2025 NPS Academy Vegetation Resources Member - Multiple Parks

Summary

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with Acadia and Rocky Mountain National Parks, is seeking THREE Member(s) in total to contribute to the 2025 NPS Academy program alongside the National Park Service Staff.

For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

About NPS Academy: National Park Service Academy aims to support the development of a more representative NPS workforce by connecting dynamic, young adults through an experiential program designed around three themes - Connections, Diversity, and Legacy. Through participation, members build their conservation ethic, intercultural awareness, and career readiness skills and competencies. NPS Academy introduces participants to the NPS Universal Competencies that are foundational to all NPS career paths within a cohort of like-minded peers.

Program Goals:The main goals of NPS Academy are:

• Connect a diversity of young adults sharing a passion and curiosity for careers within the NPS
• Deepen participants' knowledge of and personal network within the NPS by fostering an NPS mentorship relationships
• Develop a network of emerging conservation and park leaders by building ambassadorship, storytelling, and leadership skills
• Create a more inclusive and representative future for public lands

Start and End Dates:

• Acadia National Park:

Start Date: 05/13/2025 (as early as 5/06/2025, and as late as 5/20/2025)

Estimated End Date: 08/02/2025 (12 weeks from start date; option to extend to full 16 weeks)

• Rocky Mountain National Park:

Start Date: 05/19/2025

Estimated End Date: 08/08/2025 (12 weeks)

*a 12 week minimum commitment is required and participation in the orientation (March 17th - 21st, 2025) are required for each position*

Start and end dates are potentially flexible for the right candidate and are dependent on the Park needs. If your availability falls mostly within these dates, please apply. More information regarding specific dates will be shared in the interview process.

Location Details/Description (TWO sites):

Acadia National Park:

Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine, serves as the duty station. Acadia National Park is located 50 miles southeast of Bangor, Maine, and 240 miles northeast of Boston, Massachusetts. Acadia National Park protects a landscape of rare scenic beauty. Acadia's mountains are the highest rocky headlands on the Atlantic shore of the United States, and the vistas from these mountaintops encompass forested woodlands, shimmering lakes, quiet marshes, bold rocky shores, and coastal islands. Surrounding the park on all sides, the ocean strongly influences the park's character. Visitation exceeds three million visits annually, with the highest visitation occurring in July and August.

Cell reception is spotty within the park, park headquarters, and at government housing accommodations. Acadia Headquarters (office and work site) is approximately 3 miles east of the village of Bar Harbor, where amenities are available such as, grocery, post office, library, fire/police, restaurants, and retail.

*Having access to a vehicle on personal time is advantageous for errands, etc.

Rocky Mountain National Park:

Members will complete service within Rocky Mountain National Park and will be based in Estes Park, CO. Estes Park is a town of about 6000 year round residents although it feels much bigger because of 4 to 5 million visitors each year from all around the world. The town has several restaurants, coffee shops, thrift shops, and tourist shops, as well as a movie theater and bowling alley. Other attractions in town include minigolf, a mountain coaster, summer festivals and outdoor music, as well as numerous bike paths and hiking trails. There is no public transportation or Uber/Lyft other than a shuttle that runs between Estes Park and the airport in Denver. Rocky Mountain National Park adjacent to the town has lots of hiking trails, rock climbing, mountaineering, wildlife viewing, photography opportunities, fishing, and general exploring. Elevations range from about 7500 ft in Estes Park up to over 14000 ft on the tallest peak within the park. The park spans montane forest and meadow environments all the way up to treeless alpine tundra and alpine rocky environments. It is very mountainous terrain, and rarely do you find flat areas in the park. Most hikes involve a lot of elevation gain. Weather at any elevation in the park can change rapidly from warm to very cold, from sunny to thunder and lightning storms and hail on any given day. There are lots of wildlife and deer and elk are quite common as well as birds, squirrels, and chipmunks. But you may also encounter moose, marmots, pika, bears, bobcats, and mountain lions among the many other species of wildlife found here. There are also over 1,100 species of plants growing throughout the park, some small glaciers, and lots to see and do if you enjoy the outdoors.

For more information about Acadia or Rocky Mountain National Parks, please visit their respective National Park Service websites.

