Pl
2014 Position Openings at Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust
Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust
1461 Old Keene Road
Athol, MA 01331
mountgrace.org
Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust (Mount Grace) was incorporated in 1986 to protect significant
natural, agricultural and scenic areas and to encourage land stewardship in North Central and Western
Massachusetts for the benefit of the environment, the economy, and future generations. Mount Grace has
facilitated the protection of nearly 27,000 acres of land in a 23-town region. Mount Grace specializes in
landscape-scale, multi-level collaborative efforts that increase the efficiency and effectiveness of
Massachusetts land conservation efforts.
AmeriCorps Member Eligibility Requirements
The 2014 MassLIFT program will run from September 8, 2014 through August 7, 2015.
All MassLIFT AmeriCorps members are expected to serve full-time, commit to serve for the entire eleven
month term, and complete 1,700 hours of service. The 1,700 hours includes time spent in trainings and
service with the full MassLIFT team. Weekly service averages 35 hours and commonly includes some
night and/or weekend activities.
Applicants must also meet the following AmeriCorps requirements:
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a US citizen, US national, or Lawful Permanent Resident Alien of the U.S.
at least 18-years-of-age
a minimum of a high school diploma or GED
no more than three previous terms as an AmeriCorps member
pass a criminal history background check
If working primarily with vulnerable populations such as youth and the elderly also pass an FBI
check. (This requirement applies to MassLIFT Service Learning Coordinators.)
AmeriCorps programs provide equal employment opportunities. MassLIFT will recruit and select persons
in all positions to ensure a diverse and inclusive climate without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual
orientation, age, veteran status, color, political affiliation, creed, national origin, marital status, or any
other status as protected by federal, state, and local laws. We encourage applications from individuals
with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations for interviews and service upon request.
Positions
Mount Grace will be hosting a Land Stewardship Coordinator, a Regional Conservation Coordinator, a
Community Engagement Coordinator, and a Service Learning Coordinator for the 2014-2015 Service
Year.
Service Learning Coordinator
MassLIFT Service Learning Coordinators (SLCs) help communities connect youth with the natural world
and encourage their civic engagement by building the capacity of regional land trusts and partnered
organizations to: 1) work with educators and community volunteers to develop and deliver youth-focused
service learning and experiential conservation education programs; 2) help local schools develop new
curriculum and resources such as schoolyard nature trails, biodiversity inventories, and ecological
monitoring programs; 3) plan service programs that develop job skills for college students related to
careers in natural resources management, land conservation, and the environmental sciences; 4) identify
and coordinate opportunities to partner with youth development programs on community service projects;
and 5) organize conservation education workshops and events that engage families in the exploration of
local natural history.
MassLIFT AmeriCorps members work with their supervisors to develop and carryout six or more capacity
building projects over the course of the service year. Many of these projects will involve recruiting,
training, and managing community volunteers. Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust (Mount Grace)
has proposed the following projects for their Service Learning Coordinator:
1) Develop and initiate a Wild Schoolyard Habitat Certification program that transforms idle natural
areas into a local conservation education and wildlife habitat resource at one local public school.
2) Develop and initiate an Edible Schoolyard program that transforms idle natural areas into an edible
organic garden that supplements the school food program
3) Enhance a Volunteer Retired Teachers Corps to develop and deliver curriculum for conservation
education and school gardening programs.
Development of these and other projects will occur during the first two months of service and consider the
member’s interests and skills.
Essential Qualifications:
• A strong interest in land stewardship and hands-on conservation projects
• Strong writing, communication, and networking skills
• Able to work both independently and as a member of a team
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office programs
• Basic map making skills using ArcMap
• Comfortable with social media
• Comfortable presenting in front of groups
Desired Qualifications:
• Experience with environmental education, water quality biomonitoring, vernal pool ecology,
and pollinator conservation issues
• Experience recruiting, training, and managing volunteers
• Experience working with young people
• Experience leading outdoor programs
• Ability to be flexible and possess a positive attitude
• Experience with service learning programs
For questions about Mount Grace’s service positions, contact Sean Pollock, Director of Community
Engagement, pollock@mountgrace.org. No phone calls please.
