Position: Invasive Species Management Specialist (AmeriCorps, ages 18-30)

Location:

• St. Paul, MN
• St. Croix, WI

    This is not a residential program; participants must secure housing preferably near the crew location

Service Term and Education Award Amounts:

1700 Hours

$7,395.00

*Members are eligible for an education award up to the amount listed by enrollment type

Benefits:

• Living Allowance: $2,500/month pre tax
• Training, certifications, networking
• Access to gear lending library
• Access to Employee Assistance Program
• Health insurance
• Childcare assistance
• Student loan forbearance (on qualifying student loans)
• Service term eligible to count towards Public Service Loan Forgiveness program

Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa (CCMI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and AmeriCorps grantee that engages hundreds of youth and young adults each year in programs and initiatives that improve access to outdoor recreation, restore natural habitat, protect waterways, and respond to community needs and natural disasters. Our mission is to cultivate a community of emerging leaders in service to people and the planet. Learn more at conservationcorps.org.

Our values embody safety, justice, stewardship, community and leadership. In working toward our vision, we believe that it is important we commit to the following:

• Using equity as a lens for the work we do and decisions we make
• Building a shared vision surrounding Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion goals with our partnering organizations and communities, and
• Providing an equitable training environment and high-quality programming to all our participants.

Position Summary: Invasive Species Management Specialists serve alongside natural resource professionals in partnership with agencies such as the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and nonprofit organizations. Invasive Species Management Specialists learn hands-on skills related to invasive species  monitoring, native vegetation restoration and conservation efforts. The Individual Placements program prioritizes personal and professional growth while teaching hands-on conservation skills in the field. Specialists develop technical skills throughout their term while completing challenging and impactful conservation projects.

Specialists are directly supervised by Conservation Corps Program staff and partner site supervisor. Members complete service projects with direction provided by partnering agencies and representatives of those agencies.

Invasive Plant Management Specialist – 2 positions

Crew Location (City): St. Croix Falls, WI

Location/Travel: While the position is based in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, field season travel up to 12 National Parks located in Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin (Late April to Mid-October) will be extensive (up to 60 days of travel throughout the summer). Travel and per diem expenses will be covered

Schedule: During the travel season members will serve in a compressed schedule of Wed to Wed 7:00 am to 5:30 pm. Outside of the normal field season members will work Monday through Friday 7:00 am to 3:30 pm.  

Term Length: 1700 hours, February – December 2026

Description of Anticipated Projects:

The AmeriCorps Invasive Plant Management Specialists placed with the National Park Service is based at the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway headquarters in St. Croix Falls, WI, located approximately 1-hour northeast of the Minneapolis, St. Paul metro area. Primary duties will support high park priority invasive plant management and vegetation restoration practices in the Great Lakes Invasive Plant Management Team Network of National Parks.  Specialists will assist with manual and chemical plant control, native plant seeding/planting, equipment maintenance, data collection, data QAQC, report writing, identification of native and nonnative plants, outreach and education, and management planning. 

Minnesota Biological Survey Specialist

Crew Location (City): Saint Paul, MN

Schedule: Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 5:30pm

Term Length: 1700 hours, February – December 2026

Description of Anticipated Projects:
The member will be involved with two major projects for the Minnesota Biological Survey (MBS): the MBS Document Management Project and the DNR online Rare Species Guide (RSG). For the MBS Document Management project, the duties include organizing, classifying, digitizing, and archiving MBS paper data sheets, field notebooks, documents, and maps from surveys. The DNR Rare Species Guide has been the authoritative guide to the State’s rare plants and animals since 2008 with over 600 individual species profiles and new ones being added all the time. The member will help with the ongoing need to keep the RSG fresh and modern with references and photos. Both projects will require good attention to detail, excellent organization, basics skills with Microsoft Office and Adobe, and a willingness to learn new software as needed.

Aquatic Plant Management Specialist -

Crew Location (City): Saint Paul, MN

Schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm

Term Length: 1700 hours, February – December 2026

Description of Anticipated Projects:

This position serves in the MN DNR to support the Aquatic Plant Management team in permitting, site inspections, pesticide inspections, and plant surveys related to aquatic plant control.

