Do you love the Sierra and want to help protect its wonders while gaining valuable professional experience in the environmental field? Apply to become Eastern Sierra Land Trust’s next Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Member!

Organized by the Sierra Nevada Alliance, the Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Partnership places 28 AmeriCorps members each year with partner organizations throughout the Sierra, including ESLT. SNAP members typically serve 11-month service terms, beginning in October and ending in September of the following year.

The partnership was founded in 2007, and every year since then ESLT has hosted talented SNAP members who have conducted education and outreach in our area, helping to inform and inspire our community.

Are you interested in learning more? We begin interviewing AmeriCorps candidates each summer, and we’d love to consider your application for this role. If this sounds like an opportunity for you, you can learn more and apply by visiting the Sierra Nevada Alliance website. Applications are currently being accepted through August 31, 2021.

Our SNAP Members Make a Difference

Do you recognize any of the friendly faces on the right? These are our past SNAP AmeriCorps members, and they have made a huge difference in the Eastern Sierra. Many have chosen to remain in the area to continue giving back to our community long after their service term ended, going on to take full-time jobs at several of our partner organizations, including the Bishop Paiute Tribe, Eastern Sierra Audubon, and the Bishop Elementary School.

In 2015, two-time ESLT SNAP member (and now full-time ESLT staff member) Sara Kokkelenberg was chosen from among more than 4,000 AmeriCorps participants across the state as the winner of California’s 2015 Volunteering and Service Award for AmeriCorps Member of the Year!

ESLT’s AmeriCorps Members of years past

  • Katie Hergenrather, 2007
  • Katie Nelson, 2008
  • Serena Dennis, 2009
  • Sarah Spano, 2010
  • Hillary Behr, 2011
  • Victoria Ortiz, 2012
  • Elise Robinette, 2013 (half-term)
  • Alison Amberg, 2014
  • Sara Kokkelenberg, 2014 and 2015
  • Abbey Blair, 2015 (half-term)
  • Catherine Tao, 2016
  • Indigo Johnson, 2017
  • Ryan Delaney, 2018
  • Marie Ring, 2019 and 2020
  • Gabrielle Tribelli, 2021
  • Claire Marvet, 2022

What Does a SNAP Member Do?

As our Education Coordinators, SNAP members lead and collaborate on restoration, education, and outreach projects that engage our community in conservation. They gain skills and technical training, mentor with environmental leaders in our area, and receive an education award at the completion of their service term to help cover student loans or pay for future education. They are also given a small monthly stipend and healthcare during their service.

During their 11-month service term with us, our AmeriCorps members work on a variety of interesting projects with a high level of responsibility and creative freedom. This includes:

For an application packet and more information, please contact the Sierra Nevada Alliance or call the SNAP Program Director at (530) 542-4546, extension 705.