AmeriCorps Opportunities with TNC in New Hampshire
Join The Nature Conservancy for a year in 2027 as part of a program that provides hands-on conservation work experience and numerous certifications!
Come explore the wilds of New Hampshire and work with us to manage The Nature Conservancy’s preserves throughout the Granite State! We are partnering with the Lakes Region Conservation Corps again in 2027 to host two AmeriCorps members in full-year positions (1,700 hours each) running from January 13th to November 19th, 2027. These are paid positions made possible through partnership with Squam Lakes Association, manager of the Lakes Region Conservation Corps, and grant funded through Volunteer NH.
The Lakes Region Conservation Corps is a New Hampshire AmeriCorps state service program supporting the mission of eight local conservation non-profits. AmeriCorps members help advance the mission of their individual host site while developing skills and experiences necessary for a career in conservation through hands-on training and service learning. Service opportunities range from community engagement through environmental education and volunteer opportunities to water quality monitoring and environmental restoration, trail maintenance, conservation easement monitoring and so much more. LRCC AmeriCorps are the driving force behind many of the conservation efforts of the New Hampshire Lakes Region and beyond.
From salt marsh monitoring to maintenance of accessible trails, and lots in between, you’ll work in innovative ways with state-of-the-art tools in a collaborative fashion with TNC staff, community volunteers and conservation partners. The AmeriCorps members perform and participate in a wide variety of land management and stewardship tasks, including preserve operations, maintenance and management, rare species or habitat monitoring and communications with the public.
Housing will be provided in Newmarket and Albany, New Hampshire, depending on work locations and the season. In Newmarket, housing is in a small apartment room in the basement of TNC’s Great Bay office. In Albany, housing will be in a small rustic cabin along the beautiful shoreline of Whitton Pond. Travel will be required throughout New Hampshire, and occasional longer field trips may be required, which may require overnight camping accommodations.
AmeriCorp Field Assistant Essential Functions
The Field Assistant AmeriCorps members are responsible for stewardship support of TNC’s preserves throughout New Hampshire. They will perform routine maintenance of preserve areas and infrastructure frequented by the visiting public, which may include trail work, trailhead maintenance, minor carpentry, and tree or brush removal. Additionally, they will perform land management activities, which may include removing exotic species, conducting ecological monitoring, field mowing, boundary maintenance, etc., and be responsible for the maintenance of tools, equipment and supplies. The members will enter and manipulate field data using a mobile device, maintain preserve records using a database and prepare reports as needed. Additionally, members may assist with updating preserve management plans, updating preserve information on external apps (e.g., AllTrails and Google maps) and assisting with file organization. We are fortunate to have a small crew of loyal and hard-working volunteers who help us manage our lands. The members will engage with volunteers and provide leadership during service days.
The AmeriCorps members may serve in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances. This position requires physical exertion and/or muscular strain, long hours in isolated settings and presents frequent possibility of injury. Because preserves tend to be at least an hour away from any of the three TNC offices in New Hampshire, independent decision making and ability to work through challenging situations as a team member is critical to the success of this role.
Position Specifications
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- Serves with stewardship staff and volunteers to perform preserve maintenance tasks (maintaining signs, building and maintaining trails, maintaining parking lots, marking boundaries, controlling invasive species).
- Interacts with preserve visitors by providing information about the preserves, promoting TNC’s work, answering questions and enforcing preserve policies.
- Deals with problems as they arise on preserves (may include dumping, unpermitted uses, vandalism, camping, etc.).
- Assist with office-based file management including updating preserve management plans, updating external app preserve descriptions (e.g., AllTrails), etc.
- Assists stewardship staff with ecological monitoring.
- Assists with maintenance of basic equipment such as hand and power tools, chainsaws, tractors, UTVs, etc.
- May serve in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances. Requires considerable physical exertion and/or muscular strain.
- Participates, when available and as certified, as crew member on controlled burns in New Hampshire and Maine.
- Assists with special projects as needed.
- May require long hours in isolated settings.
- Makes day-to-day decisions as delegated by supervisor.
- May serve under infrequent supervision.
- Members will generally serve 5 days/week (8-12 hour/days) and occasionally on weekends.
- Collects and reports data including but not limited to record keeping, field data collection and entry, and biweekly timesheets.
- Receives mid-term and end-of-term performance evaluations.
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Standard 5 days on/2 days off with occasional exceptions. Members will average 7-10 hours a service day. However, there will be days that they serve for a half day of four hours and other days where they serve 12 hours. These times will vary seasonally and depend on public events. Normal office tasks, driving company vehicles (day/night; may require occasional use of personal vehicle if bringing one to the program), weekends, early mornings and late evenings, hiking on uneven terrain, lifting in relation to fieldwork. May require long hours in isolated settings. You will need to make day-to-day decisions as delegated by supervisor. At times, specifically in the field, you may serve under infrequent supervision.
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Members will be responsible for reporting requirements, including but not limited to record keeping, field data collection and entry and bi-weekly timesheets. Members will also receive mid-term and end-of-term performance evaluations, in addition to one-on-one meetings with their supervisor.
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- Must be 18 years of age by January 13th, 2027.
- Must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or legal permanent resident.
- Must clear all required national service criminal history checks.
- Must be a high school graduate, GED recipient or be working toward obtaining one during term of service.
- Experience recognizing plant and animal species.
- Experience operating various types of equipment in a safe and efficient manner (e.g., lawn mower, chainsaw, UTV, ATV or OHV, tractor, two-way radio or similar equipment).
- Experience working in a team environment.
- Experience performing physical work.
- Valid driver’s license
- Available from January 13th, 2027 through Nov 19, 2027.
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- Experience working with or knowledge of natural systems.
- Knowledge of and familiarity with New Hampshire biota, geography, natural history and environmental science preferred.
- Ability to identify invasive plant species common to New Hampshire and experience with control and monitoring projects.
- Possess basic carpentry skills as may be needed to build or repair preserve signage and kiosks.
- Safe and competent use of chainsaw; preferably training in chainsaw safety and maintenance.
- Experience working with volunteers and/or leading volunteer work activities.
- Knowledge of, and demonstrated experience with, a GPS unit to find and mark field locations. Able to read and interpret road and topographic maps, aerial photos and other sources of mapped information.
- Experience with Microsoft Word, Excel and ArcGIS.
- Willingness to travel throughout New Hampshire over extensive periods of time, work weekends and occasional evenings.
- Ability to accept and follow instructions and take responsibility.
- Experience working productively and efficiently alone minus direct supervision (a “self-starter”), including ability to independently plan, solve problems, improvise and adapt to shifting demands.
- Communicates effectively in person and in writing with a wide variety of people, including preserve neighbors, private landowners, partners, preserve visitors and volunteers.
- Ability to be aware and observant as well as objectively assess risks, employ sound judgment and avoid potential hazards.
- Attentive to detail, well-organized, energetic and self-motivating.
- First Aid and CPR certifications.
- Qualified as a Fire Fighter Type 2 (FFT2), including Introduction to ICS (I-100), Human Factors on the Fire line (L-180), Introduction to Wild Land Fire Behavior (S-190), Firefighting Training (S-130) and one training burn serving under the supervision of a qualified FFT2. See TNC's Fire Manual for more.
- Able to achieve physical fitness standard as determined by local Fire Program Manager and the TNC Fire Manual.
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- Wilderness First Aid and CPR certifications.
- Living allowance: $914.80 biweekly stipend distributed biweekly (pre-tax; $20,400 aggregate, members only receive the full stipend award if they stay for the full duration of the program).
- AmeriCorps Education Award of $7,395 (full-term) received upon successful completion of program (minimum of 1,700 hours for 11 months).
- Provided housing; may include an apartment room in an office in Newmarket and/or a rustic, three-season cabin in Albany.
- Student loan forbearance and interest repayment on qualified loans.
- Optional: Federal Standard NWCG Wildland Fire Training (S-130/190).
Get to Know Our Partners
We're proud to offer this opportunity in partnership with Squam Lakes Association, manager of the Lakes Region Conservation Corps and grant funded through Volunteer NH.
Lakes Region Conservation Corps
TNC is proud to be partnering with the Lakes Region Conservation Corps as an AmeriCorps host site, currently hosting two full-term members.
The Lakes Region Conservation Corps is a New Hampshire AmeriCorps state service program supporting the mission of eight local conservation non-profits. AmeriCorps members help advance the mission of their individual host site while developing skills and experiences necessary for a career in conservation through hands-on training and service learning. Service opportunities include community engagement through environmental education and volunteer opportunities, to water quality monitoring and environmental restoration, trail maintenance, conservation easement monitoring and so much more. LRCC AmeriCorps are the driving force behind many of the conservation efforts of the New Hampshire Lakes Region and beyond.
AmeriCorps
The Lakes Region Conservation Corps (LRCC) is an AmeriCorps state service program that develops skills and experiences for conservation professionals by providing hands-on conservation work experience and numerous certifications.
Volunteer NH
Volunteer NH envisions our state as a place where people volunteer together to build strong and connected communities. They bring their vision to life by engaging those communities to solve local challenges through volunteerism.