POSITION DETAILS
Position ID(s): 4325
Position Title: Ecology Assistant - AmeriCorps
Conservation Legacy Program: Scientists in Parks, Stewards Individual Placements
Site Location: Southern Plains Network, Pecos, New Mexico
Number of positions available: 1
TERMS OF SERVICE
Duration: 52 Weeks (not flexible)
Flexible Start Date: Yes
Start Date: 05/04/2026
End Date: 05/03/2027
AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 1700 hours - this is the minimum number of hours the selected candidate must serve throughout the duration of their position.
BENEFITS
- Segal AmeriCorps Education Award: $ 7,395.00 upon successful completion of position
- Weekly Living Allowance: $ 700.00 per week, fixed rate
- Relocation Allowance: $ 450.00 (distributed as a one-time lump sum with first paycheck)
- Student Loan Forbearance if applicable (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly)
- Student Loan Interest Payments if applicable (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly)
- For 52-week positions only:
- Free Healthcare Coverage (opt in)
- Childcare Coverage (opt in)
APPLICATION TIMELINE
Preference given to applicants who submit applications before Sunday, February 15, 2026. Applications will be reviewed after the application deadline passes. Positions will close after receiving 60 complete applications, or at 11:59 p.m. EST on February 15, 2026, whichever occurs first.
KEYWORDS: ecology, data science, natural resources, data management, R, modeling, analysis, field projects, vegetation monitoring
PURPOSE
This Ecology Assistant is an AmeriCorps position. The National Park Service invests heavily in monitoring the health of native vegetation communities and detecting the establishment and spread of exotic plants. There is a strong need to collect, synthesize and evaluate data so that scientific information can be provided to park leadership and natural resource staff in a regular and timely manner. These data are used by park managers to assess, plan, and develop natural resource protection activities and are essential for understanding the status and trends of park ecosystems and for informing management decisions. This position would help to make the data more available to park managers, researchers, and the public, and to raise awareness of the importance of ecological monitoring and conservation. Overall, the projects we do and the data we collect and manage is analyzed and conveyed to park managers, providing them with the scientific information on resource condition that they need to make decisions and take actions to conserve park resources. The gathered information is vital for assessing the health, ecological variety, and resilience of park ecosystems.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
The Ecology Assistant will complete projects with the Southern Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network (SOPN) and split their time between vegetation monitoring in the field and data science and statistical analysis in the office. This position will support the collection, formatting, analysis and reporting of vegetation and invasive plant data in national park grasslands.
Data science and statistical analysis projects will focus on cleaning, visualizing and reporting data using R Markdown formats, formatting datasets and preparing them for publication, presenting data in web reports and dashboards to national park resource management, developing and implementing procedures for automating data certification, implementing statistical models and synthesizing the results, and providing general coding support to network scientists.
During the summer field season, the Ecology Assistant will participate in vegetation sampling at our 10 network parks across the southern plains. Field projects will occur in small, 2-4-person teams. Sampling methods will include line-point intercept, recording plant species presence/absence in small plots and mapping of invasive plant infestations. Ideally, candidates will have a strong background or interest in botany and plant sciences. Assistants will learn to identify grasses, forbs, shrubs, and trees of the Southern Plains using field guides and dichotomous keys. Monitoring sites are off trail, and hiking and carrying equipment in a backpack for moderate distances is necessary.
The position will provide the Ecology Assistant with the chance to learn the flora of the Southern Plains ecoregion while gaining valuable field sampling experience. This position can serve as an excellent introduction to plant taxonomy and identification, or act as an opportunity to develop advanced skills such as the use of dichotomous keys and grass identification.
While in the office, this position will allow the assistant to gain an understanding of reporting and analytical techniques used to summarize annual and long-term ecological monitoring data. They will also have the opportunity to practice science communication skills by presenting their data summaries to park natural resource staff.
DELIVERABLES
The Ecology Assistant will collect detailed vegetation community and invasive plant data from long-term grassland monitoring sites across 10 parks. The assistant will prepare data packages, summary reports, visualizations and a code repository. Many of these products will be shared with park managers and scientists to improve their understanding of grassland and invasive plant trends within and across SOPN parks. Data packages will be used to perform statistical analysis and prepare individual status (annual) and trend (multi-year) reports for the following park units: Bent’s Old Fort NHS, Capulin Volcano NM, Chickasaw NRA, Fort Larned NHS, Fort Union NHS, Lake Meredith NRA, Lyndon B. Johnson NHS, Pecos NHP, Sand Creek Massacre NHS, and Washita Battlefield NHS.
QUALIFICATIONS
- United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien.
- Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of secondary school to enroll as an AmeriCorps participant and agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to using the education award
- Prior to starting the position, agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check for the employer of record, Conservation Legacy, and a separate government security background check for the host site.
