plans for riparian forest buffers and other tree planting best management practices as a part of the ACC Watersheds Corps. These members will assess riparian forest buffers on private agricultural lands and create a work plan for a follow up maintenance crew to complete in the fall or spring. Assessments include visual observation of invasive plant species, live dead counts of planted trees, and tree shelter maintenance needs at the sites. Most buffers that the members will assess have been planted within the last 5 years through state and federal conservation programs as well as privately funded grant programs.

The position will serve as an AmeriCorps member with ACC but will also be working closely with Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia Department of Forestry, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Soil and Water Conservation District and other partners within the Shenandoah Valley Conservation Collaborative. ACC and Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley will provide the Individual Placements access to one vehicle, laptop and supplies needed for assessments.

This seasonal opportunity is a perfect match for students or individuals wanting to learn about natural resource management, work with private and public landowners, connect with a broad partnership of conservation professionals, and get their hands dirty while improving the landscape for water quality, wildlife habitat, and human communities. This position will receive technical training in plant identification and buffer maintenance and assessment by ACC and partner staff.

Projects will cover the Shenandoah River Watershed and will be organized by geography to the greatest extent possible to minimize travel time, however the execution of this role will include a lot of driving. You may be working in extreme weather conditions and traversing difficult terrain.

Housing is NOT provided with this position.

Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Clearly communicate timelines and project goals to participating landowners
• Clearly communicate project status, needs, and progress to ACC and Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley staff
• Assess ~200 acres of riparian forest buffer projects installed on private agricultural lands
• Organize and manage data related to site assessments
• Develop maintenance plans for sites
• Other duties as assigned such as buffer maintenance, workshops with landowners, or other activities related to buffer stewardship

Benefits:

• $750/week living stipend paid biweekly ($600/week living stipend + $150/week additional benefit)
• $2,817.14 AmeriCorps Segal Education Award upon successful completion of a 675-hour minimum service term to be used for paying off federal student loans or paying tuition for a Title IV accredited college)
• 5 days of paid leave
• Possible student loan forbearance
• Member Assistance Program– 3 free sessions of support with a counseling or work-life balance specialist
• On-the-job training
• Additional subject-specific certifications and trainings may be offered
• Depending upon the academic institution and program, Individual Placement positions may fulfill academic internship requirements
• Professional development opportunities (mentorship, resume support, alumni listserv, etc.) and exposure to natural resource career paths, organizations and agencies
• Network building with the Shenandoah Valley Fellowship program fellows who will have concurrent fellowships

General Qualifications:

To qualify, you must be between the ages of 21 and 30, and a US citizen that has received a high school diploma or GED. All offers of employment are conditional upon completion of an acceptable check of the National Sex Offender Public Registry and federal criminal background check. Must be eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award.

• Valid driver’s license and insurable driving record
• Interest in learning how to identify native and invasive plant types found in riparian habitats
• Comfort communicating with rural and agricultural landowners in a professional manner
• Ability to perform physical work, navigate uneven terrain, work in various weather conditions such as heat, rain, and cold, and safely navigate interactions with wildlife, insects, and livestock
• Excellent at problem-solving, meeting deadlines, following schedules, and overall time management
• Ability to coordinate with partners and collaborators via email and phone
• Strong communications and analytical skills, integrity, and reliability
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to work independently

Preferred Qualifications:

• Computer skills, particularly in word processing and record-keeping (Microsoft Word and Excel), and familiarity with internet communication and search tools.
• GIS experience is a plus, but not required.
• Background in eastern plant identification
• Familiarity with agricultural landscape and farming practices
• Appreciation for the Shenandoah Valley and our spectacular natural resources

Our Commitment:

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full consideration of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential job functions. Physical requirements may include periodic overnight travel, non-traditional work 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. The ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager. 

Our Promise:  

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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