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Community Engagement Coordinator
MassLIFT Community Engagement Coordinators (CECs) help communities enhance and expand public
support for land conservation by building the capacity of regional land trusts and partnered organizations
to: 1) reach new audiences and establish new conservation partnerships; 2) offer programs that bring
people outdoors to learn about and appreciate nature and the land; and 3) secure the resources and
volunteers that they need for improving their conservation properties to better serve community recreation
or nature education goals. CEC’s work with volunteers to coordinate outreach events that attract diverse
interests, and they identify opportunities to partner with non-conservation focused civic groups on
community service projects with overlapping relevance for both groups. Examples of community service
projects coordinated by CECs include, but are not limited to: 1) building community and/or food pantry
gardens and recruiting volunteers to sustain the project; 2) organizing volunteers to revitalize public parks;
3) helping volunteer municipal boards plan recreational uses for community forests; 4) designing and
maintaining recreational trails with community members; and 5) initiating urban greening projects in
vacant lots with neighborhood groups.
MassLIFT AmeriCorps members work with their supervisors to develop and carryout six or more capacity
building projects over the course of the service year. Many of these projects will involve recruiting,
training, and managing community volunteers. Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust (Mount Grace)
has proposed the following projects for their Community Engagement Coordinator:
1) Develop a community campout program in the Mount Grace region to participate in the Great
American Backyard Campout in June.
2) Organize a 200-mile overnight running relay race to highlight the beauty of Massachusetts from
the Quabbin Reservoir to Boston.
3) Help regional tourism councils and local visitor centers support our communities’ working lands
economy by developing outreach materials that promote agri-tourism and eco-tourism and
volunteer programs to continue that work.
Development of these and other projects will occur during the first two months of service and consider the
member’s interests and skills.
Essential Qualifications:
• A strong interest in working with community groups, landowners, and
municipalities on land conservation projects
• Comfortable presenting in front of groups
• Strong writing, communication, and networking skills
• Able to work both independently and as a member of a team
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office programs
Desired Qualifications:
• Experience recruiting, training, and managing volunteers
• Experience in local government, or civic organizations
• Marketing experience or experience developing public information materials
• Familiarity with land conservation in Massachusetts
For questions about Mount Grace’s service positions, contact Sean Pollock, Director of Community
Engagement, pollock@mountgrace.org. No phone calls please.
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Land Stewardship Coordinator
MassLIFT Land Stewardship Coordinators (LSCs) help communities improve their stewardship of
conservation lands by building the capacity of regional land trusts and partnered organizations to: 1)
develop community outreach and volunteer programs for conservation properties ; 2) improve existing
conservation properties to better serve public access, recreational, habitat or nature educational goals: and
3) improve the long term land stewardship practices of conservation organizations, volunteer land trusts,
and town boards. Typical LSC activities include (1) developing baseline reports for conservation
properties that document boundaries, structures, vegetation, wetlands, streams, and wildlife; (2) training
and working with municipal boards to monitor protected properties for compliance (3) conducting natural
resource inventories to inform sustainable management of conservation properties; and (4) recruiting,
training, and managing volunteers to perform stewardship and citizen science projects such as trail
maintenance and long term wildlife monitoring programs.
MassLIFT AmeriCorps members work with their supervisors to develop and carryout six or more capacity
building projects over the course of the service year. Many of these projects will involve recruiting,
training, and/or managing community volunteers. Mount Grace has proposed the following projects for
their Land Stewardship Coordinator:
1) Recruit, train and manage volunteers to assist with Mount Grace’s Volunteer Monitoring and Trail
Steward Program by coordinating trainings, outings, and work days.
2) Develop and plan stewardship events such as invasive plant pulls, trail construction, roadside
cleanups, and presentations on sustainable forestry, wildlife habitat management and other
stewardship topics.
3) Draft detailed resource assessment reports for lands conserved by Mount Grace.
4) Assist with management of Mount Grace conservation areas including trail maintenance, habitat
management and invasive plant management
Development of these and other projects will occur during the first two months of service and consider the
member’s interests and skills.
