What is AmeriCorps?
E-Corps is an AmeriCorps program – this is a national service program where you volunteer full time, receive a monthly living stipend and get an education award upon successful completion. For more information on Americorps, go to www.americorps.gov.
What kind of work does E-Corps do?
The work that Environmental Corps members do can be broken into three categories:
- Trail building and maintenance
- Habitat restoration (usually in an attempt to re-establish native grasslands and endangered species habitat and remove invasive plants).
- Other public land improvement projects such as leading volunteer workdays, planting trees, carpentry, historic structure restoration, and working with community gardens.
*The important thing to remember is that our members are outside doing manual labor every single day, no matter what
I read that E-Corps takes trips to do work. What are they like and do I have to drive my own car? Do I have to have my own camping gear?
E-Corps members also perform service outside of Austin. These trips are usually one to two weeks long and often at state and national parks. We provide transportation to the site and pay for food. We usually camp in campgrounds at the parks. Members come, work, and perform all necessary camp duties during these “spike” trips. All policies and procedures in effect during a normal work day must be followed the entire trip. E-Corps has a library of camping gear from which you can check items – tents, sleeping bags, etc.
Are you an environmental education program?
E-Corps is neither an environmental education program nor an environmental activism program. However, as an E-Corps member you will have opportunities to learn about the ecology of Texas.
What is a typical member like?
Members typically like to be outdoors, have some experience (but not necessarily a lot) volunteering, camping, and doing outdoor work. Most of our members are in their 20s.
Is this like a normal job? Do I have to be there every day?
Service hours for our local crews are generally Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm with a few Saturdays and a few Spike trips (1-2 weeks, out of town). Our Trails Across Texas crew works a much different schedule, often serving 11 days while camping in a state park and then taking 5 days off.
I’m not from Austin–do you provide housing for members?
Members are responsible for finding their own housing. Craigslist.org and the Austin Chronicle online are both good for finding roommates. We try to provide contact information for incoming members prior to arrival to allow for shared housing.
How much will I make each month?
Your living stipend with E-Corps will be about $900/month after taxes. Many of our members apply for and get food stamps, which add another $100-150/month. Payday is every 2 weeks.
What do I wear to work?
We have a dress code. We require an E-Corps t-shirt (which we provide), long pants, 8 inch leather boots. We also require and provide appropriate safety gear such as a hard hat, gloves, chainsaw chaps, safety goggles and hearing protection.
Is there a drug test?
We require members to pass a drug test during the first week of orientation.
What is orientation?
Orientation is a part of the evaluation process for new members. An invitation to attend orientation indicates that we feel that you have all the attributes necessary to be successful in the program—and we typically enroll 98% of those that we invite to orientation—but it is not a guarantee of enrollment. To be eligible to be enrolled in the program, you need to be present every day of the orientation period, be on time, maintain a positive attitude, participate in the orientation activities, and pass a drug test. If for any reason you are not selected to enroll in the program, you will not receive a living allowance for that time.
