Overview

The Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy is seeking individuals for the Jamaica Bay Wetlands Fellowship, a paid 6-month workforce development and job training program for young adults (ages 18–25) focused on wetlands maintenance, monitoring, and restoration. Fellows will work as part of a team to preserve fragile shoreline ecosystems by maintaining nature-based restoration efforts in Jamaica Bay. The program will be based at Floyd Bennett Field within Gateway National Recreation Area with projects taking place in city, state, and national park jurisdictions around Jamaica Bay and the Rockaways. Fellows will also participate in a series of professional development educational activities, panel discussions, and other experiences to gain knowledge of key challenges and opportunities for nature-based solutions, wetlands assessment criteria and indicators, and valuable hands-on experience restoring one of NYC’s and the region’s most important and dynamic ecosystems –Jamaica Bay.

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES:

  • Hands-on restoration of natural areas including shorelines, marshes and trails
  • Remove invasive plant species and other debris
  • Revegetate treated areas with native species through seeding, planting, and plugging
  • Construct and maintain park trails
  • Support partners’ restoration site monitoring, collect and analyze data, wildlife studies
  • Co-facilitate community volunteer stewardship programs
  • Attend weekly Fellowship meetings and debriefs
  • Attend monthly Fellowship professional development

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

  • Interest in New York City and its natural areas, nature-based solutions to climate change, and/or urban environmental sustainability
  • A high school diploma/GED equivalency
  • A commitment to the full 6-month program (see schedule below)
  • Proactive work style, dedicated, punctual, dependable, and a great teammate
  • Must be a New York City resident between the ages of 18 and 25. Preference will be given to qualified applicants who are from the communities that surround Jamaica Bay
  • Must be legally authorized to work in the US

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

  • Work outdoors and in extreme heat or cold (depending on season), including during inclement weather
  • Work in wet, sandy environments, getting in and out of boats, wading in water to access restoration sites
  • Lift up to 50-70 pounds of material or equipment
  • Ability to work in physically demanding situations – bend, lift, pull, and push, crouch, stoop, kneel, stand, or bend for long periods of time
  • Walk for long periods of time on uneven surfaces

COMPENSATION

The 6-month program will take place from April 2 – September 26, 2024. The schedule consists of:

  • Wetlands Projects: 21 hours/week (Tues-Thurs) 
  • Professional Development: 2+ hours/month (to be scheduled)
  • Program Support: opportunities to work additional hours to support JBRPC stewardship, education, and community programs (to be scheduled based on JBRPC program needs)