Essential Qualifications:
 BA/BS/AS Technical or Vocational degree in natural resources, forestry, wildlife biology or other
scientific related field. Experience may be substituted for education
 Ability to work with volunteers and people of diverse backgrounds in outdoor settings
 Knowledge and direct experience with ArcGIS mapping software
 Ability to navigate independently in the field utilizing map, compass, and GPS units
 Ability to read and interpret various maps such as surveys, aerial photos, and USGS topographical
maps
 Experience working with natural systems and identifying plant and wildlife species
 Experience working alone in remote locations outdoors in a range of weather conditions
 Ability to walk 3-4 miles a day over uneven terrain
 Experience with computer programs such as Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)
and have the ability to quickly learn new programs
 High attention to detail
Desired Qualifications:
 Experience recruiting, training, and managing volunteers
 Experience a t giving presentations and/or trainings to a diverse audience
 Knowledge and experience with forest management and working landscapes
 Ability to identify regional plant and wildlife species
 Experience with invasive plant identification and removal
 Excellent writing abilities and experience composing detailed technical reports
 Experience developing and completing projects both independently and with others
For questions about Mount Grace’s stewardship position, contact Tom Wansleben, Stewardship Biologist,
wansleben@mountgrace.org. No phone calls please.
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Regional Conservation Coordinator
MassLIFT Regional Conservation Coordinators (RCCs) help communities protect important farms,
forests, and natural areas, and urban green space by building the capacity of regional land trusts and
partnered organizations to: 1) train community volunteers and organizations in strategic landowner
education and outreach initiatives; 2) facilitate the development, completion, and implementation of
strategic conservation plans; 3) train and assist organizations in land conservation project management
steps; 4) conduct conservation needs assessments with municipal conservation commissions, open space
committees, agricultural commissions, recreation committees, and local land trusts; (5) help communities
form, strengthen and/or carry out the work of volunteer municipal boards; (6) develop and coordinate
regional conservation partnerships that share resources, educate landowners and local governments, and
collaborate on land protection projects addressing local and regional conservation needs; and (7) recruit
and manage community volunteers in support of any and all of the above listed tasks.
MassLIFT AmeriCorps members work with their supervisors to develop and carryout six or more capacity
building projects over the course of the service year. Many of these projects will involve recruiting,
training, and/or managing community volunteers. Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust (Mount
Grace) has proposed the following projects for their Regional Conservation Coordinator:
1) Expand and enhance Mount Grace’s innovative farmland protection efforts across the region.
2) Identify and map farmland in Mount Grace’s service region to promote regional strategic planning
for farmland conservation, and assist with landowner identification and outreach.
3) Develop new technical assistance services for farmers and landowners to increase the pace of farm
conservation and increase land access in the greater Quabbin region.
4) Plan, organize, and support on-going local and regional food systems planning efforts, including
coordination of the Greater Quabbin Food Alliance: a regional network managed by Mount Grace.
5) Conduct research and organize community meetings to assess needs and assets of the local food
system.
Development of these and other projects will occur during the first two months of service and consider the
member’s interests and skills.
Essential Qualifications:
• Knowledge and direct experience with current GIS technology.
• Strong writing and verbal communication skills.
• Comfortable working with people of diverse backgrounds and speaking to groups.
• A strong interest in working with local and state partners on farmland conservation and
food systems planning projects.
• Able to work both independently and as a member of a team
• Comfortable utilizing computer programs such as Microsoft Office (Word, Excel,
Outlook, PowerPoint) and have the ability to quickly learn new programs.
• Ability to attend night and weekend events as needed. Must have access to a vehicle.
Desired Qualifications:
• Education background and/or direct experience in the fields of agriculture, natural
resources, conservation, or land use planning.
• Experience coordinating events.
• Experience developing public information materials.
• Experience recruiting, training, and managing volunteers.
• Experience with local government and/or civic organizations.
For questions about Mount Grace’s service positions, contact Sean Pollock, Director of Community
Engagement, pollock@mountgrace.org. No phone calls please.