Summary: American Conservation Experience (ACE), a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS), is seeking ONE Imperiled Plant Fellow to contribute to data collection and management alongside Blue Ridge Parkway staff.

For more information regarding the ACE, please visit: www.usaconservation.org.

Start Date: April 15, 2021

End Date: July 31, 2021

* A 15-week minimum commitment is required *

Location: Blue Ridge Parkway Park Headquarters in Asheville, NC.

Blue Ridge Parkway Background: The Blue Ridge National Parkway is more than just a road, this varied habitat, traveling 469 miles through the southern Appalachian region, ranging from 649 feet at James River in Virginia to 6,047 feet at Richland Balsam in North Carolina, offers protection to an enormous diversity of plants and animals, as well as a wealth of cultural resources and history. Stretching from Shenandoah National Park to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Parkway contains a diverse range of cultural resources, including 91 buildings, 2 sites, and 133 other structures that contribute to the Parkway’s eligibility for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a park steeped in tradition and recognized worldwide as a crossroads of natural and cultural richness. The Parkway serves to tie together a diverse landscape and lifestyle- connecting the past with the present and preserving the region’s heritage for the future.

To learn more about the Blue Ridge Parkway National Park, please visit the NPS website at: http://www.nps.gov/blri/index.htm.

Living Allowance: ACE Fellow is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $600/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.

Housing: Housing is the responsibility of the member and not provided by ACE or NPS.

Position Description:

The Fellow will assist the Blue Ridge Parkway plant ecologist on a range of botanical projects to include: rare plant monitoring, rare plant seed collection and germination, invasive plant control, hemlock woolly adelgid monitoring and chemical treatment, installing trail counters to monitor park visitation rates, trail roving and interacting with visitors.

The Fellow will be hiking off trail often and carrying a field pack weighing up to 30 pounds. Project related tasks will occur during inclement weather such as cold and hot temperatures, rain, wind, and high humidity.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner.
• Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.
• This position is funded through the Public Land Corps Act which has specific program requirements.
• Must be 21-30 years of age to apply (members must be 21+ to apply for an ACE position that requires or anticipates operation of agency or ACE vehicles for duties).
• Military Veterans up to 35 are encouraged to apply.
• US Citizen or Permanent Resident
• A valid driver’s license and an insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request).
• Willing to undergo and must pass required criminal history checks.
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Able and willing to perform duties outdoors in varying weather conditions and capable of participating in sustained physical labor
• Willingness to handle pesticides with appropriate training
• Able to endure long drives to work sites, typically 1-2 hours, but occasionally 5 hours.

Preferred:

• Competitive applicants may have a degree (or be pursuing towards a degree) in ecology, botany, natural resource management, parks and recreation or other related disciplines appropriate to the position. A combination of relevant education and appropriate experience is also acceptable.
• Passionate about plants.
• Provide support analyzing data, preparing sections of scientific reports, preparing charts other visual media to support the project
• Able to present data in public forums
• Experience and/or knowledge with GPS equipment and GIS

Please note: Marijuana and other controlled substances are not allowed at any time during the performance of duties or while on federal property, regardless of State law or qualified medical marijuana card status.

To Apply: Please submit your resume, a cover letter demonstrating your interest and experience, and contact information for three professional/academic references to the online application page for this position here: https://usaconservation.applicantpool.com/jobs/. Early consideration will be given as resumes are received. This position may close at any time. If you have any questions regarding this position please feel free to contact EPIC NPS Member Coordinator, Madison Douthitt at mdouthitt@usaconservation.org.

EEO: American Conservation Experience provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, American Conservation Experience complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities.