Land Stewardship Field Coordinator
Are you an emerging leader who wants to gain valuable skills managing projects in the conservation field? Do you love working outdoors and want to grow your skills and experience in a team lead role? Do you have effective communication skills and are you able to help mitigate internal team issues? Then this position is for you!
The Land Stewardship Field Coordinator leads a team that maintains the boundary lines of the protected land that surrounds the Appalachian Trail (A.T.). This challenging and rewarding work involves hiking off-trail through untouched forests, clearing vegetation with loppers, putting up boundary signs, repainting blazes on trees, finding survey markers, and recording data. This team ensures that the Appalachian Trail is protected by a well-marked boundary line and that any violations are promptly found and resolved. The pristine wildlands and unmatched hiking experience on the A.T. would not be possible without the work of the Land Stewardship Team.
The Land Stewardship Field Coordinator trains, leads, and works alongside 3 Land Stewardship Technicians. The Coordinator plans project logistics, double-checks detailed field data, produces thorough reports, leads volunteer work trips, and maintains vehicles and equipment. Fieldwork involves hiking off-trail in rugged terrain and car camping near the worksites. This position will be based in Bangor, Maine. Most fieldwork will be in Maine’s 100-mile wilderness, with additional trips to other areas in the Northeast.
Who We Are
Established in 1925, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) leads the effort to protect, maintain and celebrate the A.T. We are part of a unique cooperative-management system, working with a number of local, state, and federal partners to ensure greater protections for the Trail. Our partners include the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, dozens of state agencies, and 30 local Trail-maintaining clubs. The ATC’s mission is to protect, manage, and advocate for the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.
What We Can Achieve Together
The Land Stewardship Field Coordinator will:
- Acts as a resource for Technicians, helping meet their needs and enabling them to perform high-quality, fulfilling work.
- Trains, leads, and performs fieldwork monitoring and maintaining the A.T. corridor boundary lines: posting signs, painting trees, finding survey monuments, and clearing vegetation with hand tools Trains technicians in fieldwork and data recording protocols.
- Plans and completes field projects including scouting field sites, pre-field preparation, daily safety check-ins, and post-field reporting.
- Travels to and from work sites, camping near work sites as appropriate.
- Assures the quality and organization of detailed monitoring data.
- Follows protocols documenting and mitigating encroachment violations on the A.T. corridor.
- Organizes, inventories, and maintains tools, supplies, equipment, and program vehicles.
- Leads work trips with volunteer participants.
- Other awesome work as assigned by the Natural Resources & Land Stewardship Manager – Northeast.
Experience You Will Gather From This Opportunity:
- Hands-on involvement performing conservation work on the longest continuous corridor of conserved public land on the East Coast.
- Key skills like trip planning, project management, Leave No Trace camping, data management, ArcGIS mapping (field and office), orienteering with map and compass, tree identification, bushwacking, and reading land survey maps.
- Experience training and leading both staff and volunteers, supporting team members to achieve their best work, and more!
What You Will Need To Bring:
Don’t worry if you have never done boundary maintenance. We will provide training on the technical aspects of this work and how we approach it at the ATC. What we need is a strong leader to coordinate our team of Land Stewardship Technicians. What we need to see from you is:
- Effective leadership, communication, organization, and critical thinking skills.
- Significant hiking and camping ability and experience.
- Passion for environmental conservation and volunteerism.
- Self-motivated person who works well independently and in a team environment.
- Experience using and maintaining hand tools and four-wheel-drive vehicles.
- Valid driver’s license with no restrictions.
What We Would Love To See:
- Proficiency in using a compass and navigating off-trail.
- Proficiency in reading and interpreting maps, property deeds, and survey plats.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, GPS applications, and ESRI ArcGIS software.
- Proficiency in identifying tree species common to New England.
- Bachelor’s degree (or work towards a degree) in environmental science, recreation management, natural resources management, forestry, or a related field, with experience working in your field.
- Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness First Responder, or other first aid certification.
- Familiarity with Leave No Trace. Trainer or Master Educator certification is even better.
Physical Demands Of The Position:
- Ability to hike long distances and work in rugged terrain, variable weather, and remote off-trail locations.
- Ability to live and perform strenuous work in the backcountry for multiple days and overnights.
- Ability to lift and carry 50+ pounds.
- Regular travel to trail access points in Maine and across the Northeast.
- Long days in the field and some weekend work may be required.
Your Work Environment:
- Rigorous outdoor work and overnight camping along the A.T. with exposure to ticks and pests, as well as extreme and varied weather conditions.
- Office environment with a moderate level of noise due to activity on the phone, computer, and printer.
- The position is mostly field based with access to office space in Bangor, Maine.
- Field locations primarily in Maine with occasional work weeks in other Northeast states.
Key Details About The Position:
- Runs from late May through Late October, not to exceed 24 weeks (about 5 and a half months) of employment.
- $21 per hour commensurate with experience.
- 4-day, 40-hour workweek (Monday through Thursday). Occasional weekend work required.
- Per diem for meal expenses incurred while traveling or working in the field.
- Camping or lodging fees are covered or reimbursed.
- Use of ATC-provided vehicle; use of personal vehicle may be reimbursed at the federal mileage rate.
- Housing assistance available.
- COVID-19 vaccination will be required for this position as a condition of employment. Medical and religious exemptions may apply.
To Apply
Please submit an application packet that consists of a resume and cover letter via our ADP application portal. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. We will begin requesting interviews after March 6, 2023.