Position Overview:

Acadia National Park: Bar Harbor, ME (1 Member), 12-16 weeksThis position works with the park's vegetation crew managing invasive plants and restoring native plant habitat. Invasive plant management activities include surveys, manual and mechanical removal, as well as herbicide applications. This member will also participate in vegetation monitoring, native plant salvage and revegetation efforts. Invasive forest pest monitoring will be a minor component of the position.

Rocky Mountain National Park: Estes Park, CO (2 Members), 12 weeksThis position will be a mix of both manual and herbicide based invasive plant control, vegetation monitoring, outplanting and seeding of native plant species, mulching and erosion control, and nursery and greenhouse operations specific within the vegetation program. In addition there are usually opportunities to work on other park based projects depending on interest of the member and availability of projects.

In order to give Academy members a well-rounded experience to develop a variety of job skills, they may also have opportunities to work on other projects, and with other work groups and park staff from natural and cultural resources, facility management, interpretation, and visitor and resource protection. Members will work with both park staff and volunteers to accomplish tasks, and may be given opportunities to present their work to groups in informal settings.

This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with professionals. This could include gaining experience in different conservation fields and shadowing different work groups.

Schedule:The typical work week is 7am-5:30pm Monday-Thursday, with Friday-Sunday off.

Position Benefits

Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $600/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.

AmeriCorps Education Award Program: This position may be eligible for an 450-hour AmeriCorps Education Award while serving under the EAP 2024/25 grant year program, valued up to $1,956.35 upon successful completion of a complete service term and 450-hrs. Please note, AmeriCorps position eligibility is not guaranteed and may not be available for all positions.

Loan Forbearance: AmeriCorps members may also be eligible for federal loan forbearance. Additional enrollment steps are required.

Qualifying Child Care Coverage: AmeriCorps members may also be eligible for qualifying child care coverage. Additional enrollment steps are required.

Public Land Corps Hiring Authority: Members serving under this agreement may be eligible for a federal hiring authority upon completion of their term of service and 640 hours of service. If the duration of a PLC-eligible term is not long enough for Members to accrue 640 hours of service (~16 weeks), the total hours served at the completion of the term may be eligible to be combined with hours accrued from another PLC-eligible term to meet the 640 hours requirement. PLC projects also include specific eligibility requirements such as age (You must be between the ages of 16 and 30. Some agencies also interpret these guidelines to include veterans up to age 35) and citizenship. Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility, or view general eligibility information on our website.

Housing: ACE members will be accommodated in provided housing at no cost for the duration of the term.

Relocation Allowance: ACE members will have access to up to $1000 to be used for eligible relocation expenses. Further details regarding distribution of these funds will be provided during the interview process.

Gear Allowance:

Acadia: Gear allowance is not provided. Uniform and other necessary gear will be provided by ACE and/or Acadia; such as waders.

(Rocky Mountain only) ACE members at Rocky Mountain National Park will have up to $200 to spend on eligible gear purchases. Eligible gear for this position includes work boots, and must be approved by ACE staff prior to purchase.

Provided Training/Orientation: ACE members will receive position specific training and an orientation outlining ACE policies and procedures, clear guidance on prohibited activities, and networks for support. Specific training at:

• Acadia - may include Operational Leadership, First Aid/CPR, plant ID, vegetation management, pesticide use, park-wide safety day.
• Rocky Mountain - ACE vegetation members will receive a week of orientation and training for the first week of the season during the week of May 19th. This will cover crew organization, project work for the season, backcountry travel, first aid/CPR, tool and herbicide safety, scheduling, communication, diversity and inclusion, orientation to the park and area, among other training that first week. Additional training during the season may be provided such as federal resume training, interview training, and others.

Qualifications

Required:

• Members must be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident, as required by U.S. government contracts
• Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner.
• Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.
• A current and valid form of ID (will be required to provide copies of ID's upon hiring)
• Willing to undergo and must pass the required criminal history checks
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• ACE Members will need to complete bi-weekly timesheets, beginning of term feedback forms, end of term evaluations and for longer terms, a mid-term evaluation.
• Member may not participate in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service Agreement or as defined by AmeriCorps.
• To learn more about eligibility requirements, please visit our website located on our Indeed homepage.

Preferred:

An important reminder, all skills needed for this position will be trained on the job. A good attitude, curiosity for learning, and a willingness to work hard contributing to the team are the only prerequisites to finding success.

• Essential skills and experience: Ability to work well with others, general interest in natural resource management, restoration, and botany
• Additional skills and experience that are helpful: Willingness to learn about plant identification, restoration ecology, plant propagation and/or natural resource management
• Skills and experience that members will gain from this position: plant identification, native plant propagation, native plant restoration, invasive plant species identification and management specific to various regions in the US (Acadia or the Rocky Mountain Region). ACE members will receive position specific training and an orientation outlining ACE policies and procedures, clear guidance on prohibited activities, and networks for support.

Physical Demands, Work Environment and Working Conditions:

Please use this information to determine personal ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Physical Demands: The work is partially sedentary with prolonged standing, walking, and bending often required. Requires the ability to walk up to five miles over uneven terrain in extreme weather conditions and stand on their feet for lengthy periods of time, and sometimes in wetlands (Acadia-waders provided)
• Vision Requirements: Must have adequate vision to walk on uneven, rocky, or terrain covered with vegetation. Requires close, distance, peripheral and depth perception vision as well as the ability to focus.
• Weight Lifted or Force Exerted: Frequently moves up to 25 pounds, occasionally moves up to 50 pounds. Heavy items (e.g., equipment and packs up to 50 pounds) must be moved and carried on a routine basis (for Rocky Mountain only)
• Environmental: The work environment varies constantly. Most work is outdoors, and is performed in temperatures from 40-85 degrees (Acadia) or 90 degrees F to below freezing (Rocky Mountain).
  • Rocky Mountain: Severe mountain weather conditions can result in extreme heat, rain, snow, and high winds.
  • Work takes place both in indoor and outdoor settings (up to 90% outdoors at Acadia).
  • Work can include moderate risks or discomforts that require safety precautions (e.g., exposure to extreme temperatures, climates, rough terrain, wild animals, pests, and insects.)
• Noise Environment: Moderate noise such as light vehicle traffic or battery operated string trimmer.
• Travel:
  • Rocky Mountain only: Overnight backcountry travel is optional but available. Backcountry overnight trips could vary from one night up to four nights if interested and could include tent camping or stays in a backcountry patrol cabin.
  • Acadia only: Occasional overnight travel to other areas of the park may occur. (2-3 days in a small cabin on Isle au Haut, Acadia)

Environmental Conditions/Hazards: The ACE member(s) may encounter environmental conditions/hazards including extreme heat or cold, rocky terrain, swamp or wetland conditions, biting insects, and potentially dangerous wildlife. The member is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as not to endanger self, fellow staff/members or resources.

• Acadia - Member will work with herbicides and vegetation cutting tools. The incumbent will be provided training in proper herbicide use, including the opportunity to obtain a state pesticide applicator license.
• Rocky Mountain - The ACE vegetation members will have various safety trainings to address hazards that they may encounter throughout the season as well as how to mitigate those hazards. Tailgate safety discussions throughout the season will address hazards in a more timely fashion.

Vehicle and Equipment Use/Safety: If a vehicle is required for the accomplishment of the duties, one will be provided by the National Park Service or ACE. Any tools required for the accomplishment of the duties will be provided by the National Park Service. Use of personal protective equipment (PPE), typically provided by the National Park Service, will be mandatory for any activity that requires it. Strict adherence to National Park Service and ACE equipment training, certification and safety protocols is required.

To Apply: Please submit your resume, a cover letter demonstrating your interest and experience, and contact information for three professional/academic references to ACE's online application page for this position on our website. Early consideration will be given as applications are received. This position may close at any time. If you have any questions regarding this position please feel free to contact NPS Academy Member Manager, Deja Charles.

ACE values an inclusive workforce - if you meet at least 70 percent of the qualifications, we want to hear from you!ACE participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information when you are hired to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

EEO: Employment with ACE is based upon ability, qualifications, attitude, and job-related factors. Every qualified employee or applicant has the same opportunity for recruitment, hire, training, transfer, promotion, compensation, demotion, termination, benefits, employee activities, and general treatment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender, national origin, pregnancy, ancestry, citizenship status, genetic information (including of a family member), veteran or military status, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, medical condition, marital or parental status, political affiliation, ethnicity, hair texture or style, arrest record, caste, hereditary status, endogamy, or any other classification protected by applicable local, state, or federal law.

Current Openings for 2025 NPS Academy Vegetation Resources Member Multiple Parks Jobs at American Conservation Experience - EPIC