POSITION DETAILS
Position ID(s): 4548
Position Title: Natural Resource Management Assistant - AmeriCorps
Conservation Legacy Program: Scientists in Parks, Stewards Individual Placements
Site Location: Isle Royale National Park, Houghton, Michigan
Number of positions available: 1
TERMS OF SERVICE
Duration: 20 Weeks (not flexible)
Flexible Start Date: Yes
Start Date: 11/02/2026
End Date: 03/22/2027
AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 675 hours - this is the minimum number of hours the selected candidate must serve throughout the duration of their position.
BENEFITS
- Segal AmeriCorps Education Award: $ 2,817.00 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)
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: trail cameras, image processing, acoustic data, data management, artificial intelligence
PURPOSE
This Natural Resource Management Assistant is an AmeriCorps position. Isle Royale resource managers are tasked with understanding wildlife populations health and long-term trends. The wolves and moose populations of Isle Royale are well known in science, and we use data on these populations to monitor the effectiveness of management actions such as the restoration of predators at ISRO. Historically population data has been acquired primarily using aerial surveys during the winter, a field-labor intensive approach. Using tools such as trail cameras can drastically reduce field time but results in large datasets that need processing. Using Artificial Intelligence tools drastically reduces processing time but manual validation and quality control are needed for the effortflow. The SIP member will be invaluable in processing large amounts of biological data and will contribute to the stewardship of wildlife in a national park.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
This project will focus on analyzing trail camera images and acoustic data collected during the field season at Isle Royale National Park (ISRO). ISRO has an extensive network of trail cameras (~100) deployed across 160 miles of hiking trails. These trail cameras provide valuable data on wolf and moose populations, reproductive success, and demographics, as well as occurrence and spatial distribution of other park mammals including snowshoe hare, marten, beavers, and otters. Acoustic data has been collected on bats, both for compliance and survey based, and on landbirds in a post-fire landscape and there is a backlog in analyzing this data.
The Scientists in Parks member (SIP) will participate in training for running AI software for image classification and analyzing bioacoustics data. The SIP member will be responsible for running Image Classification of trail camera images collected in the 2026 field season, as well as assisting with image processing from Voyageurs National Park and Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. ISRO has a workflow in place using AI to automatically classify images and the SIP will validate this image classification. The bioacoustics methodologies have been developed by the Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division of the NPS and data will be used to examine trends in bird communities following wildfire.
DELIVERABLES
The expected deliverables of this project are:
- Database of trail camera image classification results for ISRO, APIS, and VOYA
- Database and report of landbird data from acoustic song meters deployed after the Horne Fire
- End of project Summary Report
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 20 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Candidate must have an enthusiasm for science and a passion for data analysis, management and science. Candidates should hold an undergraduate degree from a Data Science, Natural Resources, or Environmental Sciences program but other degrees will be considered. The position could be filled by a recent graduate, but higher skilled candidates can apply and job duties could be adjusted accordingly. No specific coursework is required. Experience working in databases is preferred. The participant should possess an excellent job ethics, attention to detail, and most importantly, a positive attitude.
ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION
POSITION SETTING
This position is primarily office based at Isle Royale National Park and Keweenaw National Historical Parks Office Building in Calumet, Michigan. The participant will have their own desk space in a shared office. Calumet is located in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula on the South Shore of Lake Superior. The region is dominated by vast areas of lakes, forests and wetlands. Houghton is the home of Michigan Tech University and the area offers many options for dining, grocery stores, retail shops, and has two hospitals. Houghton was rated as one of the top 10 U.S. adrenaline outposts by National Geographic Adventure Magazine, boasting excellent skiing, hiking, kayaking and mountain biking. There is a small regional airport which offers daily flights to Chicago. Note: the participant will NOT have the opportunity to go to Isle Royale itself since it is closed from mid-October to mid-May.
HOUSING
Park housing is NOT available. The participant will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area.
Park housing is NOT available. The selected candidate will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area. The position will primarily be located at ISRO/KEWE building in Calumet, Michigan. Houghton and Hancock, Michigan are about 20 minutes away and Houghton is home to Michigan Tech University. Opportunities to rent or sublease rooms, houses or apartments are available and in the range of $400 -$1000/month depending on location and size. Dormitory style housing may also be available on Michigan Tech campus.
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 Natural Resource Management Assistant at Isle Royale 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!”
