Individual Placement - Estuary Habitat Monitoring Member

Student Conservation Association • Staatsburg, NY

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Estuary Habitat Monitoring Member serves with the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve (HRNERR) at the Norrie Point Environmental Center in Staatsburg, New York. HRNERR works to improve the health of the Hudson River Estuary by conserving estuarine habitats through education, training, stewardship, restoration, monitoring, and research. The member works with the Habitat Researcher to implement the National Estuarine Research Reserve System’s Wetlands and Water Levels Program, monitoring tidal wetlands and nearshore aquatic habitats, supporting the tide station network, and helping manage a Hudson River-wide community science program surveying submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV).

This is a full-time, approximately 10-month AmeriCorps service position, scheduled January 25, 2027, through November 19, 2027. The weekly schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with occasional optional weekend work. The member serves approximately 40 hours per week and is expected to complete 1,700 AmeriCorps hours. Work is primarily in a front-country setting, though emergency services may be delayed by one to two hours. Members regularly interact with the public; public transportation is limited or unavailable, and cell service may be limited or unavailable.

Compensation is a $500 weekly living allowance. Housing is provided free through a lottery and is not guaranteed, or the member may receive a $1,000-per-month housing allowance for positions outside New York City. Members are eligible for free health insurance and AmeriCorps childcare assistance, and qualifying members may be eligible for federal student-loan forbearance and interest-payment deferment. A $7,395 education award is available upon successful completion of the program. Allowances are subject to applicable taxes.

The position requires fieldwork in wetlands and aquatic environments and participation in required SCA and AmeriCorps trainings, service projects, and reporting. Members must submit timesheets and output reports, with training provided for reporting. Required trainings include New York State employee and contractor trainings, laboratory safety training, and boater safety training. Additional training opportunities may include meeting facilitation, plant identification, or canoeing.

Requirements

• Meet AmeriCorps eligibility requirements: be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or national; be at least 18 years old; and have a high school diploma or equivalent, or be actively working toward completion.
• Agree to undergo a National Service Criminal History Check, including criminal background, sex offender, and FBI checks after an offer.
• Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, environmental studies, biology, geology, or a related field.
• Valid driver’s license and personal vehicle.
• For SCA motor vehicle driving: have at least three years of state-permitted and licensed driving experience, be at least 21 years old, pass an MVR check upon hire and annually, and pass SCA driver training, including online and behind-the-wheel assessment components.
• Be comfortable working in and around water and outdoors year-round in all weather conditions, including cold, heat, humidity, and rain.
• Be able to lift and carry up to 40 pounds.
• Be able to swim.
• Be comfortable working in wetland and aquatic environments, including hip-deep mud and muck, shallow and deep water over five feet, dense vegetation and brush, sun, insects, wildlife, and other environmental hazards.
• Be able to canoe or kayak, or be willing to learn on the Hudson River and tidal creeks.
• Be willing to work in chest waders, hip boots, dive boots, wetsuits, water shoes, and other protective equipment.
• Be able to follow rigorous sampling procedures and laboratory and field safety protocols.
• Be willing to operate a state-owned sedan, truck, and SUV.
• Be comfortable working with or around hand and power tools, or be willing to learn to operate them safely.
• Serve approximately 40 hours per week and meet the 1,700-hour AmeriCorps requirement.

Nice To Haves

• Willingness to participate in optional additional training, such as meeting facilitation, plant identification, or canoeing.

Responsibilities

• Assist with collecting marsh surface elevation and stability data in Hudson River tidal marshes, including use of surveying equipment.
• Collect tidal wetland plant community data, including percent cover, stem counts, and species identification.
• Collect submerged aquatic vegetation habitat data, including percent cover, species identification, and other environmental characteristics.
• Monitor shifts in tidal marsh ecotones using field tape measures, plant identification, and recording of environmental characteristics.
• Help prepare and implement research and monitoring projects, including calibrating, deploying, maintaining, and servicing sensors or equipment; retrieving data; and analyzing data.
• Help update Hudson River Estuary tidal wetland and SAV maps, including interpreting imagery with specialized software such as ArcGIS and ground-truthing sites by boat.
• Help maintain Hudson River tide stations, including surveying, using hand and power tools, and maintaining station infrastructure.
• Support the Hudson River SAV Volunteer Monitoring Program through volunteer coordination, training, outreach, and data entry.
• Digitize field sheets and enter data using Microsoft programs, including Excel and Access, and online databases.
• Assist with other HRNERR research programs as needed, including water quality or meteorological monitoring, laboratory tasks, and water sampling.
• Help maintain and organize the working laboratory and communal storage spaces as needed.
• Provide assistance, as time allows, to other Research Reserve programs, such as invasive plant management, native plant greenhouse work, wetland restoration, and the TIDES education program.
• Participate in SCA Corps-wide trainings and service projects, project evaluation, and reporting.
• Submit timesheets weekly or biweekly through SCA’s ADP timekeeping system and submit weekly output reports.
• Complete required online trainings for New York State employees and contractors, laboratory safety training, and boater safety training.
• Operate an SCA motor vehicle as required, subject to driver eligibility, record checks, and training requirements.

Benefits

• $500 weekly living allowance.
• Free housing may be available through a lottery, but is not guaranteed.
• Alternatively, a $1,000-per-month housing allowance is available for positions outside New York City.
• Eligible for free health insurance.
• Eligible for childcare assistance through AmeriCorps.
• Eligible for federal student-loan forbearance and interest-payment deferment for qualifying loans and members.
• $7,395 AmeriCorps education award upon successful completion of the program.
• Training opportunities in AmeriCorps and SCA topics, risk management, reporting, mental health first aid, wilderness first aid and CPR, environmental education, leadership, Hudson River ecology, and professional development and job readiness.
• Opportunities to attend New York State Outdoor Educator Association conferences and events.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level