ACE EPIC NPS Rocky Mountain National Park - Natural Resource Management Intern - AmeriCorps

Summary: American Conservation Experience (ACE), a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with Rocky Mountain National Park, is seeking ONE Natural Resource Management Intern to work with the resource management division on restoration ecology projects. During this 12-week internship, the intern will primarily support a series of vegetation management projects while learning about the National Park Service (NPS) as a career path.

These opportunities are intended for enthusiastic individuals from traditionally underrepresented communities in the Park Service who are interested in natural resource management as a potential career path.

Internship Start Date: Late May 2020

Internship End Date: August 2020 (or 12 weeks from start date, flexibility with the start date may be required)

* A minimum 12-week commitment is required for the internship, as is the March 9-13 spring break orientation in Jackson, Wyoming all food & expenses covered for orientation*

About NPS Academy:  The NPS Academy is an innovative and immersive program designed to introduce diverse and currently underrepresented undergraduate or graduate students, ages 18 to 30 to career opportunities with the NPS.  The program includes a spring orientation week at Grand Teton National Park (GRTE) and summer internship experience.

Successful candidates come away equipped with enthusiasm, professionalism, a strong work ethic and knowledge about the NPS mission and Universal Competencies. The NPS Academy maximizes career opportunities with NPS through training and hands on experiences.  Goals of the Academy are to: 

• Connect diverse students with hands-on and experiential opportunities, introducing career paths within the NPS;
• Develop "on-the-job" training to participants through summer internships at national park units;
• Foster NPS mentor relationships deepening students' knowledge of and connection to the NPS;
• Provide ambassador roles for students to engage their college, university or community, sharing their experience and promoting NPS and stewardship opportunities with their peers and faculty.

Location, Rocky Mountain National Park:  Estes Park, CO

The "Rocky Mountain National Park Act" was signed by President Woodrow Wilson on January 26, 1915, establishing the park boundaries and protecting the area for the future. The Civilian Conservation Corps built the main automobile route, Trail Ridge Road, in the 1930s and in 1976, UNESCO designated the park as one of the first World Biosphere Reserves.  As recently as 2018 more than 4.5 million visitors entered the park and it is one of the most visited in the National Park System, ranking #3 most visited.  When Congress passed the Rocky Mountain National Park Act in 1915, the legislators focused on Rocky's scenic and natural wonders, though its human history is robust as well.

Project Website: For more information about Rocky Mountain National Park please visit: nps.gov/ROMO.  For more information regarding the ACE Internship Program, please visit: www.usaconservation.orgor npsacademy.org.

Compensation: Once fully enrolled the ACE Intern is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $400/week to cover the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.

Housing: Housing and travel assistance to and from park location will be provided.  The ACE intern will be accommodated in park housing at no cost for the duration of the internship. Housing is within walking or biking distance from where the intern will meet with other staff each morning. Accommodations are generally shared housing, and include a full kitchen. Housing may be a house, apartment, or dormitory depending on what is available.

AmeriCorps: This position may be eligible for a 450-hour AmeriCorps Education Award ($1612.43) upon successful completion of internship service hours. Additional enrollment is required.

Scheduling: four (4) ten-hour days (Monday through Thursday) and 3 days off (Friday through Sunday). Work day starts at 7 am.

Position Description:  The NPS Academy Intern will primary assist with three main projects in Rocky Mountain National Park's vegetation management program, but may be involved in many other projects as well. 

The first project will involve soil stabilization and vegetation restoration of a deferred maintenance project where significant ground disturbance has occurred as a result of the replacement of several miles of underground water line. Specific activities will involve installing erosion control to keep soils in place, controlling unwanted vegetation such as invasive plant species that are growing in the water line disturbance corridor, and mulching and seeding the ground disturbance to restore native vegetation and wildlife habitat. The intern may also help collect and clean seed that will be used in the following year for continued restoration and stabilization of the water line disturbance. 

The second project involves the removal of invasive vegetation from high priority areas in the park.  The intern will work with crews and volunteers using both manual and chemical methods to treat invasive species in order to improve wildlife habitat in the park. 

The third project will involve the restoration of alpine vegetation in areas heavily impacted by high visitor use.  This will involve the planting of nursery stock from the Park's native plant nursery.  It may also involve seeding, raking, mulching and watering of some of these heavily impacted areas, and educating visitors on why restoration in the alpine tundra is necessary.  Various other smaller vegetation restoration projects may also be worked on over the course of the summer.

In order to give the intern 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. The intern 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.

Additional Experience: ROMO provides a spectrum of experience intended to grow the interns through field experience and training, assistance integrating into park life, and building strong connections among interns and personnel for future support as they pursue NPS careers. Each intern will be assigned a mentor in their park district who will meet with them regularly to provide insight, help adjust to park life, edit their resume and assist the intern in creating an individual career development plan.

Onsite park leads will assure that interns are trained sufficiently, whether formally or on the job, to perform up to expectations and they will assign clear tasks and goals. As needed, the park lead will coach, evaluate and counsel interns. The park lead agrees that the program is developmental and will allow interns to shadow jobs, meet with mentors and participate in trainings during the interns' scheduled work week.  ACE staff and the Outreach Program Manager will conduct a workshop for NPS leads/mentors on cultural awareness and coaching interns who are new to the NPS and/or the outdoors.

Qualifications: Applicants for the position must hold or be pursuing a minimum of a bachelor's degree orhave relevant experience in subject areas such as GPS/GIS, earth sciences, forestry, resource management, ecological restoration or similar fields.

Required:

• U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident
• Be able to attend spring break orientation in March 9-13, 2020.

• Must be 18-30 years of age and/or:
  • Interns must be 21+ to secure ACE position that requires operation of agency or ACE vehicles for duties.  When driving is required valid driver's license and an insurable driving record are necessary.
    • documentation to be provided upon request.
  • Military Veterans up to 35 are encouraged to apply

• Ability to work alone at times as well as in a group
• Ability to work with a variety of people from different backgrounds and ages
• Proficient in English
• Ability to undergo a federal criminal background check is required
• Must be enthusiastic to learn and maintain a positive attitude

Preferred:

Some experience or willingness to learn about botany, restoration ecology, or natural resource management.  Intern will attend new participant orientation, federal job search and resume workshop(s) and will also be placed with a mentor in the Beaver Meadows Headquarters Area at ROMO. 

To Apply: Please submit your resume, thoughtful cover letter, and contact for three professional/academic references to the online application page for this position here: https://usaconservation.applicantpool.com/jobs/

NOTE: Early consideration will be given as resumes are received. This position may close at any time. If you have any questions regarding this position please feel free to contact ACE EPIC NPS Division Director, Peter Woodruff.  (801)-989-7069 or pwoodruff@usaconservation.org.

Current Openings for ACE EPIC NPS Rocky Mountain National Park Natural Resource Management Intern AmeriCorps Jobs at American Conservation Experience - EPIC