Community Volunteer Ambassador - Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Position Details:

Stewards Individual Placements, a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. The Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) Program combines the strength of a national leader in conservation service with the National Park Service to train a diverse group of emerging leaders to assist park units in building lasting connections to communities.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area's Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) position will be part of a team responsible for the overall management of the park's well established volunteer program. The CVA will be assisting with program administration, community outreach and volunteer recruitment, developing a PSAR program, and event management. The Ambassador will be part of a team to engage the community and other park constituents in volunteer service and community engagement programs and activities. The CVA will bring a fresh perspective to the team and provide input in the program's operations by building capacity for the park. Leadership and developmental training opportunities will be provided throughout the Ambassador's tenure with the park.

The CVA will assist in two areas: event management and developing a PSAR program. The Ambassador will focus on increasing the number of people volunteering through service project days which will include both national events (i.e. National Trails Day, National Public Lands, Martin L. King Day, Junior Ranger Day, and Day of Service, etc.) and local events where a service component could easily be incorporated. This would include (but not be limited to) possibilities such as recurring group service opportunities like litter removal, landscape maintenance, habitat and vegetation management, and watershed restoration.

The second area that the CVA will focus on is developing a Preventative Search and Rescue (PSAR) program from researching other programs, developing the framework of the PSAR program, recruiting, developing and coordinating training for the volunteers, and day-to-day management of the program. In the fall of 2024, the CVA will work, train and work alongside the staff person who will then take over the program until the internship term is over. The PSAR program development will be under the direction of the VIP Program Manager.

Site Description:

Located just 30 minutes from Las Vegas, Lake Mead National Recreation Area is a premier destination for millions of tourists and locals looking for a mix of adventure and natural beauty. More than 6 million people visit Lake Mead each year, making it the sixth most-visited unit of the National Park System. At 1.5 million acres, the park is also the third largest area of the National Park Service, outside Alaska.

The two lakes provide 290 square miles of water on which to boat, fish, swim, water ski, sail and sun. Lake Mead is America's largest reservoir with depths surpassing 500 feet. Nearly 87 percent of the 1.5-million-acre area of Lake Mead is land, containing a wealth of natural and cultural resources in a setting of rugged mountains, desert washes, sheer cliffs, and colorful soils and rock formations.

Created by Act of Congress in 1964 as the nation's first National Recreation Area, Lake Mead stretches along nearly 140 miles of the old Colorado River channel between Nevada and Arizona. It includes both Lake Mead, created by Hoover Dam, and Lake Mohave, created by Davis Dam.

Lake Mead's temperatures range from the low 40's in the winter to 118 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. Fall and spring seasons have gorgeous weather conditions and are best suited for engaging the public to come and enjoy the many wonders the park has to offer through volunteer opportunities.

Lake Mead's volunteer program is well established. In pre-COVID years, we had over 3500 volunteers donating over 100,000 hours to the park. Recently, our volunteer numbers are lower. We are trying to regain our footing in the surrounding communities to promote our volunteer program. We have approximately 1100 dedicated volunteers donating 55,000 hours to the park. The CVA working at the park will gain valuable experience in how a volunteer program can benefit the park through building capacity to accomplish high priority projects.

Position Responsibilities:

• Volunteer Event Management - Assist with and lead in all aspects of volunteer events management - event planning, pre- and post-event logistics, communication with participants, overseeing support event assistants, administrative responsibilities, determining site location, and hosting the volunteer event.
• Assist with major events days such as National Public Lands Day, the Great American Cleanup, Veteran’s Day project, Make a Difference Day, and other identified events.
• Plan, host and oversee at least 8 small scale events with groups of 10-25 people
• Work with and lead event assistants to facilitate volunteer events
• Volunteer Program Management - PSAR program
• Assist with the development of the LAKE PSAR program - research, develop a SOP, recruit, interview, train, and day-to-day management of teh program.
• Occasionally serve as a deckhand on the OZ boat. Work with Community Volunteers to clean up areas of the park that are not accessible by land and only water. Serve as the NPS representative on board the boat to greet, educate, oversee safety considerations, and coordinate volunteer service project.
• Assist with the bi-annual volunteer recognition events – Fall 2022 and Spring 2023
• Develop social media posts to promote the volunteer program and recognize groups that accomplished work at events.

CVA Minimum Requirements:

• Experience with Microsoft products
• Willing to work as a team and independently
• Ability to work with others, especially those from diverse populations
• Enjoy working in the outdoors
• Loves to hike
• Participate in the CVA National Early Service Training in late March/early April 2024 (date TBD)
• Be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
• Be 18-30 years old at time of service (veterans up to 35 years old)
• High School Diploma/GED
• Pass fingerprint-based FBI, state criminal, and a national sex offender checks.
• Be able to provide proof of a driver’s license and complete a MVR check
• Must be over 21 years old or have had license for at least 3 years to be insured in this position

Preferred Qualifications:

The CVA intern will need to be able to balance working in a team environment when putting on volunteer events and be able to transition to work independently when providing administrative support to the various programs. The person must be organized, flexible and able to oversee multiple projects.

The CVA will need to possess the following transferable skills:

• Managing large and small groups of people to accomplish priority work.
• Excellent communication skills - Comfortable to speak in front of groups of people (20 to 100 people) to effectively communicate the safety hazards the volunteers may encounter and how to mitigate those hazards through onsite briefings.
• Experience working with diverse populations
• Compose accurate reports that will brief team members on what will be happening throughout the volunteer event.
• Developing a positive relationship with Community Volunteers so they will come again to another volunteer event.
• Excellent problem-solving skills, so to anticipate problems before they occur.
• Detailed oriented
• Working in a collaborative team environment.
• Seeking opportunities for professional development in a safe and supportive environment. Making a mistake is not seen as a failure, but an opportunity to learn and grow.
• Enjoy working in a natural setting, especially around water.
• Loves to hike

Additional Information:

Work schedule will be Tuesday through Saturday, 8 AM to 4:30 PM with most holidays off.

Government housing provided - Housing accommodations are located within the park with a beautiful view of the lake - sun rising in the mornings over the lake and the sun setting on the mountains in the west behind the house. The accommodation is shared with another park employee or intern. The furnished house is a two-bedroom home with central air and heat. Utilities (electric, water, and sewer) are paid by the park.

The CVA will have their own bedroom space furnished with a twin bed, nightstand, writing desk, dresser, and closet. The CVA and roommate will share a furnished common living room, bathroom, and kitchen/dining area. Stove, microwave, refrigerator, washer and dryer, central heating and AC are available in the residence. Some cookware left by previous tenants can be found in the space; although, there is no guarantee what is in the assigned home. Wi-Fi is not provided by the park, but available for purchase for a nominal fee through Access Parks.

The CVA will need their own transportation to and from the residence to the office, located in Boulder City, NV which is approximately 8 miles away. Boulder City has two grocery stores, many restaurants, a library, several gas stations, and other businesses (ie: banks, gyms, Starbucks, etc.). During specific times of the year, various free art festivals and fairs come to Boulder City in which the CVA could attend if they are interested.

Within a 30 to 60-minute drive from the CVA’s residence, the CVA can find many hiking trails both in the park and outside the park. The area is surrounded by city, county, state, and other federal public lands. The CVA can also find rock climbing facilities, gyms, major shopping centers and night life within an hour’s drive from their home. Within a half a day’s drive, the CVA could visit other National Parks such as Zion, Grand Canyon, Death Valley and more.

Lake Mead can provide the CVA intern with a variety of developmental opportunities. Volunteer Management (all aspects) will be the prevailing developmental opportunity; although, the supervisor will discuss with the intern what developmental areas they would like to experience while in the internship. Lake Mead holds many training opportunities for the CVA intern. We provide training in safety, volunteer management, and various resource management opportunities.

Safety training - Operational Leadership, Defensive Driving, Fire Extinguisher operations, trail safety, personal protective equipment, writing job hazard analysis, and other relevant training opportunities.

Volunteer Management - How to Succeed with Volunteers, volunteer event management, writing volunteer position descriptions, recruiting volunteers, conducting outreach, recognition, and hands-on management of a volunteer program.

A sampling of resource management opportunities are native and non-native plant identification, bird identification, working in a native plant nursery, tortoise identification and handling, Christmas Bird count, Bald Eagle count, restoration efforts, seed collection, and so much more.

Benefits:

• $600/week living stipend.
• Housing provided.
• Limited health care/childcare benefits
• The position is eligible for an AmeriCorps Education Award $6,895.00 (pre-tax) upon successful completion of the program
• $1,200 in professional development funds for training, networking, conferences, and/or travel.
• Networking opportunities within the National Park Service and partnering organizations
• Public Land Corps Hiring Authority
• Week-long in-person training at NPS site with travel/meal expenses covered.

How to Apply: 

Please visit Community Volunteer Ambassador (cvainternships.org) to review “Member Positions” by region and find instructions on how to apply.  

The CVA position will start on Monday, January 22nd, 2024, and run for 48 weeks until Friday, December 20th, 2024. Applicants will need to apply here: https://form.jotform.com/StewardsIPP/cva-member-application-winter-2024. Application form requires a resume, cover letter, professional references. 

Please ensure your cover letter addresses how your experience aligns with the CVA program, your experience working with diverse populations, and position details for this park/position. You may submit one application for multiple positions by selecting all sites you are interested in. 

Applications Deadline 

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. First review will occur in early November. Final deadline is Sunday, December 10th, 2023. 

For Application Questions: 

Please contact Geoff Elliot, Program Director at gelliot@conservationlegacy.org 

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, political affiliation, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.