Samantha Long

Implemented ecological restoration and vegetation management throughout Yosemite National Park for the Merced River Restoration Plan.

Restoration areas included various areas along the Merced River, meadows, woodlands, uplands, and campgrounds.

Restoration work included:

• Invasive plant removal
• Conifer removal by use of chainsaw, loppers, and hand pulling
• Seed collection from local areas
• Replanting native plants and trees
• Identifying and protecting native and rare plants
• Hand sowing seeds
• Watering plants with gas water pumps and sprinkler systems
• Taking cuttings from trees and propagating them
• Monitoring and documenting plant health
• Use of GIS to map restoration projects
• Lead nursery operations for crew plants
• Working with and leading volunteer groups
• Teaching volunteers and crewmates restoration techniques
• Heavy equipment operations including mini excavator and mini skid loader
• Soil decompaction for tree health benefits
• Removing social trails
• Installing wooden post and rail fencing and signage around restoration sites
• Removing abandoned infrastructure
• Use of various hand tools and power tools

Worked as a gardener in the horticulture department for the Mc Connell Foundation Arboretum and Botanical Gardens at Turtle Bay Exploration Park.

I took care of our gardens with high standards and helped with the nursery when needed.

My duties included:

• Various gardening techniques (pruning, deadheading, hedging, weeding)
• Tree care
• Lawn maintenance
• Trail construction and maintenance
• Trash and litter removal among the park
• Use of a variety of hand tools and power tools
• Tool maintenance
• Irrigation repairs and installation including pop-ups, drip systems, and valves
• Herbicide and pesticide application
• Invasive species removal
• Plant identification
• Monitoring plant health
• Planting / transplanting
• Seed and cutting collection for propagation
• Working with and guiding volunteer groups
• Leading field trips for young students
• Working various fundraising events

I was apart of the grand opening of a new successful restaurant and was quickly promoted to the back of house trainer

My duties included:

• Training new employees
• Customer Service
• Cooking meals
• Food preparation
• Opening and closing our kitchen
• Dishwashing
• Bussing
• Cleaning (sweeping, mopping scrubbing)
• Trash removal
• Sanitizing
• Using and mixing cleaning solutions properly

My position as a corpsmember provided me with a wide variety of skill sets

I worked alongside the United States Forest Service, Cal-Fire, Cal-Trans, National Park Service, and the City of Redding

My experience included:

• Trail construction and maintenance in both urban areas and backcountry settings
• Emergency response to major wildfires for up to 30 days continuously
• Backcountry trail projects (SPIKE) for 8 days at a time
• Tent camping in rural backcountry
• Hiking long distances in many types of terrain
• Lifting and carrying up to 50 lbs in a pack
• Fuels reduction
• Prescribed burning
• Flood prevention
• Erosion control
• Invasive species removal
• Post-fire restoration
• Landscaping
• Proper PPE usage