Stewards VISTA: Guardians of the West Fork Watershed-AmeriCorps

Guardians of the West Fork Watershed, an AmeriCorps Program, is dedicated to improving the health of the land, air, and water of the 880 square mile West Fork Watershed in rural West Virginia. The program focuses on addressing critical land, air, and water issues, such as abandoned mine drainage, erosion, sewage, and sedimentation, which impact the area’s water quality and community well-being. By partnering with local organizations, conducting outreach, and educating residents, the program aims to promote sustainable land, air, and water practices, improve public health, and enhance the region’s natural spaces for residents to enjoy and benefit from. The AmeriCorps member in this AmeriCorps Position will support the mission of the Guardians of the West Fork Watershed by assisting with land, air, and water monitoring, community outreach, and land around rivers, lakes, and streams education initiatives. This role connects directly with the organization's goal to engage local communities in stewardship activities and to advocate for improved land, air, and water practices, ensuring the long-term health and vitality of the land around rivers, lakes, and streams. Through hands-on service, the member will help bridge the gap between land, air, and water needs and community action, while fostering greater public involvement in local conservation efforts.

Job Overview

Position Title: Stewards VISTA: Guardians of the West Fork Watershed-AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements, East

Site Location: Mount Clare, WV

City, State or Full Address: 3450 Buckhannon Pike, Mount Clare, WV 26408

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: 05/05/25
• End Date: 05/04/26
• Must serve a 365-day (1 year) service term
• Living Allowance: $68.39/day ($24,962.35/year)

PLEASE APPLY USING THIS LINK: My AmeriCorps – Home Page

 “The AmeriCorps VISTA member will build capacity and develop sustainable solutions to alleviate poverty in underserved communities.”

Description of Duties:

• Community Mapping and Research: Create a map showing local resources, community supports, and key people, and gather information on past and current water and land, air, and water projects in the West Fork Watershed to help guide future programs.
• Outreach and Education: Develop and run outreach campaigns to educate the community about land around rivers, lakes, and streams health, using websites, social media, newsletters, and local media to share important information.
• Volunteer and Participant Recruitment: Lead efforts to recruit volunteers and participants for community activities like land around rivers, lakes, and streams clean-ups, educational programs, and conservation projects.
• Process Improvement: Work with staff and the Board to help improve the organization’s processes and systems to make the workflow more efficient and ensure programs run smoothly.
• Strategic Partnership Development: Build and maintain partnerships with local organizations, government agencies, and other stakeholders to grow the program’s reach and impact. Collaborate with the Board to develop new relationships.
• Community-Driven Planning: Work with community members to create strategic plans based on their input, identifying needed programs for land around rivers, lakes, and streams health and recreation, and turning their ideas into actionable steps.
• Grant Support and Research: Research and find grant funding opportunities and assist with tracking and writing grant applications to secure funding for land around rivers, lakes, and streams projects.
• Fundraising and Sponsorships: Identify opportunities to get donations, in-kind contributions, and sponsorships from local businesses, organizations, and individuals to support current and future projects.

Qualifications:

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• At least 18 years of age
•  Has completed some college
• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check 

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:

• Typically, this position is expected to serve full-time (35-40 hours) from 5/05/25 to 5/04/26, but exact schedules may vary.
• 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
• Member will receive a Virtual Member Orientation (VMO) from VISTA on their first day of service

Evaluation and Reporting:

As an AmeriCorps VISTA member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed their required year of service; 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, accomplishment tracking, and quarterly reporting.

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:

For VISTA-related information, contact Addie Gilkerson at [email protected]

For site-related information, contact Lisa deGruyter at [email protected]

PLEASE APPLY USING THIS LINK: My AmeriCorps – Home Page

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.

Special Benefits

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award* of $7,395.00
  • or choice of cash stipend of ~$1,800.00
• Living Allowance of $68.39 per day, disbursed every 2 weeks
• Relocation Allowance ($750) if Eligible
• Healthcare Coverage* if Eligible
• Childcare Coverage* if Eligible
• Loan forbearance if Eligible
• Interest Payments if Eligible
• Training and Professional Development Opportunities
• Employee Wellness Program (access to a licensed, professional counselor and 24/7 support)
• Non-Competitive Eligibility* (NCE) status upon successful completion of the term
• Networking and Mentorship

*For more information regarding the Segal Education Award, check out this link as well as alternative uses for the award here.

*For details about AmeriCorps VISTA healthcare benefits, please visit http://www.vistacampus.gov/healthcare

*For more information regarding the AmeriCorps VISTA Childcare benefit, please visit https://americorpschildcare.com/

*For details about Non-Competitive Eligibility, please visit https://my.americorps.gov/trust/help/member_portal/non_competitive_eligibility_overview.htm