AmeriCorps VISTA and the federal Office of Surface Mining and the Watershed Team seeks to place a full-time VISTA volunteer in the Blackleggs Creek Watershed and Trout Nursery in Clarksburg, Indiana County.

In 2001, the OSM/VISTA Watershed Team was created to address these concerns from the grassroots level. The result of a unique partnership has been the placement of almost 30 OSM/VISTAs with watershed association spread across seven states.

The work of each OSM/VISTA is built around a set of Core Goals: build capacity in the watershed organization, organize the water quality monitoring critical to future funding, reach out to youth and adults in their community to create awareness about watershed issues, engage in economic revitalization efforts and find the funds to keep all this critical work moving forward.

These dedicated, passionate volunteers are powerful advocates for environmental issues in their watersheds. In an area where past environmental degradation can create a sense of hopelessness about the future, OSM/Vistas focus on getting people in the community involved in changing the quality of their lives, and bring renewed hope and strength to Coal Country.

The current opportunity is with the Blackleggs Creek Watershed and Trout Nursery in Clarksburg from February 2006 through February 2007.

A car is required and full time service without outside commitments. A Bachelors Degree in the Sciences is preferred. Childcare support is available, if eligible, along with health insurance, a living allowance and training

For more information contact Anne Daymut or Linda Fickinger at 724-639-3002 or send email to: Blackleggscwa@hotmail.com . (courtesy Watershed Weekly)

9/16/2005