About the Job

Field Crew Members will work on a crew of 6, comprised of a Field Crew Leader, an Assistant Field Crew Leader, and 4 Field Crew Members. Field Crew Members will complete 2 weeks of orientation followed by 10 weeks working on multiday, remote field projects for up to 9 days at a time. Field crews may address projects such as, but not limited to: 

• Trail relocations 

• Rockwork construction 

• Erosion control (installation of water bars, grade dips, log or stone steps, etc.) 

• Mitigating campsite impacts 

• Reestablishing trail tread 

• Brushing trail corridors and removing downed trees 

• Baseline species data collection 

• Non-native and invasive species removal 

• Public education (Leave No Trace, bear safety and awareness, wilderness education, etc.) 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Complete field crew member training which may include trail construction, trail maintenance, backcountry camp set up and procedures, Leave No Trace ethics, and backpacking skills. 

• Work with crew leaders to effectively complete critical backcountry stewardship projects. 

• Assist in developing and maintaining effective, positive relationships with US Forest Service personnel, partner organization staff, and partner organization volunteers. 

• Create media (blogs, photography, video, etc.) to share for reporting and documentation. 

• Follow and practice SAWS organizational policies in the field. 

• Hike into, camp, and work in backcountry settings, more than a mile from a vehicle or trailhead. 

• Maintain a safe, positive, and fun working environment where everyone feels welcome and their contributions are valued. 

• Maintain high standard levels for project completion. 

Requirements

• Enthusiasm for the SAWS mission, environmental conservation, public lands, and the Southern Appalachian landscape. 

• Commitment to learning and acting on SAWS’ Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion program and dismantling racist systems and barriers to access to public lands.   

• Ability to travel on foot over rough terrain for up to 10 miles per day while carrying 65lbs or more. 

• Ability to work in a remote and primitive setting with diverse groups of people. 

• Desire to be a vibrant member of an enthusiastic working team and transformative non-profit organization and to make a difference for the surrounding landscape and communities.

About Us

SAWS is a passionate combination of employees, volunteers, and supporters, dedicated to a mission of educating, cultivating, and empowering an engaged public for the stewardship of protected public lands. We pride ourselves on being a transformative conservation non-profit, serving as a resource to our local partners and the federal land managing agencies we work with. 

SAWS was founded in 2010 to respond to a regional need for stewardship focused on federally designated wilderness. We work with the national forests in the mountain regions of Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky and Arkansas to provide stewardship through our four program areas: field crews, wilderness rangers, volunteers, and education.  

 Our Mission 

SAWS has three primary goals: 

• Take care of wild public lands in our footprint;  

• Provide transformational job opportunities in the outdoors that cultivate, educate, empower, and create equitable career pathways for the next generation of conservation stewards; and 

• Increase public awareness about, equitable access to, and the relevancy of public lands and wilderness. 

SAWS has recommitted to building a more diverse constituency so that the individuals we employ and serve resemble our country, and we work to dismantle racist systems that have historically excluded people of color from the conservation field. We have three priorities associated with this goal: having a diverse and inclusive board, creating an inclusive workforce and increasing the diversity of the people that are engaged by our programs, and working with and following the lead of organizations led by Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) to strategize and build equitable career paths and career development opportunities for BIPOC and historically excluded communities.