GIS Assistant – AmeriCorps

PURPOSE

This GIS Assistant is an AmeriCorps position. Capturing the historic knowledge of rare and sensitive plants is critical to support management in a time of environmental change. This project will build on the shoulders of botanical specialists that have worked for decades to find the most delicate of forbs in challenging terrain. Many of the sensitive and rare plants are most protected on NPS lands, but we don’t readily know where they are when evaluating facilities projects or research proposals. Conserving those species requires NPS collaborate with one another, state agencies and other partners. This project will capture that historical work for three park units and create data structures to enable NPS to be a partner in broader conservation networks.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Olympic, Mount Rainier, and North Cascades National Parks are home to vast montane meadows, lush old growth forests and host many rare and sensitive plants. Many of these species now take refuge within these federally protected—and now remnant undeveloped–sections of the Olympic and Cascade Ranges. Botanical records of rare and sensitive species, some over a century old, are not maintained in a standard database, often not available as spatial data, and not able to be shared readily with other parks, researchers, or state managers. This hampers park efforts at the collaborative conservation work required to save vulnerable species.

Parks need to have sensitive plant data in standardized geodatabase to support appropriate environmental planning and conservation. Preserving the historical and often hard-won documentation of rare and sensitive species is critical to supporting the work of the parks to preserve our spaces for now and into the future.

Collecting, standardizing and publishing these rare and sensitive plant records will require an interest in natural history and the vegetation of the three parks as well as an interest in developing robust databases. Those databases will support park data management and data collection as well as sharing data with state agencies and researchers.

The Scientist in Park (SIP) will serve with staff from different parks to identify existing records in many different formats, collect, clean and input that data into an existing geodatabase structure. They will develop workflows to support sharing with different agencies that use the same structure. They will also use that database structure to develop digital forms for staff to use in the field to ensure standardized collection of future data, making new records more resilient to changes in staff. The SIP will learn about NPS SIP participant data publication and the different ways other agencies manage data to support important regional collaborations. The SIP will manage spatial data and metadata, create maps to visualize their efforts, and communicate that work with a large group of interested stakeholders in the park: resource managers, state and university partners, park leadership, researchers, and a dedicated group of volunteers. The SIP may also support database projects with other similar projects.

KEYWORDS: sensitive species conservation, data management, interagency collaboration, geodatabase

DELIVERABLES

• Geodatabase with sensitive & rare plant records from three national parks

• Field data collection digital forms to capture new data in standardized format

• Cooperative data sharing plan developed with state partners and NPS resource staff

• IRMA SIP participantal publication of Sensitive Plant geodatabase for data archiving

• Presentation to invested members of the park resource management, collaborators, and leadership teams

QUALIFICATIONS

• 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 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.
• Prior to starting the position, agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check for the employer of record, Conservation Legacy, and a separate government security background check for the NPS site location.
• The applicant must be available to participate for 12 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Experience working with biological data, especially botanical data

Interest in vascular plants

Experience with spatial data, especially ESRI products like Arc Map, ArcGIS Online (AGOL) and Field Maps or similar software

Experience with field data collection

Ability to work independently and stay on task

Ability to work through challenging datasets and find creative solutions

ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION

POSITION SETTING

Projects will primarily be in an office setting, shared with other resource staff. Telework or partial remote work is also an option. Travel between the parks may occasionally be necessary for meetings or to find records. Opportunities for field projects would include sensitive plant or forest surveys in all terrain and rainy to warm weather conditions. North Cascades National Park headquarters is located in the Skagit Valley in Sedro Woolley, WA and near the communities of Bellingham, WA (Western Washington University) and Mount Vernon, WA. Olympic National Park offices are in the city of Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula. All of these areas offer access to many services and many recreational opportunities.

VEHICLE AND DRIVER’S LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

• Applicant must have a valid driver’s license to drive a government vehicle.
• A personal vehicle is recommended for this position.

HOUSING

Park housing is NOT available. The SIP participant will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area. The SIP participant could be located at Port Angeles, WA at Olympic National Park or Sedro-Woolley WA at North Cascades National Park. Shared housing may be available at OLYM, and the SIP participant would be charged the employee rate. Housing is furnished and with basic cookware. The SIP participant would need to provide linens, cleaning supplies, and specialty cookware. Private housing is available in and around many communities at North Cascades NP (Sedro-Woolley, Mount Vernon, Bellingham) and Olympic (Port Angeles). All of these communities offer a range of food and dining options, community event, entertainment, and general medical care with specialists in the community or within a 1 to 2 hour drive to Seattle or Tacoma.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online, all Scientists in Parks positions are listed at: https://conservation-legacy.breezy.hr/. Complete the application for this position, highlighting why you are interested in the position and how your background and experience will help you succeed in this position. Be prepared to upload your resume and unofficial transcript as part of completing the application questionnaire.

Once you begin applying for a position, the application must be completed in one sitting. You cannot save and return later to complete it. Applicants can apply for up to five Scientists in Parks positions per season. You need to complete a separate application for each position in order to be considered. You should receive a confirmation email after successfully submitting an application. Sometimes institutional email filters/settings can redirect or block emails related to the application. We recommend watching spam, junk, and promotional email folders in case your email service delivers messages there. Please visit How to Apply for additional resources and information about applying (i.e., learn what materials to have ready for applying, find a worksheet that previews application questions, etc.). Learn more about Scientists in Parks at: https://www.scientistsinparks.org/.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

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.

TIME REQUIREMENTS

• This position is expected to serve full time each week, but exact service schedules may vary.
• Lunch breaks 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

• Orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
• Pertinent training from the NPS site location throughout the term of service.
• Free professional development webinars led by Conservation Legacy staff.

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.

Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards), a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with AmeriCorps service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants serve with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits to provide institutional capacity, develop community relationships, and support ecosystem health. Stewards in partnership with the Mount Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park, Olympic National Park will host a GIS Assistant.

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 a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to Scientists in Parks using the email address at the base of the home page, under “Questions? Contact us!”