Shorebird Protection and Management Members - Cape Cod National Seashore

Summary

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps in partnership with the National Park Service, is seeking THREE Shorebird Protection and Management Members to assist with managing and protecting state and federally protected shorebird species, specifically the piping plover, least tern, and American oyster catcher.

For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

Start Date: April 20, 2026

Estimated End Date: August 8, 2026 (or 16 weeks after start date)

* a 16-week minimum commitment is required *

Location Details/

Description:

Cape Cod National Seashore is located in Wellfleet, MA.

Cape Cod is a large peninsula extending 60 miles into the Atlantic Ocean from the coast of Massachusetts. Located on the outer portion of the Cape, Cape Cod National Seashore s 44,600 acres encompass a rich mosaic of marine, estuarine, fresh water, and terrestrial ecosystems. These systems and their associated habitats reflect the Cape s glacial origin, dynamic natural processes, and at least 9,000 years of human activity.

Geomorphic shoreline change, groundwater fluctuations, tidal dynamics including rising sea level, and atmospheric deposition are among the many physical processes that continue to shape the Seashore s ecosystems. Marine and estuarine systems include beaches, sand spits, tidal flats, salt marshes, and soft-bottom benthos. Freshwater ecosystems include kettle ponds, vernal pools, sphagnum bogs, and swamps. Terrestrial systems include pitch pine and scrub oak forests, heathlands, dunes, and sandplain grasslands.

Many of these habitats are globally uncommon and the species that occupy them are correspondingly rare.

For more information regarding the Cape Cod National Seashore, please visit the NPS website.

The main objective of the program is to manage and protect state and federally protected shorebird species, specifically the piping plover, least tern, and American oyster catcher at Cape Cod National Seashore. Duties and responsibilities of this position are as follows:

• Members will serve in the field most of the day, by operating an ATV, erecting miles of symbolic fencing, installing signage and predator exclosures in often demanding weather conditions
• Members will monitor shorebird nesting activities including locating potential breeding pairs and nests, daily monitoring of nests and following the movements of the precocial chicks until they fledge
• Members will have an opportunity to educate visitors on park regulations and provide impromptu interpretive talks about the nesting birds and other wildlife to the visitors
• Members will be responsible for maintaining detailed, organized and accurate notes of field observations and be responsible for digital data entry

This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promote exposure to land management agencies and networking with professionals. This could include gaining experience in different conservation fields and shadowing different work groups.

Typical members schedule will be 5 days/week, 8 hours per day, and weekend service may be required.

Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $450/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses,
dispersed bi-weekly
.

This position is part of the Public Land Corps Hiring Authority: Members serving under this agreement must meet the PLC Eligibility Requirements to be considered for this position. Members may be eligible for a federal hiring authority upon completion of their term of service and 640 hours of service. If the duration of a PLC-eligible term is not long enough for Members to accrue 640 hours of service (~16 weeks), the total hours served at the completion of the term may be eligible to be combined with hours accrued from another PLC-eligible term to meet the 640 hours requirement.

PLC projects also include specific eligibility requirements such as age (You must be between the ages of 16 and 30. Some agencies also interpret these guidelines to include veterans up to age 35) and citizenship. Please contact ACE staff with…