Team members-Washington DC.
Organization: DC Green Corps
Position Title: Team members
Location: Washington, DC
Hours & Compensation: Not listed
Application Deadline: Not listed
Job Description:
The DC Green Corps, based at the new Marvin Gaye Community Greening Center in the Watts Branch sub-watershed of the Anacostia River, provides a city-wide gateway to 50 different green career tracks in urban and community forestry and forest-based ecosystem and watershed restoration. Helping under-served sub-watershed communities across the city, the Green Corps job program focuses on environmental justice, sustainable native reforestation, riparian buffer planting, invasive removal, urban agriculture and arboriculture, and green controls of urban systems, such as storm and sewer flows.The Green Corps and Center have a referral system to help participants connect to jobs through a wide range of agencies, professional and trade associations, trades, professions, and industries.
The Green Corps and Center collaborate with other agencies including the DC Department of Transportation’s Urban Forestry Administration, the DC Department of Parks and Recreation, DC Department of the Environment, the UDC Collesge of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences, the UDC Cooperative Extension Service and Agricultural Experiment Station, DC Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, the National Park Service, National Arboretum, and other local universities and technical schools and training programs, with a special focus on youth populations and others with challenges for employment, including older people, disabled groups, and ex-offenders. Washington Parks & People, DC’s award-winning largest grassroots land reclamation force, has managed over 50,000 volunteers in the Watts Branch stream valley alone, and has planted over 5,000 trees, focused on impaired, under-served, and heavily impervious watersheds of the city.
The Green Corps and Center are a model Environmental Justice initiative to link inner-city communities into lasting green jobs, and to spark lasting stronger investment in using urban and community forestry to meet vital community needs. By demonstrating the economic, environmental justice, and public health impacts of massive stream valley reforestation, we will set the stage for substantial out-year investment for sustained expansion of urban forestry in DC and beyond.
Washington Parks & People (WPP), in partnership with the District of Columbia Urban Forestry Administration (UFA), is pleased to announce that we will be recruiting up to 16 trainees to take part in a 4 week training program aimed at addressing core urban and community forestry needs by: expanding and sustaining the urban tree canopy; remediation of storm water runoff; and restoring vegetative habitat within DC. This training program will provide trainees with valuable job skills, self confidence, contacts/resources for job placement, and mentoring. Each selected trainee (team member) will be committing to at least 40 hours/week over the four week program – portions of the program may take place on Saturdays as required.
TRAINEE BENEFITS
Certificate upon satisfactory completion of full program
Assistance with job referral and placement opportunities
Contact with experienced trainers and mentors
Exposure and connection to urban forestry and greening leaders
Physical fitness and health support
Intense introductory field experience to urban forestry and greening
Working with various DC government agencies and local community groups
Learning important job skills
Graduate and receive valuable qualifications for your resume
Improving your self confidence and helping to engage the community
Making a positive difference in the environment and appearance of our city
Working as a team to meet goals
The training program will focus on the following areas:
Increase Urban Tree Canopy across all District owned properties
Protect and enhance urban tree cover
Identify and manage threats to the DC urban forest, exotic invasive pest species
Protect and Improve Air and Water Quality
Protect and enhance impaired watersheds in Washington, DC
Active management of planning of the urban forest for storm water management
Improve air quality and reduce the urban heat island in the District and the DC Metro Area
Education and Outreach
Educate citizens on the importance of urban forestry and its multiple benefits
Support and enhance green jobs
Increase the number of green spaces available for citizen uses
Governmental relationships (increase and improve)
SPECIFIC PROGRAM TRAINING IMPACTS
Weeding, mulching, watering, and caring for over 1,000 recently planted trees
Planting at least 150 new native trees in public space to help expand the District’s tree canopy.
Removing invasive plant species to enhance safety and native plant growth
Maintaining low-impact development catchments
Using vegetation to restore stream banks.
TRAINEE REQUIREMENTS
· 18 years or older
· Provide copy of HS Diploma, GED, and complete test showing 6th Grade English Reading Level
Commit to learning urban forestry and green job skills
Commit to 4-week with at least 10 hours per week training period
Demonstrate ability to do heavy outdoor physical work (must complete testing period)
Sign contract to follow rules and safety requirements to meet job and team responsibilities
Complete police background check
Be drug-free and submit to initial and random drug tests
DC resident and US citizen or Resident Alien status
TO APPLY
If interested in becoming a team member for this challenging and fulfilling training program, please contact:
RonDell Pooler at Washington Parks & People at (202) 681-2437
Or email RonDell at: [email protected]
