Overview
Summary:
American Conservation Experience, a non-profit conservation corps with a regional base in Asheville, NC, is looking for members to come join our team of young adults working on meaningful conservation projects throughout the Eastern US. This opportunity is intended for those looking to learn valuable skills for their career while immersed in a community of like-minded young professionals from around the country. Members work for 4 to 6 months on projects including ecological restoration, habitat improvement, and trail maintenance and construction, all while completing a term of AmeriCorps service. While serving, members typically have 2-3 days off between each project to enjoy the Eastern US’s abundant beauty and recreational opportunities with their friends and colleagues. Take your first step towards beginning or advancing your career by applying with us today!
Start Date: March 29th, 2023
Estimated End Dates:
June 3rd, 2023 (for 2 month term)
July 8th, 2023 (for 4 month term)
September 30th, 2023 (for 6 month term)
Location: Asheville, NC
Projects take place throughout Eastern Region including Great Smoky Mountains National Park- NC/TN, Daniel Boone National Forest – KY, Gettysburg National Military Park- PA, Blue Ridge Parkway- NC/VA, Congaree National Park – SC, Jimmy Carter National Historic Site – GA, Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge – KS, Cumberland Island National Seashore – GA, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge- TX, and Manassas National Battlefield – VA, among other locations.
Schedule: Project schedules vary, but typically corpsmembers work 5 days on/ 2 days off or 4 days on/ 3 days off. For more remote projects, corpsmembers spend off-days nearer to their project location for multiple project schedule cycles. Camping or other accommodations are provided between project cycles while on remote projects.
Benefits: Member compensation and benefits include:
Members will receive a Living Allowance Stipend of $240/week, ($480/ biweekly).
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.
Field work and other duties 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
Historic Preservation
Qualifications:
Qualifications: Applicants must be capable of performing physically demanding labor on environmental and conservation projects for 10 hours a day. Applicants should expect to hike extended distances on rough terrain carrying up to 40 lbs, 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.
Required Skills:
U.S. Citizen or permanent resident
Able and willing to work in a group
Able and willing to work outdoors in varying weather conditions and capable of hiking moderate distances in somewhat rough terrain during inclement weather conditions
Ability and willingness to undergo a Federal criminal history check
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.
Preferred Skills:
Strong desire to enter the conservation field as a natural resource professional
Experience or interest in volunteering in local communities
About American Conservation Experience (ACE)
American Conservation Experience (ACE) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing rewarding environmental service opportunities that harness the idealism and energy of a volunteer labor force to help restore America’s public lands. ACE is grounded in the philosophy that cooperative labor on meaningful conservation projects fosters cross-cultural understanding and operates on the belief that challenging volunteer service unites people of all backgrounds in common cause.
