Habitat Improvement Fellow AmeriCorps VISTA

AMERICORPS VISTA SUMMER ASSOCIATE:

HABITAT IMPROVEMENT FELLOW

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Position Title: Habitat Improvement Fellow (AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associate)

Organization: Great Peninsula Conservancy

Service Location: Bremerton, WA

Timeline for Service: 10 weeks (June 29, 2026-September 6, 2026), *M-Th, 8am-4pm (32-hours per week), *Requires availability for occasional evening and weekend shifts

Applications Accepted: April 22, 2026-May 25, 2026

Organization Description:

Great Peninsula Conservancy (GPC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust dedicated to protecting the natural habitats, rural landscapes, and open spaces of the Great Peninsula region of west Puget Sound, Washington. GPC’s important work is accomplished through conservation, stewardship, and community engagement.

GPC’s year-long AmeriCorps VISTA Program, Land Labs, connects K-12 students with ambassador landscapes that showcase our conservation mission in action. Outdoor education excursions to these landscapes allow students to get hands-on learning opportunities in the scientific and environmental field. Summer Associates support GPC’s poverty-alleviating VISTA project by equipping volunteers with practical skills in land stewardship that will improve the accessibility of, and learning opportunities on, GPC ambassador landscapes. In doing so, GPC will introduce greater numbers of our community, both youth and adults, to pathways out of poverty through careers in environmental field with family-sustaining salaries.

Position Description:

The Habitat Improvement Fellow will provide direct support to GPC’s stewardship program, through habitat enhancement, restoration, volunteer training, and community education projects. Learn about invasive species management, planting maintenance, wildlife habitat feature creation, trail maintenance, and data collection with the goal of passing practical skills in land management along to community volunteers. In training and educating a new cohort of volunteers, the Habitat Improvement Fellow will also support the activation of select ambassador landscapes for improved accessibility, public enjoyment, and youth education through the Land Labs Program. The position reports to the Stewardship Manager at GPC’s office in Bremerton, but field work will occur on GPC preserves across the Kitsap Peninsula.

Responsibilities:

With the goal of translating new education and skills to volunteers and community members whose efforts will positively impact ambassador landscapes, the Habitat Improvement Fellow will:

• Follow established safety and field operations policy and procedures.
• Learn about restoration activities such as invasive species control, enhancing wildlife habitat, and trail maintenance tools and machinery
• Support vegetation monitoring and data analysis.
• Monitor and map current conditions of protected landscapes.
• Coordinate and support stewardship volunteers and conservation easement landowners.
• Provide education and training to community members (both youth and adult) about land management and stewardship.

Preferred Qualifications

• Student in environmental science, forestry, or ecology programs.
• Ability to traverse through dense vegetation, uneven terrain, and steep slopes, often completely off trail, during summer temperatures.
• Familiarity with Pacific Northwest native species and common invasive species.
• Strong self-motivated individual, capable of meeting established expectations, and managing time and effort to complete tasks.
• Local to Kitsap, Mason, or Pierce counties and able to work in person every day.

Desired Skills

• Strong time management abilities.
• Positive attitude.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a shifting team.
• Creative problem-solving and adaptability.

AmeriCorps VISTA:

This Summer Associate position is funded by the Corporations for National and Community Service and will serve within the AmeriCorps VISTA program. AmeriCorps VISTA is the national service program designed to mobilize people, businesses, and organizations in low-income areas with the goal of creating sustainable, healthy communities. Each Summer Associate makes a full-time (32-hour work week) commitment to serve on a specific project at a nonprofit organization or public agency. To learn more about the AmeriCorps programs visit americorps.gov.

Compensation:

In return for their service, AmeriCorps VISTA members receive a modest bi-weekly living allowance of $957.46 (effective September 8th, 2024) and have the option of receiving an AmeriCorps Education Award ($1,565.08) or post-service stipend ($345.80) after completing their service. Summer Associates are entitled to 3 service days of leave (plus 2 emergency leave days which would need to be made up by serving extra hours prior to end of service) in addition to receiving all holidays as observed by GPC. All leave must be approved by a supervisor. In addition to AmeriCorps’ standard benefits, GPC provides VISTA members with a housing stipend of $800, reimbursement of work-related outdoor gear purchases up to $250, and coverage of costs for the member to obtain Wilderness First Aid certification.

To Apply:

Send a cover letter and resume to GPC’s Operations Manager, Paige Morris (paige@greatpeninsula.org). Applications are also accepted through AmeriCorps.gov but require that the applicant follow up with a cover letter and resume prior to receiving an interview. Deadline for applications is May 25, 2026. For more information, visit GPC’s website (www.greatpeninsula.org).

Professional development stipend, Wilderness First Aid training, gear stipend

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