Position Summary

The Crew Leader I position is an opportunity to make a difference in young peoples’ lives while completing conservation projects on public and private lands. Leaders will be mentors, educators, and facilitators for young adults, working to promote the health and resiliency of our land, air, and water.

Standard schedule generally consists of Monday – Friday, 8 hour work days, plus occasional overtime. Crew Leaders may also be required to come into the office to complete administrative duties and check-ins with program staff.

The Crew Leader I position requires patience, a consistently positive mental attitude, mentorship, technical aptitude, focus on efficiency, and a high level of competence in the outdoors. It also involves an administration role, where weekly paperwork is due in a timely manner to supervisors. Finally, crew leaders must exhibit the ability to effectively work on diverse teams and those from a variety of populations and communities.

Service Project:

Southeast Conservation Corps (SECC) and the City of Chattanooga have partnered to host an In-town (day crew) Urban Forestry Crew with funding for this project provided by the USDA National Forest Service. The Urban Forestry Crew will be managed by the City of Chattanooga’s Natural Resources Department who will collaborate with crews to complete their conservation projects.

The crew will engage in strenuous manual labor in all weather conditions. Crew members will combine training and education to support impactful conservation service projects throughout the City of Chattanooga.

Service projects will vary depending on seasonal factors and safety considerations, with a primary focus on invasive plant species management, native vegetation restoration, and streambank stabilization. While SECC and partners strive to provide consistency throughout the season, personal flexibility is expected and should be prepared for when entering the term as schedules, times, and project locations are subject to change per project needs. However, tasks may also include, but are not limited to:

• Riparian buffer restoration

• Invasive plant species removal

• Seeding for native plant species

• Erosion Matting installation

• Limbing up/pruning trees

• Litter removal

• Streambank stabilization

• Grading

• Coir log installation

• Live stake installation

• Native species planting

• Tree, shrub, and perennial planting

• Assist in container tree planting in parks

• Learn proper tree planting techniques

• Potential to plant native plant plugs in stream buffers

• Tree maintenance (watering, pruning, etc)

• Weekly watering, weather permitting

• Weekly tree health inspections

• Weeding mulch rings

• Refreshing mulch rings when necessary

• Staking trees

• Invasive species removal

• Identification of invasive plant species

• Mechanical removal of invasive plants will be accomplished primarily through the use of tools and hand pulling

• Larger shrub species will be managed with the use of loppers and weed wrenches to remove the entirety of the root system

• Smaller vine species will be hand pulled or individuals will be dug up to remove the entirety of the root system

• Herbicide treatment will be applied to larger shrub individuals that cannot be removed mechanically through a cut and spray method or direct leaf application

• Herbicide treatment will be potentially applied to large areas of ground cover or vining species through foliar foam or wipe application.

• Herbicide application will overseen by an individual certified in herbicide application

• Plant and Wildlife Identification

• Become familiar with local flora and fauna

• Identify common invasive plant species to the area

• Utilize iNaturalist and contribute to citizen science data collections

• Planting procedures

• Hand weeding

• Gardening/landscaping

• Bank stabilization

• Working with volunteers and engaging with the public

• Assistance with volunteer tree plantings or invasive species removals

• Work beside and engage with volunteers

• Assist in events such as City Nature Challenge that may occur at the Park during the term

• Assist volunteers with plant identification and/or proper tree planting techniques

• Potential to help in volunteer day instruction and safety talks prior to the event

• While working in public parks, citizens will ask questions and want to know about the work being done, you will be expected to engage and talk about the project

Additional Duties:

• Learn and apply conservation, restoration, and outdoor skills

• Active participation in educational activities

• Practice appropriate safety measures in all assigned tasks

• Use, maintain, and repair hand and power tools as necessary

Project Skills Acquired Through the Program:

• Plant Identification

• Invasive plant species management practices

• Young tree care

• Volunteer management

• Proper planting techniques

• Erosion control

• Understanding of vegetative practices used for stormwater management and improved stream health.

• A foundational understanding of conservation careers, in particularly natural resource management within an urban park setting.

• Proper use/maintenance of hand and power tools.

• Communication and outreach with the public.

• Teamwork and collaboration in a field setting.

• Problem-solving and adaptability in a dynamic environment.

These skills are highly transferable to careers in urban forestry, environmental education, natural resource management, park services, conservation nonprofits, and more.

***Note: Many waterways across Chattanooga are impaired for various reasons including, but not limited to potentially harmful bacteria like E.coli. All crews will be equipped with the appropriate PPE to work in water that may contain these contaminants, however individuals will be expected to practice best management practices while working in the field.

Crew Life:

• Crew Structure: This crew consists of 4 crew members and 2 crew leaders who will provide project expertise, mentorship, training, and support to ensure the success of all participants.

