ITEK Climate Stewardship Fellow

Project summary

The California Climate Action Corps (CCAC) is part of a statewide initiative to address and mitigate the effects of climate change. CCAC matches Fellows with organizations to mobilize community members to take direct climate action through education, volunteer mobilization, and assessment focused on urban greening, organic waste diversion and edible food recovery, and wildfire resiliency. This is a climate-focused, workforce development program for emerging climate and environmental leaders.

Opportunity description

Operating on conservation sites across Northern California, California Open Lands (COL) spearheads the Community Cultural Stewardship Program, committed to revitalizing Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK) and nurturing Northern California ecosystems, absent since colonization in 1850. We unite Native and non-Native communities impacted by climate change to safeguard our land, water, native flora and fauna, fostering collaborative environmental stewardship rooted in tribal wisdom. Through community outreach, ITEK education, and restoration projects, we integrate climate adaptation, food sovereignty, biodiversity, and cultural burning to fortify both land and community resilience. Fellows will engage the Butte County and Northern California community, coordinating short-term volunteer opportunities for COL reserves and other public lands. Additionally, Fellows will recruit individuals for a specialized long-term professional stewardship program aimed at achieving ITEK certification. Collaborating closely with COL staff, Fellows will support the implementation of ITEK-informed land management strategies, curriculum development, and long-term climate resilience planning, fostering a symbiotic relationship between community and land. Duties include, but are not limited to: Engage in hands-on stewardship tasks such as fuels reduction, invasive species management, seed gathering, and native species planting to enhance ecosystem health. Create compelling social media content and manage calendars to recruit volunteers and promote events to support community-based climate education initiatives. Collaborate with staff to plan and implement ITEK trainings, demonstrations, restoration, and events. Recruit and coordinate community members for short-term stewardship volunteer opportunities and long-term ITEK-certified stewardship workforce.

Benefits

• $33,600 stipend
• $10,000 education award
• 340 hours of professional development
• Minimum essential healthcare
• Loan forbearance
• Food and childcare assistance (for those eligible)