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2025 NPS Academy Trails Member - Multiple Sites

American Conservation Experience
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Summary

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with Acadia and Grand Teton National Park, 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: 05/04/2025

Estimated End Date: 08/16/2025 - 16 weeks

 

  • Grand Teton National Park

 

Start Date: 05/19/2025

Estimated End Date: 09/19/2025 - 18 weeks

 

*the minimum week 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:

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.

 

Grand Teton National Park

The Tetons are a magnificent mountain range in this northwestern region of Wyoming, with the small town of Jackson in the valley. Within the mountain range, Grand Teton rises to 13,775 feet, 7,000 feet above the valley floor. What is now known as Grand Teton National Park is rich in history of human cultures and biological diversity, being a part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Having a personal vehicle is not required, but highly recommended as the winter can be isolating. For more information about Grand Teton National Park, please visit the National Park Service website.

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

 

Position Overview:

Acadia National Park: Bar Harbor, ME (2 members, 16 weeks) The Academy Member position will serve their AmeriCorps term on a National Register historic trail system. The service requires very strenuous effort in moving heavy materials to and around the job site. The Member must be able to hike steep trails in all weather conditions transporting tools and personal gear and work in difficult terrain. Members routinely move items over 50 pounds.

The Academy Member will assist with rehabilitating and maintaining the following trail related structures: wooden bridges, log cribbing and steps, water bars and culverts, stone retaining walls, and stone steps and other tread structures. May assist in cutting and shaping granite. May assist in repairs to steel pins and handrails, also erecting signs. Tools will include a wide variety of hand and power tools such as various hammers, shovels, stone tools, rock bars, digging tools, and power shop tools such as cut-off saws, grinders, and drill presses. May use powered tracked material haulers. Consistently moves heavy materials to and around the job site. Serves under the supervision of a Trail Work Leader or higher graded trail employee.

 

Grand Teton National Park: Moose, WY (1 member, 18 weeks) The Academy Member position will serve their Americorps term working on the front country and backcountry trails system within Grand Teton National Park. The work requires strenuous effort in moving heavy materials to and around the job site. The Member must be able to hike 3 miles per hour for up to 15 miles in steep mountainous terrain while carrying up to 50 pounds. Service schedule will be Monday-Thursday early season and transition to 8 days on and 6 days off during July and August. During the 8 day work periods the Member will be serving and living in remote backcountry locations. Backcountry camps are stock or helicopter supported.

The Academy Member will assist with aspects of trail maintenance and construction. Trail maintenance tasks include log out, brushing and cleaning drainage structures. Trail construction tasks include bridge building from native materials, fence construction, construction of steps, drains and retaining walls using native timber and/or drystone masonry techniques. Tools will include a wide variety of hand and power tools such as shovels, hammers, masonry chisels, crosscuts, pulaskis, chainsaws and power drills. Serves under the supervision of a Trail Crew Leader or higher graded trails employee.

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: Likely 4 ten-hour days (Monday through Thursday) and 3 days off (Friday through Sunday).

 

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 - ACE members will have up to $200 to spend on eligible gear purchases. Eligible gear for this position includes safety toe boots, and must be approved by ACE staff prior to purchase.

Grand Teton - ACE members will have up to $275 to spend on eligible gear purchases. Eligible gear for this position includes work boots and rain pants, 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:

Acadia - Use of overhead rigging systems, trail construction practices, motorized crawler carts, Operational Leadership, possibly CPR/AED.

Grand Teton - The Academy Member may have the opportunity to participate in a variety of trainings. The Member will be trained as a sawyer under the NPS National Chainsaw Safety Program.

 

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:

  • Essential skills and experience: Ability to work in a small team setting, experience hiking or other physically strenuous activities, general interest in resource management and wilderness.
  • Additional skills and experience that are helpful: Experience backpacking and camping. Experience working manual labor for extended periods of time.
  • Skills and experience that members will gain from this position: log construction techniques, dry stone masonry techniques, NCSP chainsaw certification, resource management techniques on mountain trails, rocky mountain plant identification.
  • Essential skills and experience: Ability to work well with others, general interest in natural resource management, plants, and botany

An important reminder: all skills needed for this position will be trained on the job; a good attitude, curiosity for learning and plants, and a willingness to positively contribute to the team are the only skill prerequisites to finding success.

 

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)
    • In Grand Teton work regularly requires hiking 5-10 miles over uneven terrain in extreme weather conditions to the service site and then performing strenuous labor before returning to duty station.
  • Vision Requirements: Requires adequate vision to walk on uneven, rocky, or terrain covered with vegetation. Must be able to operate a motor vehicle; 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.
  • Environmental: The work environment varies constantly. Most work is outdoors, and is performed in temperatures from 90 degrees F to below freezing. Severe mountain weather conditions can result in extreme heat, rain, snow, and high winds. Work takes place both in indoor and outdoor settings. 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.)
    • At Acadia, summer temperatures range from 40-85 degrees.
    • At Grand Teton, summer temperatures range from 25-90 degrees.
  • Noise Environment: 
    • Acadia - Moderate to high noise such as gas powered chainsaws, hand power tools, small gas powered wheelbarrows, All PPE will be provided
  • Travel:
    • Acadia: Overnight backcountry travel is optional but available in Acadia. 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.-Occasional overnight travel to other areas of the park may occur.
    • Grand Teton: Overnight backcountry travel required in Grand Teton. Backcountry trips range from 4-8 nights. Member will camp with 4-6 person crew in tents and/or backcountry patrol cabins. Camping gear provided by Grand Teton trail crew.

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.

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.