SCA NH Conservation Corps - Conservation Steward
The SCA’s NH AmeriCorps Program:
Have you ever wanted to live in a park where you can explore thousands of acres of prime New England forest? Do you want to make life-long friends who are passionate about the environment and from all over the United States? Does the chance to learn conservation and leadership skills and start your career off with a one-of-a-kind experience sound exciting? If you said yes to any or all of these questions then you should consider being a Conservation Steward with the SCA’s NH AmeriCorps Program!
The SCA NH Corps is a collaboration between the SCA, the New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, and AmeriCorps. Since 1994 the SCA NH Corps has provided over one million hours of service to the great little state of New Hampshire while training young adults to do valuable conservation work. Each year 30 full time young adult volunteers contribute more than 50,000 service hours, providing environmental education programs to the state’s residents and visitors and completing conservation service projects to improve and protect the state’s natural, cultural, and recreational resources from the Atlantic Coast to the White Mountains and beyond.
Training Season:
This season runs from April - mid June. You will start your initial training at Bear Hill camp in Bear Brook State Park, before moving to Spruce Pond Camp just down the hill. Throughout the training season you will learn from experienced staff and trainers as you engage in:
- SCA, AmeriCorps, and NH State Park policies and protocols;
- Leadership development and teamwork discussions and scenarios;
- Camp skills and Leave No Trace;
- Building and maintaining trails;
- Carpentry skills;
- Chainsaw or rigging and grip-hoist activities;
- Wilderness First Aid, and more!
Conservation Season:
This season runs from mid June-October. During this time members will serve in the field on “hitch” crews of 5-7 for periods of 11 days. Locations for these service projects vary from front country sites on the NH Seacoast to backcountry sites in the White Mountains and Great North Woods. The service projects you will be doing may include:
- Building bridges;
- Rock work (staircases and stepping stones);
- Historic preservation;
- Erecting camping shelters and kiosks;
- Constructing new trails;
- Putting in trail features to assist with trail maintenance;
- Invasive species management, and more!
Through this 7 month commitment you will serve communities throughout New Hampshire while contributing as active members of the SCA NH AmeriCorps program. For more general information about this and other positions with the SCA NH Corps please visit, https://www.thesca.org/NHcorps.
Location Description -
Bear Brook State Park:
- This position is unique in that service takes place all over the state. However, the programs home base, which includes “rustic camp” cabins is Spruce Pond Camp within Bear Brook State Park (BBSP). BBSP is the largest developed state park in New Hampshire with over 10,000 acres. Whether you are headed from here to do service or just have fun recreating you will certainly enjoy the trails, ponds, wildlife and other gems this park and state have to offer.
Conservation Service Locations:
- During program you may have the opportunity to serve in the alpine zone of the White Mountains, at the Atlantic Seacoast, among the spruce-fir forests of the Great North Woods, or beside one of NH’s picturesque lakes or rivers.
Training Provided:
- Wilderness First Aid & CPR
- Trail Maintenance and Construction
- Camp Skills
- Carpentry
- Grip-hoist and Rigging or Chainsaw Certification
- Leave No Trace
- Leadership, Conflict Resolution, and Teamwork Skills
- Risk Management
- And More!
Professional Development Opportunities:
- Conservation Stewards will have the opportunity to learn many skills, volunteer with environmental organizations and like minded folks across NH, and learn from one another.
- Members will learn leadership and teamwork skills while co-leading their hitch teams or being active participants during field projects throughout conservation season.
- Program partners work in a variety of fields. These career fields include, but are not limited to, education, youth development, land management/stewardship, land conservation, outdoor recreation, and forestry. Serving alongside and learning from these professionals is an invaluable experience that will help you jump-start your career.
Other Benefits:
- Room and board is included - food is vegetarian and organic (when available)
- Uniforms are required and included
- Personal Vehicles are not necessary - the program has vehicles to get to and from project sites
- Living and serving with like minded folks from across the country
Main Area of Focus:
Backcountry/Trail work