• Schedule: Crew members will report to the SECC office at 7:30am Monday-Friday and will end each day around 4:00pm. Members will have evenings and weekends off. The day includes two fifteen-minute breaks and an unpaid half-hour break for lunch.

• Camping: This crew will not be camping, as crew members will go home at the end of the day.

• Housing: Housing IS NOT provided. Crew members are responsible for securing their own housing during off time.

• Food: Crew members will provide their own snacks and lunches. SECC will provide jugs for members to refill their water.

• Chores: Crew members collaborate to manage chores (putting away tools, cleaning tools, etc.) and participate in any group discussions.

• Gear: Members must supply their own personal outdoor gear (day pack, water bottle, work pants, hiking/work boots). SECC has a limited supply of loaner gear available for crew members to borrow, but it may not fit personal preferences or specific needs. SECC will provide tools, group equipment, and personal protective equipment

• Transportation: SECC will provide transportation between SECC office and project sites.

***Note: transportation needs will be taken into consideration on a case-by-case basis. Please contact our Recruitment Coordinator (contact information listed below) with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your personal transportation needs.

Responsibilities:

Leadership & Mentorship

• Mentor assistant crew leader (or Crew Leader in Development Program CLDP): provide valuable feedback, give opportunities for growth, delegate responsibilities, and encourage technical and leadership skill development.

• Implement skills training on worksite and facilitate intentional discussions via informal lessons to contribute to the crew’s personal growth and group dynamics.

• Promote individual corps member development and a safe, healthy, cohesive, other-centered and team-oriented community.

• Follow and enforce all policies, maintain professional boundaries, and appropriately represent the program. This includes creating a substance free work environment, refraining from the use of tobacco products, alcohol, and drugs while involved in the program.

• Contribute to a positive and safe culture, free from harassment.

• Demonstrate teamwork and respect for fellow members, partners, the public, and the land. This may require problem-solving on an interpersonal or group level and a willingness to accept differences.

Project Management & Implementation

• Train, motivate and supervise a crew of young adults to efficiently complete tasks and objectives outlined in conservation projects, while working long hours and managing high quality of work and crew morale.

• Think critically to resolve issues and solve problems, requesting assistance or help when needed.

• Communicate & coordinate logistics with project partners, Assistant Crew Leader (or Crew Leader in Development), & staff.

• Be punctual, hardworking, and flexible. Appropriately represent SECC to the public and project partners at all times.

Safety & Risk Management

• Monitor, manage, and promote the holistic health of the crew, including physical and emotional (intimidation free community environment) safety.

• Exhibit strong situational awareness & promote a culture of safety.

• Transport crew and equipment safely in organizational vans or large SUVs with trailers in accordance with CL Driver policy.

• Manage and document incidents in the field and activate incident response system, if needed, per Conservation Legacy policy.

Administration

• Thorough documentation of crew hours, accomplishments, disciplinary actions taken, and incident response according to Conservation Legacy policy and procedure.

• Manage credit card for purchases.

• Track and submit credit card receipts for all expenses every month.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Full commitment to the program and its mission.

• Must be local to the Chattanooga, TN area

• Understanding of and experience with the mission and field management considerations of conservation corps and public land agencies.

• Leadership, management, and supervisory experience with youth or young adults.

• Must hold CPR/AED or higher or be willing to receive certification prior to start date.

• Ability to effectively manage all aspects of crew life and production within a 4+-hour work week including managing projects and programmatic policies and integrity.

• Flexibility, adaptability, and capacity to work in a fluid, changing work environment.

• Willingness to participate in community-building activities and solution-oriented problem solving with peer leaders.

• Able to work long days in adverse conditions.

• Must be able to speak, understand and write English.

• High School diploma or GED certificate.

• Must over the age of 21 or have possessed a driver’s license for 3 or years more without any restrictions (to pass minimum insurability requirements for crew transport driving duties).

Preferred Qualifications or a Strong Desire to Grow in the Following:

• Experience with experiential and/or environmental education.

• Facilitation and team-building experience with diverse groups of people.

• Time-management skills and ability to work independently as well as with others.

• Strong conflict resolution skills.

• Technical trails, Crosscut or Chainsaw experience.

• Wilderness medical certifications such as Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness First Responder, or Outdoor Emergency Care.

• Sense of humor, spirit of adventure, and desire to make a positive difference and promote leadership in others.

• Experience with tree care practices

• Basic plant ID knowledge

Substance Free:

• Alcohol and drugs are prohibited during AmeriCorps and program activities, and on organization property, in accordance with a drug free environment.

Application Instructions:

To Apply: Complete the Application, upload cover letter and resume.

Any questions can be addressed to:

Carlyle Grundon

Program Coordinator

Cgrundon@conservationlegacy.org