Goals & Needs

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The Resource Conservation District of Tehama County (RCDTC) is a special district assisting Tehama County citizens to manage, conserve, improve and enjoy the natural resources of the county. The RCDTC partners with other organizations and RCDs throughout the North State to provide services to larger regions. The RCDTC works on an array of projects ranging from wildfire protection, enhancing fish passage, mitigation plantings, assisting farmers and ranchers with irrigation efficiency and healthy soils projects, and a variety of natural resource education projects.

The member will serve in a dynamic work setting and must be flexible and willing to engage in a variety of office and fieldwork roles which may shift quickly.

In an office capacity, the member will assist with education and outreach initiatives, which may include:

• Production of multimedia promotional and educational material

• Supporting project managers in meeting grant deliverables through strategic and operational planning

• Community outreach to program beneficiaries and recipients

• Growing RCDTC social media engagement

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The member will also assist with fieldwork as needed. These tasks may include:

• Native planting and vegetation monitoring projects

• Mobile Irrigation Lab irrigation evaluations

• Fuels reduction work (defensible space, prescribed burning)

• Outdoor education (public hikes, field trips) 

These tasks address the challenge that climate change is posing to the community from increased incidence of drought which increases wildfire risk and demand on scarce water resources. Planting native species, assisting with wildfire risk reduction, and improving water conservation address symptoms of climate change. Fuels reduction work helps to sequester carbon by improving tree health and preventing catastrophic wildfires. Healthy soils practices such as improving irrigation efficiency or compost application increase drought resilience, improve crop production, increase the soil’s water holding capacity and remove carbon from the atmosphere with the goal of mitigating climate change. Education and outreach work helps the community understand and support these efforts. 

By joining RCDTC, the Fellow will be a part of building the resilience of the North State community in the face of climate change. The variety of projects that the RCDTC participates in provide an opportunity to sample diverse aspects of environmental, agricultural, and forestry tasks, including both field and office work. The Fellow will join RCDTC staff and continue the legacy of previous GrizzlyCorps Fellows in finding satisfaction in the service they do as they engage with community members to accomplish critical projects.

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Capacity Building Projects

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• Project 1 - Enhance Social Media Engagement: Fellow will assist with the production of multimedia promotional and educational content (i.e., print, photo, and video media); email newsletters; and social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc.). A consistent and attractive social media presence will increase the RCDTC’s capacity to engage with and educate citizens on local conservation efforts while also informing other organizations of our project work and available climate mitigation services.
   

• Project 2 - Community Outreach for Climate Mitigation Projects: Fellow will assist with preparing and organizing outreach materials and events regarding wildfire preparedness, regenerative agriculture opportunities, water security, and more. Face to face interaction with residents in Tehama County will help increase awareness of local conservation efforts and promote resident participation in RCDTC services, especially for those who do not use social media. Establishing a greater connection with the community is critical to climate action work and encouraging local stewardship.
   

• Project 3 - Youth and Community Environmental Education: Fellow will support community engagement through event planning, including: the coordination of the 8th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival - Red Bluff and outdoor education events as well as youth field trips and public interpretive hikes with partners like The Nature Conservancy. Connecting Tehama County residents with their local natural resources and making climate science more accessible will help encourage participation in RCDTC services and inspire youth to pursue science and become environmental stewards.
   

• Project 4 - Support Field Capacity: Fellow will participate in field projects as needed, including: native planting and vegetation monitoring (e.g., vernal pools); assisting field staff with fuels reduction work; increasing the capacity of the Mobile Irrigation Lab through irrigation evaluations; prescribed burns; and representing the RCDTC at relevant local meetings. These field activities will help improve habitat restoration and the vitality of ecosystem services that optimize carbon sequestration, reduce dangerous fuel loads that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and threaten the safety of residents, and increase our visibility in the community while ensuring the RCDTC is up to date on local issues and projects.
   

• Project 5 – Strategic and Operational Planning: Fellow will assist with the templatization and organization of internal and external resources. This planning will help streamline the grant application process, building RCDTC capacity to apply for and receive funding for conservation projects. 
  Following two years of GrizzlyCorps Fellows placed at the RCDTC, we have identified a growing gap in outreach and engagement capacity.

The 2022-23 Fellow would be integral in establishing much needed consistency in the production of creative multimedia promotional and educational materials while increasing internal planning capacity and organization. The Fellow’s ability to use existing and/or develop new technical skills to become software and social media savvy, in addition to their flexibility and ability to assist a variety of projects, would build the needed capacity to engage more youth and residents in our services and, via media storytelling of projects, attract funding to complete more of this critical climate mitigation work.

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Organizational & Community Highlights

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The RCDTC provides a relaxed and collegial work environment. Its hard-working staff of 21 is highly motivated but have fun during the workday – a sense of humor is a required job qualification! The Board of Directors is supportive of staff and avoids getting involved in day-to-day management. The RCDTC’s foundation is providing a suite of services to include site monitoring and restoration, conservation plan development, irrigation system evaluation, and educational outreach. Staff has extensive experience providing technical assistance to landowners, land managers, and tenants to implement various natural resource conservation practices and will share their knowledge gained from this experience with the Fellow.

Partnerships are the keystone to the RCDTC’s project success and staff recognize the value in establishing and maintaining working relationships with other entities to coordinate collaborative multi-disciplinary projects. The Fellow will benefit from exposure to these partnerships with private landowners, NGOs, and federal and state resource agencies. Additionally, staff has encouraged past Fellows to take advantage of external training opportunities for individual professional development and building RCD capacity. Training has included Wildland Firefighter Type II, GIS coursework, and virtual/in-person conferences.

Tehama County, California is well-known for its rural nature, a landscape reflecting the rugged beauty of the west. Locals and visitors alike value its wide vistas of diverse landscapes and access to over 100,000 acres of public land. These public lands provide ideal grounds for world-class hunting, fishing, hiking and other outdoor recreation. Red Bluff serves as an excellent launching point for exploration – a short drive will take you to Lassen Volcanic National Park, Redding, Chico, Sacramento, San Francisco, the Pacific Ocean or skiing at Mt. Shasta Ski Park.

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