- The applicant must be available to participate for the entire 52 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Applicants must have completed at least three years toward an undergraduate degree in natural resources, botany, ecology, environmental science, data science, statistics or a related field and have a valid driver’s license. Applicants should have experience with R and/or Python and the skill to apply these technologies effectively. Desired skills include extracting, wrangling and publishing data in R, performing statistical analyses and managing code repositories. Written and oral communication skills and the ability to be detail oriented and well organized are a must. Previous experience with technical writing and ArcGIS is welcomed.
Applicants must be interested in and capable of completing projects in outdoor environments. They must be physically able to conduct projects in rugged terrain and extreme temperatures and conduct field projects in uncomfortable and arduous situations (high humidity, biting insects, poisonous plants, heavy backpacks, back-country). Applicants must be able to conduct projects well independently or as a member of a small team. Skills related to successful teamwork (clear communication, situational awareness, reliability, respectfulness) and building successful relationships with colleagues are highly desired. Plant taxonomy, botany, and vegetation sampling experience and/or coursework are preferred.
ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION
POSITION SETTING
Position setting will be approximately 50% in the field and 50% in the office. During the summer field season, the schedule will be 8 days on/6 days off. Office projects will primarily be in the fall/winter and the schedule will be Mon-Fri. The position will be based out of Pecos National Historic Park, which will be the primary office environment, though some projects may be done remotely. Pecos NHP is at the intersection of the Southern Rockies and the Great Plains, just outside of Santa Fe, and within 1-2 hours of Albuquerque and Taos. Santa Fe is a vibrant, variety city with a renowned arts scene, historic architecture dating back to the 1600’s, a distinct cuisine and amenities common to a mid-sized city. It sits in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristos at ~7000 ft elevation, with hiking trails and ski resorts just outside of town. Nearby Albuquerque is the largest city in NM, hosts the University of NM and has a range of affordable housing options. Taos is a beautiful ski town and artist colony tucked into the Rockies and is within reasonable distance of the once-a-week commute required by the field season schedule. The Southern Rockies receive snow in the winter, and the area is dotted with small ski resorts.
The Ecology Assistant will participate in data management and long-term vegetation monitoring in 10 national park units across the Southern Plains ecoregion. The Southern Plains Network includes northern and central Texas, western Kansas and Oklahoma, southeastern Colorado and northeastern New Mexico. The terrain of the Southern Plains is a mix of prairie interspersed with tablelands and low, rolling hills. Vegetation includes mixed grass communities and deciduous woodland in the eastern portion, extending to shortgrass communities and pinyon-juniper savanna in the western portion. Summer temperatures can reach into the 90’s F and off-trail hiking in uneven terrain will be common. Projects will be conducted in areas with hazards that include venomous snakes, poison ivy and biting insects.
VEHICLE AND DRIVERS LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
- Applicant must have a valid driver's license to drive a government vehicle.
- A personal vehicle is not required for this position.
HOUSING
Park housing is NOT available. The selected candidate will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area.
A housing stipend will be provided with housing options available in nearby Santa Fe, NM, and more reasonable options available in Albuquerque, NM. Office projects may be done remotely as long as the candidate is within commuting distance to the office.
OUR COMMITMENT
Conservation Legacy is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions. Some positions may require periodic overnight travel, non-traditional hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions.
TIME REQUIREMENTS
- This position is expected to serve full time each week, but exact service schedules may vary based on project needs. Lunch breaks and days off will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service hours.
- Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.
ORIENTATION AND TRAINING
- Member will receive pertinent project and site training from host site throughout term
- Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
- Access to free professional development webinars led by Conservation Legacy staff
EVALUATION AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of minimum AmeriCorps hours, the member has satisfactorily completed assignments, and if the member has met other performance criteria that were clearly communicated at the beginning of the term of service.
Reporting requirements include, but are not limited to, bi-weekly timesheets and accomplishment tracking.
HOW TO APPLY
Apply online, all Scientists in Parks positions are listed at: https://conservation-legacy.breezy.hr/. Complete the application for this position, highlighting why you are interested in the position and how your background and experience will help you succeed in this position. Be prepared to upload your resume and unofficial transcript as part of completing the application questionnaire.
Once you begin applying for a position, the application must be completed in one sitting. You cannot save and return later to complete it. Applicants can apply for up to five Scientists in Parks positions per season. You need to complete a separate application for each position in order to be considered. You should receive a confirmation email after successfully submitting an application. Sometimes institutional email filters/settings can redirect, or block emails related to the application. We recommend watching spam, junk, and promotional email folders in case your service delivers messages there. Please visit How to Apply for additional resources and information about applying (i.e., learn what materials to have ready for applying, find a worksheet that previews application questions, etc.). Learn more about Scientists in Parks at: https://www.scientistsinparks.org/.
Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards), a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with AmeriCorps service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants serve with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits to provide institutional capacity, develop community relationships, and support ecosystem health. Stewards in partnership with the Scientists in Parks program will host the Ecology Assistant at Southern Plains Network.
Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodations due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to Scientists in Parks using the email address at the base of the home page, under “Questions? Contact Us!”
