CRDIP Archeology Member- Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS) and through the Cultural Resources Diversity Internship Program, is seeking TWO Archeology Members to conduct pedestrian archeological surveys alongside NPS staff at a talepop village, one of the only Chumash villages in the the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area with intact cultural deposits spanning at least 7,000 years.

For more information about ACE, please visit: www.usaconservation.org.

Start Date: Late May / Early June 2023

Estimated End Date: 12 weeks after start date

*a 12-week minimum commitment is required *

The Cultural Resources Diversity Internship Program (CRDIP) is a professional development internship that introduces students and recent graduates, from backgrounds historically underrepresented in the National Parks, to career opportunities within Cultural Resource Management in the NPS. CRDIP participants will have the opportunity to attend several professional development webinars as well as write blogs or create videos about their projects throughout their term. To learn more: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/tellingallamericansstories/join-us.htm

Location: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area- Thousand Oaks, CA

The Santa Monica Mountains offer easy access to surprisingly wild places. Experience the famous beaches of Malibu or explore more than 500 miles of trails. The park abounds with historical and cultural sites, ranging from old movie ranches, to ranches where major studio films were once made, to the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center, a center intended to provide a place where all peoples can learn about Chumash, Tongva, and other American Indian cultures.

Having a personal vehicle is highly recommended for commuting to work and to access groceries and other needs on days off. For more information about the park, please visit: https://www.nps.gov/samo/index.htm

Position Overview: The Archeology Member will be joining a team of NPS archeologists in conducting pedestrian archeological surveys at the site of talepop, a Chumash Indian village site, both historic and ancient in age. Not only is talepop one of the more significant archaeological site locations in the Santa Monica Mountains, but it is also one of the only Chumash villages in the Santa Monica Mountains with intact cultural deposits spanning at least 7,000 years. Archaeological and ethnohistorical evidence suggests that the Chumash people lived at the site until at least 1805, subsisting off a rich variety of terrestrial and marine organisms, including sharks. The site previously was determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, and although various archaeological research has been conducted and documented for the site, it is critically lacking in baseline documentation. The site's condition has not been formally assessed since 1976 and there still remains a need for a current and concise synthesis of talepop's cultural and archaeological history, as well as an interpretive display at the visitor's center that meaningfully conveys the significance of the village site (which is located in close proximity to the visitor's center) and the people who inhabited it for millennia. For this proposed project, the ACE member will assist in the tasks that follow:

• Conducting pedestrian archeological surveys at the talepop village site to provide thorough and adequate baseline documentation
• Designing an interpretive display that meaningfully conveys the site's significance alongside NPS archeologists, Interpretation & Education staff, and tribal partners
• Day-to-day operations of the cultural resource program at the park including mapping and plotting archeological resources using GPS and GIS, conducting site boundary definition of newly discovered sites, performing data entry in online databases, and drafting discrete sections of archeological survey and historical reports for review, editing, and finalization by NPS staff

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: Full-time position Monday to Friday; 8:30am-5:00pm (with a mandatory 30-minute lunch break each day). The ACE member will be in the field participating in archaeological surveys roughly 50% of the time and in the office at park headquarters for the other 50%.

Position Benefits

Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute 40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $580/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 2022/23 grant year program, valued up to $1,718.25 upon successful completion of a complete service term and service hours.

Loan Forbearance: AmeriCorps members may also be eligible for federal loan forbearance. 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. PLC projects also include specific eligibility requirements such as age and citizenship. Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility, or view general information online here.

Housing: Park dorm-style housing (shared bathroom and kitchen facilities) is provided at no cost for the duration of their term.

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 may include artifact identification for both historic and prehistoric resources, survey methodology, instructions on filling out site documentation forms, and training in the use of ArcGIS in management of cultural resource data and mapping of cultural sites. Further training will include a brief history and summary from staff on the archeology of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

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 valid driver's license and an insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request)
• Willing to undergo and must pass the required three-part criminal history check
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation
• ACE Members must verify that they are fully vaccinated for Covid-19 or have requested and been granted a medical or religious exemption to vaccination by the time they start their term
• 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
• To learn more about eligibility requirements, please visit our website here

Preferred:

• Possess a degree, experience, and/or demonstrated interest in archeology or a related discipline
• Successful completion of an archeological field school
• Interest in California Archeology
• Familiarity and experience with Geographical Information System (GIS)
• Bilingual applicants are encouraged and welcome

Physical Demands, Work Environment and Working Conditions:

• Physical Demands: Requires frequent sitting, standing, walking, hiking, carrying, using hands to handle or feel, reaching with hands and arms, talking and hearing. Manual dexterity required for use of various tools, computer keyboard/mouse and other office equipment. Required to stoop, kneel, climb stairs, and/or crouch. Ability to hike over and work in rough terrain (i.e. hilly backcountry environments).
• Weight Lifted or Force Exerted: Frequently moves up to 30 pounds, ability to move up to 50 pounds.
• Environmental: Outdoor and indoor conditions. Work environment conditions can change frequently; working under adverse weather conditions and in various climates. There will be safety precautions taken during each field visit to prevent heat related injuries and wearing snake gaiters to avoid potential dangers in the field, such as poison oak and rattlesnakes. Office environment conditions; indoor air quality is good and temperature is controlled.
• Noise Environment: Moderate noise such as in a business office with equipment and light traffic.
• Travel: This position requires travel to and from field sites.

To Apply: Please submit your resume, a cover letter demonstrating your interest and experience, and contact information for three professional/academic references to the online application page for this position here: https://usaconservation.applicantpool.com/jobs/. 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 Member Support Specialist, Kyle Ellison, at kellison@usaconservation.org.

EEO: American Conservation Experience provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, American Conservation Experience complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities.

Current Openings for CRDIP Archeology Member Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Jobs at American Conservation Experience - EPIC