POSITION DETAILS
Position ID(s): 4522
Position Title: Ecology Assistant - AmeriCorps
Conservation Legacy Program: Scientists in Parks, Stewards Individual Placements
Site Location: Southwest Alaska Network, Anchorage, Alaska
Number of positions available: 1
TERMS OF SERVICE
Duration: 26 Weeks (not flexible)
Flexible Start Date: Yes
Start Date: 11/02/2026
End Date: 05/03/2027
AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 900 hours - this is the minimum number of hours the selected candidate must serve throughout the duration of their position.
BENEFITS
- Segal AmeriCorps Education Award: $ 3,697.00 upon successful completion of position (pre-tax)
- Weekly Living Allowance: $ 775.00 per week, fixed rate (pre-tax)
- Relocation Allowance: $ 1,100.00 (distributed as a one-time lump sum with first paycheck) (pre-tax)
- Student Loan Forbearance if applicable (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly)
- Student Loan Interest Payments if applicable (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly)
APPLICATION TIMELINE
Preference given to applicants who submit applications before Sunday, June 14, 2026. Applications will be reviewed after the application deadline passes. Positions will close after receiving 60 complete applications, or at 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 14, 2026, whichever occurs first.
KEYWORDS: Salt marsh, geospatial, vegetation
PURPOSE
This Ecology Assistant is an AmeriCorps position. This will help park resource managers better understand the implications of projected sea level change on coastal resources, including salt marsh vegetation and coastal brown bears.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
The member will collaborate with the Southwest Alaska Networks terrestrial ecologist to further analyses of projected sea-level change on salt marshes in southwest Alaska national parks. This projects will involve harmonizing elevation data from tide stations, field GPS, and LiDAR surveys, processing and classifying structure from motion aerial photography, and summarizing the distribution and elevation of target vegetation types. The member will apply machine learning algorithms and statistical models to these data to elucidate relationships among topographic and vegetation variables and uncertainty around them. Depending on time available, the member may also contribute to the development of exploratory data analysis and summary dashboards of vegetation monitoring data.
DELIVERABLES
- Commented code from analyses
- Draft report
- Harmonized datasets
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 26 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Applicants must have strong backgrounds in data analysis, as demonstrated through coursework in statistics, applied mathematics, ecological modelling, etc. Applicants must also be proficient at programming in R. Experience communicating scientific information verbally and in writing and the ability to conduct projects independently and meet agreed-upon deadlines are required.
A successful candidate will:
- Completed a bachelor’s degree in an ecology-related discipline
- Ideally be enrolled in a graduate degree program in an ecology-related discipline
- Have skills in statistical analyses using R
- Have experience analyzing geospatial data, particularly LiDAR or other 3-dimensional data
ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION
POSITION SETTING
Projects will be performed in an office setting. The projects can be completed 100% remotely, but if the participant chooses to serve in Anchorage, they will be provided a space in the Anchorage Regional Office. If the participant chooses to Teleservce, they must be within commuting distance to the Anchorage Regional Office. This office houses other scientists in SWAN as well as natural resource scientists and managers for the Alaska Region of the NPS.
Anchorage is Alaska’s most populous city, with a varied population of ~300,000 residents and a landscape bordered by mountains and ocean. It has a subarctic weather with strong maritime influences that lead to relatively moderate winter weather, compared to Alaska’s interior. Average daytime winter temperatures range from ~5 to 30 °F (−15.0 to −1.1 °C). High latitude causes winter days to be short (as little as ~6 hours of daylight), however the ability of snow cover to reflect ambient light and brighten surroundings is substantial.
All standard amenities are available in Anchorage, including hospitals, schools, universities, restaurants, museums, theaters, and airports. Indoor and outdoor activities abound. In winter, outdoor activities include skiing (classic, skate, downhill, backcountry), snowboarding, snowshoeing, ice skating, and fat tire cycling, among others. Trails and lakes throughout the city are groomed and hot-mopped (respectively) during winter, and are available for recreation free of charge.
HOUSING
Park housing is NOT available. The participant will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area.
Projects may be performed remotely, within commuting distance to the host site or at the NPS Alaska Regional Office in Anchorage, Alaska. Anchorage is a compact city, with many housing options available within walking, cycling, or busing distance of downtown, where the NPS office is located. Options range from shared housing (at the low cost end) to multi-room apartments (at the high cost end). See Craigslist for short-term rental prices (https://anchorage.craigslist.org/search/hhh). Note that prices during summer tend to exceed those during the rest of the year, when this position will occur.
VEHICLE AND DRIVERS LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
- Applicant will not need to drive a government vehicle.
- A personal vehicle is not required for this position.
OUR COMMITMENT
Stewards Individual Placements and Conservation Legacy are committed to the full consideration of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential job functions. Physical requirements may include periodic overnight travel, non-traditional work 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. The ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation 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!”
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 the host site throughout the 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, monthly accomplishment tracking, a mid-term report, and a final report.
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 (5) 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 Southwest Alaska 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!”
