The Great Basin Institute is an interdisciplinary field studies organization that promotes environmental research, education, and service through the west. The Institute’s mission is to advance applied science and ecological literacy through community engagement and agency partnerships, supporting national parks, forest, open spaces and public lands. 

The Ecological Monitoring Program at GBI serves as an excellent professional development opportunity for natural resource professionals looking for experience in botanical, soil, rangeland and forest surveys. We are dedicated to providing college graduates and emerging professionals with hands-on survey, inventory, monitoring, and reporting experience in natural resource management. Extensive training and technical field skills development provides members a unique opportunity to obtain valuable experience in executing monitoring protocols that will increase their employment success.  

Description: 

Whitebark Pine (WBP) are experiencing extensive threats from white pine blister rust, mountain pine beetle, and climate change impacts on already weakened forest stands. Ongoing survival of the species across its range will require resistance and resilience within extant communities. Identification of areas where there is little whitebark pine mortality due to the interacting agents of blister rust, mountain pine beetle, and climate change is key for delineating core regions for treatments that promote the resilience of the whitebark pine ecosystem. Little is known about the status of whitebark pine populations on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (HTNF). Many of the whitebark pine populations on the HTNF occur in unique, isolated high-elevation patches, in the Eastern Sierra Nevada and in the Bridgeport area, Mountain City, Ruby Mountains, and Jarbidge Ranger District. Our goal is to set up a network of whitebark pine inventory and monitoring plots across the HTNF to determine baseline forest health and ecological status of whitebark pine ecosystems. By repeatedly visiting these sites in the future, we can determine how the isolated populations of whitebark pine on the Forest are changing through time and whether restoration or management activities could be helpful to promote ecosystem resilience.

GBI is recruiting two Americorps Members to serve with GBI and U.S Forest Service staff to install long-term monitoring plots in whitebark pine ecosystems across the HTNF. Each Americorps Member will serve under the supervision of a USFS Field Lead to inventory, monitor, and survey whitebark pine populations and to implement forest health surveys. There may also be opportunities to assist with other field work on post-fire ecology, fuel treatment effectiveness, and rangeland and riparian health.

Duties include following established field protocols to assess forest structure and composition, indicators of insect and disease damage to whitebark pine, identification of understory vascular plants, and enumeration of fuel loads. Overnight car camping or backpacking for 7 night “hitches'' in remote locations will typically be required. 

Field duties will include:

• Maintaining safety awareness and practices 
• Extensive 4x4 driving on unmaintained roads
• Navigating off-trail to sampling sites
• Collecting forest ecology data
• Hiking 2-5+ miles a day on average, with some hikes exceeding 10 miles per day in more remote locations that require longer hikes into wilderness
• Most hiking will be in a backcountry setting over rugged, uneven terrain while carrying >25 lbs of personal and sampling gear
• The work schedule is typically 4- or 8-day hitches working 10 hours per day

Additional duties include:

• Regular communication with GBI support staff and agency staff
• Participation in GBI and agency trainings
• Collecting and organizing data on paper datasheet and electronic data entry systems (i.e., field maps or Avenza) 
• Identifying plants to species using dichotomous keys
• Employing QA/QC data checks

*Members are required to take a mandatory 30-minute lunch break each service day. This break does not count toward their service hours for the education award.

Projects, Locations and Tentative Timelines: The position will begin approximately June 8th, 2026 and is estimated to end mid October 2026, depending on ground conditions. Crews will be stationed at the USFS Supervisor’s Office in Sparks, NV.

Compensation and Benefits:

Living Allowance:  $1,440.00 biweekly (before taxes); not to exceed $15,120.00;

Segal AmeriCorps Education Award (675 hour term): $2,817.14 upon successful completion of term;

Benefits: 

• $150.00 bi-weekly (before taxes) housing stipend* (Pro-rated if less than 80 hours worked)
• $30 per diem for every night camped in the field (up to 7 units in an 8 day work week)
• Up to $200 work boot reimbursement
• Affordable Care Act Compliant Health insurance including vision and dental provided at no cost to the employee starting the first day of the month following employment start date.
• $25,000 Basic Life & AD&D insurance at no cost;
• Access to Pro Deals;
• Eligibility for SNAP benefits, Loan Forbearance, and Loan Interest Accrual Repayment;

*Housing stipend can be used at the discretion of the applicant. Housing is not provided. Applicants must be able to provide their own lodging.

Segal Education Award:

After successfully completing an AmeriCorps term of service members are eligible to receive the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. Award varies based on term of service. You can use the award to repay qualified student loans and to pay current educational expenses at eligible institutions of higher education and training programs.

Student Loan Forbearance:

If you are currently paying on any federal student loans you have the option to put those loans into forbearance during your time as an AmeriCorps volunteer, that will allow you to cease payments while serving.

Interest Accrual Repayment:

As an AmeriCorps alum, you are eligible to have the National Service Trust pay all or a portion of the interest that accumulated on your qualified student loan(s) during your term of service. These payments are made in addition to the Education Award, and are not deducted from your Education Award balance. To be eligible to have accrued interest paid: The loan must have been placed in forbearance for the service period, and you must have successfully completed a term of service and received an Education Award.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Eligibility:

AmeriCorps Volunteers are eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Qualifications

Technical requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in botany, biology, ecology, forestry, or other natural resources degree preferred 
• Knowledge and interest in botany, plant identification, and/or forest ecology - prior experience with botanical or forestry survey techniques preferred
• Experience identifying plants in the field and using a dichotomous key 
• Organizational skills; ability to self-direct and self-motivate; effective communicator
• Experience with data entry and management
• Ability to read, interpret and navigate using topographic maps
• Experience safely operating 4WD trucks on paved and unpaved roads, often in remote areas on unimproved roads
• Experience navigating and collecting coordinates with hand-held GPS units
• Experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access)
• Ability to carry field gear or up to 40 pounds in a backpack while traveling over difficult terrain, and otherwise maintain good physical condition. Ability to hike 2-5 miles on average per day with some days requiring >10 mile hikes. 
• Tolerant of working in variable weather conditions, willing and able to work outdoors in adverse weather conditions

Additional requirements:

• Willingness and ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic setting, and to consistently enact high performance standards and a strong work and team ethic in support of the goals and objectives of GBI;
• Valid, state-issued driver’s license and clean driving record
• Ability to work productively as part of a team to accomplish mutual goals
• Ability to work independently
• Ability to communicate effectively with team members, agency staff, and a diverse public
• Familiarity with best practices for field safety and Leave No Trace principles
• Experience in and willingness to spend up to seven consecutive nights camping with no amenities in remote locations
• Willingness to work long hours (e.g., early mornings, late nights)

AmeriCorps eligibility requirements: (1) U.S. citizenship or legal resident alien status, (2) eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award (limited to earning equivalent of two full-time education awards), (3) pass National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) name search and federal criminal background check, (4) adhere to the rules, regulations and code of conduct as specified in the Member Service Agreement; and (5) not engage in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service Agreement.

Note: 

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the organization's ongoing needs.

Disclaimer: 

Although the organization has attempted to accurately and thoroughly describe this position, GBI reserves the right to change the same, including to change, add to or subtract from the duties outlined, within the sole discretion of the organization, at any time, with or without advance notice