Come spend a season working in Nevada's wild public lands!
The Great Basin Institute is an interdisciplinary field studies organization that promotes environmental research, education, and conservation throughout the West. The Institute advances ecological literacy and habitat restoration through educational outreach and direct service programs.
Main office based in Reno, NV Field positions throughout 10 western states
About Great Basin Institute
The Great Basin Institute (GBI) is an interdisciplinary field studies organization that promotes environmental research, education, and conservation throughout the West. Founded in 1998 at the University of Nevada, the Institute’s mission is to advance applied research and ecological literacy through community engagement and agency partnerships to support national parks, forests, open spaces, and public lands. GBI is a member of the Great Basin Landscape Conservation Cooperative (LCC), a multi-agency collective that brings together researchers, tribes, universities, federal, state, and local governments, and non-governmental organizations to address and protect the natural and cultural resources essential to sustaining our health and quality of life.
Ideal Candidate
Our seasonal positions are a great way to start a career in conservation, whether is building trails, monitoring desert tortoises, fuels reduction, archeology, identifying plants, timber cruising, or working at an environmental summer camp. We also have mid and experienced-level long-term positions open up as well.
Room and Board
Depends on the position and placement. Most positions will receive a per diem for food while in the field.
Employee Perks
Depends on the positions. We offer no-cost medical dental and vision insurance to all of our employees including all seasonals. Paid vacation/sick time We have Americorps and non-Americorps positions.
Americorps positions offer:
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Segal AmeriCorps Education Award (Upon successful completion, the award may be used for past, present or future educational expenses, including payment of qualifying federal student loans and Title IV accredited college tuition.)
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Student Loan Forbearance: If you are currently paying on any federal student loans you have the option to put those loans into forbearance during your time as an AmeriCorps volunteer, that will allow you to cease payments while serving.
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Interest Accrual Repayment: As AmeriCorps alum, you are eligible to have the National Service Trust pay all or a portion of the interest that accumulated on your qualified student loan(s) during your term of service. These payments are made in addition to the Education Award, and are not deducted from your Education Award balance. To be eligible to have accrued interest paid: The loan must have been placed in forbearance for the service period, and you must have successfully completed a term of service and received an Education Award.
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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Eligibility: AmeriCorps Volunteers qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The Nevada Conservation Corps will provide you with documentation proving that you qualify for SNAP.
- Educational Affiliation Agreements (College Credit): The Nevada Conservation Corps will take part in Affiliation Agreements with your university in order to allow you to receive college credit hours for your term of service.
Getting Here and Getting Around
We generally recommend personal vehicles for getting around. We provide work vehicles.
For Fun
We have positions based all over the west coast but we have two main offices, one in Reno, one in Las Vegas.
GBI RENO: The scenic Great Basin Institute headquarters, nestled at the base of the eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada mountains, is located 20 minutes from Lake Tahoe and four hours from San Francisco and the Napa-Sonoma wine country. Reno has an estimated population of just over 230,000; the greater Reno-Sparks metropolitan area has a population of just over 435,000. The city sits in a high desert at ca. 4,500 feet in elevation, at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains along the Truckee River, as it flows from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake. Weather is mild, but with a distinct four seasons. Reno offers easy access to world-class outdoor recreation, with a 3- to 5-hour drive to Yosemite and Death Valley National Parks, the Pacific Ocean, and California redwood forests. Closer to home, Nevada boasts more natural hot springs than any other state in the country, over 150 named mountain ranges, and 30 mountain peaks over 11,000 feet. In Reno, recreation and entertainment includes 8 major ski resorts within two hours of the Reno-Tahoe airport; fishing and boating on Lake Tahoe, the Truckee River, and Pyramid Lake; minor league baseball with the Reno Aces (the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks); cultural festivals throughout the summer along the banks of the Truckee River; and a small but growing collection of craft microbreweries and micro-distilleries. For more, visit http://www.movoto.com/reno-nv/moving-to-reno/
GBI LAS VEGAS: GBI Field Office in Las Vegas, NV. The scenery varies from dramatically colorful geologic landforms and largely unspoiled panoramic vistas of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area to remote and rugged wild landscapes of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area. Recreation opportunities abound and viewing sites for desert plants and animals are easily accessible. Nevada boasts more natural hot springs than any other state in the country, over 150 named mountain ranges, and 30 mountain peaks over 11,000 feet. Famous National Parks and other public lands are 1-3 hour drives from Las Vegas. The Las Vegas staff oversee projects in southern Utah, northern Arizona, southern California, and southern Nevada, as well as other neighboring areas, which means opportunities to explore new and amazing public lands is often a part of the job!