POSITION DETAILS
Position ID(s): 4438, 4439
Position Title: Cave and Karst Assistant - AmeriCorps
Conservation Legacy Program: Scientists in Parks, Stewards Individual Placements
Site Location: Great Basin National Park, Baker, Nevada
Number of positions available: 2
TERMS OF SERVICE
Duration: 52 Weeks (not flexible)
Flexible Start Date: Yes
Start Date: 5/18/2026
End Date: 5/17/2027
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: $ 600.00 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: caves, restoration, monitoring, cartography, holistic
PURPOSE
This Cave and Karst Assistant is an AmeriCorps position. Great Basin National Park is the only national park in Nevada and preserves many unique resources unique to the Great Basin ecoregion. Lehman Caves is one of the most important resources in the park and is visited by about 30,000 people each year. The park also contains many wild caves, some of the darkest night skies in the country, perennial springs and streams, native fish and endemic plants. This position will contribute toward the conservation, management, research, and interpretation of Lehman Caves and other park caves. It will also provide support to manage and monitor important non-cave resources, so the participant will have a more holistic NPS experience.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
The SIP participant will be tasked with assisting with the resource protection and management of Lehman Caves in Great Basin National Park, as well as other park caves and natural and cultural resources. Duties will include:
• Restoration of Lehman Caves such as hiding wires with cave rocks and dirt, removing remnant old grout (particularly the grout on delicate features), and speleothem repair.
• Assisting with the organization and running of the annual lint and restoration camp;
• Conducting periodic air quality (temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide) readings in the cave and downloading dataloggers;
• Conducting cave invertebrate surveys;
• Analyzing cave weather data over various years, possibly including temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, water levels, and drip rates;
• Writing summaries of data analyses;
• Writing articles for the resource management newsletter;
• Providing interpretation and outreach about caves, such as with the CaveSim trailer (a mobile 100+ foot long artificial cave), website, and social media;
• Working interactively with other divisions;
• Monitoring cave resources in selected wild caves in the Park;
• Assisting with bat monitoring;
• Assisting with various cave research projects;
• Working with GIS and cave cartography to develop and expand on cave inventories;
• Working with Lidar to determine where cave and karst resources may exist and checking those;
• Assisting with other resource management park projects such as air quality, fish monitoring, water quality monitoring, vegetation monitoring, and wildlife monitoring;
• and other projects as assigned.
DELIVERABLES
Specific projects, goals, and materials to be produced will be individualized for the participant. Possibilities include:
• Map of restoration areas completed in Lehman Caves
• Article/short summary/presentation about cave restoration
• Article/short summary/presentation about data analysis
• Lidar/GIS maps of cave and karst resources
• GIS/cave maps of cave inventories
• Outreach to the public about caves and other natural resources of interest (e.g., air, wildlife, vegetation, etc.)
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
Interest and experience in caves and comfortable working underground.
Scientific background/experience in geology, biology, archeology, paleontology, or other natural or cultural sciences.
Experience working with spreadsheets, maps, GIS, Lidar, and other tools for data analysis and mapping.
Excellent writing skills.
Good communication skills.
Willing and able to crawl, scramble, and move through cave environments.
Works well with volunteers and other staff as well as independently.
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and carry a 45-pound pack up to one mile.
Attention to detail.
Willingness to live in a remote area with limited services.
ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION
POSITION SETTING
Great Basin National Park encompasses over 77,000 acres of the South Snake Range, located in east-central Nevada. It is considered high elevation desert. Summer temperatures are generally hot, sometimes exceeding 100 degrees F. Winter temperatures are generally cold, with snow possible. Snow shoeing and cross-country ski opportunities abound. The park’s resource management office is at 5300 feet elevation, while Lehman Caves is at 6800 feet elevation.
The nearest grocery store is 65 miles west of the park, in Ely, Nevada, about a one hour drive. The nearest large cities are Salt Lake City, Utah, 234 miles to the northeast, and Las Vegas, Nevada, 291 miles to the southwest. The park is surrounded by land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and private land.
Over 41,000 acres of the park consist of karst, a landscape that is capable of supporting caves. Forty caves are currently known.
VEHICLE AND DRIVERS LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
- Applicant must have a valid driver's license to drive a government vehicle.
- A personal vehicle is REQUIRED for this position.
HOUSING
Park housing is available and will be provided at no cost to the participant.
Park housing is shared housing, generally with shared living, dining, kitchen, and bathrooms and a private bedroom. The SIP participant will need to bring bedding, towels, and cleaning supplies.
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 Cave and Karst Assistant at Great Basin National Park.
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!”
