Overview
Members serve in professionally supervised teams as they explore future outdoor careers, learn practical field skills, and develop confidence as emerging leaders in the field of conservation. Members are afforded opportunities to learn and train under the guidance of professional mentors within ACE, while gaining invaluable career perspectives working alongside staff from the National Park Service, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and many other stewards of our nation’s public lands.
Projects take place throughout the west. Crews frequently work in Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and National Forests including Fishlake and Manti La Sal. We work all over Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, South Dakota, and Washington.
Projects may take place at high elevation uplands and mountains, coastal areas, sand dunes, valleys, grasslands, and inland foothills where temperatures vary from very cold and rainy to very hot and dry, You can expect to experience a combination of conditions from frost or rain, high winds, to extremely dry and hot conditions.
Field work and additional responsibilities might include but are not limited to:
Habitat restoration
Trail construction and maintenance
Dry and wet stone masonry
Reforestation
Forest thinning
Plant identification
Fencing
Invasive species removal
Swamping
Members get experience with, or in conjunction with, the following tools and equipment, depending on their level of training:
Trail Maintenance: Pick mattocks, Pulaskis, shovels, single/double jacks, McLeods, single bit axes, rock bars, chisels, crosscut saws, and griphoists.
Restoration Equipment: Herbicide backpack sprayers, spray bottles, GPS units, and measuring tools.
Power Tools and Gas Powered Equipment: Chainsaws, brush-cutters, drills, saws, and compressors
Qualifications:
Applicants should be prepared to perform physically challenging labor on environmental and conservation projects for 10 hours a day. Applicants should expect to hike extended distances on rough terrain carrying backpacks, tools, and equipment, and be prepared to spend 8 consecutive days in the field, on each project. Members will work in a variety of weather conditions such as temperatures ranging from below freezing to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, high winds, intense sunshine, rain, and snow.
About American Conservation Experience
American Conservation Experience (ACE) is a conservation corps focused on teaching valuable job skills in conservation field work to members while actively working to conserve and rehabilitate our public lands. ACE offers positions through both our Crew and Epic programs, as well as provides many staff opportunities for those looking to build a career in conservation. ACE is based in Flagstaff, Arizona, but has regional crew bases in Sacramento, CA, Ridgecrest, CA, Hurricane, UT, Flagstaff, AZ, Corpus Christi, TX, and Asheville, NC. ACE's Epic program offers positions for members nationwide.
