Individual Placement - Turtle Recovery at Padre Island National Seashore

Title: SCA Turtle Recovery; 2 individual Placements

Program Dates: 9/1/2025 - 12/5/2025

About us:

The Student Conservation Association (SCA) is the largest provider of hands-on environmental conservation programs for youth and adults. Program participants protect and restore national parks, national forests, wildlife refuges, marine sanctuaries, cultural landmarks, community green spaces, and much more across the country.

SCA's National Direct AmeriCorps program advances urban climate resilience by protecting, restoring and enhancing public lands and waters as well as natural, cultural, and historical resources across the United States. Service activities focus on projects identified as critical stewardship projects that improve and protect at-risk ecosystems and resources, especially in underserved urban communities.

Project Location: Padre Island National Seashore, Corpus Christi, TX

Overview:

Two SCA Individual Placements will engage in Sea Turtle Recovery efforts at Padre Island National Seashore

Member Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Conduct daytime patrols on beaches to detect nesting sea turtles, stranded sea turtles and hatchlings. Conduct nighttime patrols to release sea turtle hatchlings. Aids with documentation, investigation, and protection of nesting sea turtles, sea turtle nesting id with attachment of various types of tags to nesting Kemp ridley and other sea turtles; retrieval, transport, and care for sea turtle eggs; transport and release of sea turtle hatchlings.

Member Marginal Duties:

May stay overnight in Recreational Vehicle (RV) for up to 5 nights a week to aid with egg care and release sea turtle hatchlings (June through October).

Aids with documentation of live and dead stranded sea turtles found washed ashore on the beach or in the bay/channels. Aid with transport of live and dead sea turtles. May perform necropsies on dead sea turtles, collect specimen samples and analyze unhatched sea turtle eggs. May participate in various special studies and projects regarding live turtle capturing and surveys. Communicate and contact visitors and volunteers to exchange and provide information on nesting sea turtles, stranded sea turtles and hatchlings.

May operate a four-wheel drive vehicle and Utility-Transport Vehicles (UTV) to conduct field activities, transport gear to other patrollers in the field, transport live and dead turtles, transport eggs and hatchlings. Driving is often on remote, rough and unstable sandy beaches.

Necessary training, work vehicles, safety gear, and routine camping gear will be provided.

May use computer to enter nesting and stranded sea turtle data using standard database, word processing and spreadsheet programs. May use specialized computer software to prepare reports, figures, tables, label images, and other material to document field and survey activities. Performs occasional maintenance and troubleshooting of four-wheel drive vehicles, UTVs, communication radios, and other field equipment. Loads, unloads, and maintains material and gear.

Member Required Qualifications:

Valid Drivers License.

Personal Vehicle for personal transportation.

Member Benefits

• Living allowance: $600/week living allowance (pre-tax)*
• Relocation travel allowance $1100, one time
• Housing provided
• AMERICORPS: NOT ELIGIBLE

• All allowances are subject to applicable federal, state, and local taxes.

Housing

Shared housing will be provided as part of this position.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The Student Conservation Association, Inc., is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The SCA strives to cultivate a work environment that encourages fairness, teamwork, and respect among all staff members and is committed to maintaining a work atmosphere where lifestyles may grow personally and professionally.