Location: Remote/In Person (3700 1st Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35222)
Report to: Georgia Pearson, Conservation Associate/ TNC Alabama Field Office
Position Summary: The mission of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is to conserve the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we develop innovative, on-the-ground solutions to the world's toughest environmental challenges so that people and nature can thrive. The first tract of land protected by The Nature Conservancy within Alabama was 53 acres acquired in 1985. This property became our first nature preserve, Chitwood Barrens Preserve. We have since protected 177,690 acres of land within our state, with some of these properties becoming part of our current twenty nature preserves, some being transferred to Alabama’s Forever Wild program properties and others being protected through local land trusts and conservation easement. Currently, our chapter is assessing how well each of our protected land tracts is spatially documented.
This position will help with georeferencing digitally scanned paper copies of land surveys, so we will have the most accurate boundary delineated in our GIS records. This position will also include investigative work, looking into past land purchases that currently have unclear property boundaries and trying to resolve delineation issues within GIS. Successful completion of this project will provide our chapter with a more robust representation of the land TNC Alabama has helped protect over the last 40 years. This is critical for telling the story of our valuable contribution to our state’s conservation, communicating with partners and landowners about land protection, and strategically planning for our state's conservation future. The work location of the volunteer is flexible and can be virtual or in-person. If in-person, they would report to the TNC Birmingham, Alabama office.
Requirements:
- Thoroughness, inquisitive and detail-oriented
- Ability to work independently
- Previous experience with ArcGIS Pro (two classes or one year experience)
- Previous experience with or willingness to learn ArcGIS Online
- Ability to volunteer during weekdays (9 am-5 pm central time)
Duties:
- Updating ArcGIS Pro data to ArcGIS Online layers for information sharing
- Georeferencing scanned land surveys in ArcGIS Pro
- Spatial land parcel data management
Length of appointment: 3 months (preferred start date 6/2/2025)
Time commitment: 5-10 hours per week
Benefits:
- Experience at an environmental non-profit
- Increased data management skills
- Experience with georeferencing
- New software skills (ArcGIS Online)
- Increased knowledge of conservation and stewardship in Alabama
- Networking opportunities with TNC conservation staff and partners
Support provided: This position will be supervised by the TNC Alabama Office Conservation Associate. Detailed instructions for all tasks will be discussed and provided by TNC staff in meetings. A TNC computer and access to a TNC ArcGIS Pro license will be provided to complete all tasks whether working remotely or in person.
Accomodations:
Birmingham office general description: Our office is a newly renovated downtown single-level office space. The building is fully wheelchair accessible, with two accessible parking spaces, accessible restrooms and an open floorplan. Desks are accessible and adjustable in height for sitting and standing.
We are committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in our volunteer application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to Georgia.pearson@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line or call 919-923-2990.
