POSITION DETAILS
Position ID(s): 4511
Position Title: Ecology Assistant - AmeriCorps
Conservation Legacy Program: Scientists in Parks, Stewards Individual Placements
Site Location: Natural Resource Stewardship and Science, Fort Collins, Colorado
Number of positions available: 1
TERMS OF SERVICE
Duration: 52 Weeks (not flexible)
Flexible Start Date: Yes
Start Date: 10/05/2026
End Date: 10/04/2027
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 (pre-tax)
- Weekly Living Allowance: $ 775.00 per week, fixed rate (pre-tax)
- Relocation Allowance: $ 450.00 (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)
- 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, 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: global change, environmental change, adaptation, ecological scenarios, ecological transformations
PURPOSE
This Ecology Assistant is an AmeriCorps position. This SIP position is hosted by the National Park Service’s Natural Resources, Stewardship & Science (NRSS) Directorate. The SIP will contribute to a project to advance both servicewide and park-level efforts to respond to changing conditions in the NPS. The SIP position also will provide outstanding developmental opportunities to cultivate relevant knowledge, skills, and experience, and provide a possible pathway to future employment. NRSS staff will serve as the SIP mentors.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
The SIP will collaborate with the NPS Natural Resources, Stewardship & Science (NRSS) Directorate on the following:
1) Ecological Scenarios Project. Environmental change may lead to changes in park ecosystems, including transformation of species composition, habitat structure, and ecological function. Understanding what changes could happen to ecosystems is critical to developing proactive resource management strategies. The SIP will use existing information about changing conditions in parks to develop ecological scenarios of the future for use by park managers (see Clark-Wolf et al. 2025. Ecological scenarios. Ecosphere). This could include the following tasks:
• Research, compile, and evaluate existing methods and tools used to create ecological scenarios based on potential future park conditions.
• Describe case studies based on existing projects that have used various methods and tools to create ecological scenarios.
• Facilitate collaborate with one or more parks to apply one or more of the methods/tools to create ecological scenarios.
• Develop best practices and examples for creating and communicating ecological scenarios to facilitate their application to decision-making and education.
2) Deliverables: The SIP will collaborate with their mentors to produce Ecological Scenarios Project deliverables such as a report, journal article, guide, summary brief, presentation, and/or Sharepoint content to communicate findings to NPS and beyond.
3) Professional Growth and Development: The participant will be encouraged to identify learning opportunities as they are made available, for which projects time will be reserved to participate. The participant also will be afforded opportunities to participate in this applied project.
4) NRSS Support: On an as-needed basis, the selected participant will assist with miscellaneous NRSS projects as education, skills, and experience allow.
DELIVERABLES
During the 52-week position, the SIP will produce: 1) two or more NPS-focused products (to be negotiated) developed for the Ecological Scenarios Project, 2) a journal article or NPS report, and, 3) well-organized files documenting focus on all tasks and the development of deliverables.
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
Upper level undergraduate or graduate student with coursework in the environmental sciences, ecology, and natural resource management; strong organizational skills and attention to detail; ability to complete projects independently and with a team; and applied knowledge of national parks, impacts of weather and global change, adaptation, and related issues. Strong proficiency in writing for interdisciplinary audiences will be critical for success in this position. Preferred Qualifications: coursework and/or experience in global change science and adaptation, science communications, data analysis, and ecological modeling.
ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION
POSITION SETTING
Fort Collins is a midsize college town with a population of 170,000 people. The city is situated at the base of the Rocky Mountain foothills of the northern Front Range, approximately 60 miles north of Denver. Restaurants and retail outlets are abundant, and community services are close by. Fort Collins is located at about 5000 ft above sea-level and experiences a continental environment with four distinct seasons and low annual precipitation. The city receives 300 days of sunshine annually, and 29 days of 90°+ weather. Opportunities for outdoor pursuits are abundant.
HOUSING
Park housing is NOT available. The participant will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area.
Park housing is unavailable. The selected selected candidate will be responsible for arranging housing for the length of the position. Several rental options are available within biking distance of the project site, and many additional options are available within a reasonable commuting distance. Costs for a 1-bedroom, 1 bath apartment run between $1,300 and $1,600 per month.
VEHICLE AND DRIVERS LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
- Applicant must have a valid driver's license to drive a government vehicle.
- A personal vehicle is recommended 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 Natural Resource Stewardship and Science.
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!”