Invasive Field and Data Specialist 

Crew Location (City): Saint Paul, MN

Schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm

Term Length: 1700 hours, February – December 2026

Description of Anticipated Projects:

This position serves to build the capacity of important public service work at the DNR in the Division of Ecological and Water Resources Aquatic Invasive Species Program under the guidance of the Invasive Species Specialist. This position will primarily serve to assist in the prevention of the spread and promotion of management of invasive species. Activities include data collection, physical and biological lake investigations, aquatic surveys, pre and post herbicide treatment evaluations, and data entry.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Complete service projects to the best of their ability, serving safely, effectively and efficiently to ensure projects are completed to the satisfaction of project hosts and the community
• Abide by Corps program safety regulations as well as applicable federal/state/municipal law and OSHA requirements; communicate any safety concerns and incidents.
• Contribute actively to the team to complete projects, demonstrating a commitment to the Corps values of safety, justice, stewardship, community and leadership.
• Positive attitude, desire to learn new skills, interest in community service; represent Conservation Corps in positive manner in public
• Commit to completing the entire service term per the start and end dates listed on the Member Service Agreement
• Specific projects depend on the site assignment but may include:
• • Conduct surveysutilizing remote sensing technology
  • Site inspections
  • Using manual methods to remove invasive species in various environments
  • Applying pesticides and/or herbicides to remove invasive species
  • Seeding and planting trees and/or other native vegetation
  • Organizing logistics related to project and/or travel
  • Landowner outreach and engagement
  • Perform native plant and tree identification, determine soil types, assess planting success
  • Collect various plant and tree samples
  • Data collection
• Complete and approve timecards and other required reports and paperwork in a timely manner
• Some positions may require regional travel overnight for days at a time.

Hours & Schedule

Schedules can vary, including in-person and hybrid options depending on their site and position. Members should expect to be scheduled for at least 40 hours of service per week. A typical schedule is Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM, including a mandatory 30-minute lunch break which does not count towards service hours.

Training & Development

The Corps provides orientation and skills training at the start of the program year. Additional region or project specific training may be included throughout the service term depending on project need, length of term and other factors. Examples of potential trainings include:  

• Team building and conflict resolution
• Leadership
• Safety and risk management
• MN Safety Council defensive driving
• First Aid/CPR/AED
• AmeriCorps benefits
• Truck and trailer operation training
• Use of powered equipment (ATV, fire engine, tracked vehicle)

Qualifications

• Strong communication skills, with the ability to educate and interact with landowners and community members
• Willingness to learn and adapt to changing plans, work, and weather conditions
• Commitment to upholding Corps values of safety, justice, stewardship, community and leadership.
• Dedication to complete the full term of AmeriCorps service
• Must be a US Citizen, US National, or Lawful Permanent Resident Alien of the US
• Must pass a criminal history check consisting of a National Sex Offender Public Website check, a state criminal history check, and a fingerprint-based FBI check. Passing the criminal history check is defined as no positive hits on the NSOPW and no history of violent offenses on the state or FBI checks.
• High school degree, GED, or willingness to work towards obtaining a GED
• Valid driver’s license and safe driving record (no major moving violations or DUI’s in the past five years)

Preferred Qualifications

• GIS experience in ArcPro, ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS online.
• College coursework and/or degree in a relevant field.
• Ability to identify common regional vegetation (trees, shrubs, grasses) and invasive species
• Experience with performing field work such as vegetation surveys
• Experience with performing manual and chemical vegetation control methods
• Experience with Microsoft Office or Google Workspace (Excel, Word, Google Sheets, Google Docs).

Other Information

Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to creating an inclusive environment that values the diversity of its staff and members and does not discriminate against anyone. Conservation Corps does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices based on race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, military service, union membership, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status with regards to public assistance, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law. Conservation Corps engages AmeriCorps members, ages 18-30, as defined under the American Conservation and Youth Service Corps Act, a subtitle of the National and Community Service Act of 1990. Reasonable accommodations available upon request.