Biology Assistant AmeriCorps

Biology Assistant (20 Weeks) - Ameri Corps

• Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, CA
• Biology Assistant (20 Weeks) - Ameri Corps

• Position (s): 4449
• Position Title: Biology Assistant - Ameri Corps
• Conservation Legacy Program: Scientists in Parks, Stewards Individual Placements
• Site Location: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, California
• Number of positions available: 1

• Duration: 20 Weeks (not flexible)
• Flexible Start Date: Yes
• Start Date: 5/4/2026
• End Date: 9/21/2026
• Ameri Corps Slot Classification: 675 hours - this is the minimum number of hours the selected candidate must serve throughout the duration of their position.

• Segal Ameri Corps Education Award: $2,817.14 upon successful completion of position
• Weekly Living Allowance: $600.00 per week, fixed rate
• Relocation Allowance: $450.00 (distributed as a one-time lump sum with first paycheck)
• Student Loan Forbearance: if applicable (administered by My Ameri Corps , directly)
• Student Loan Interest Payments: if applicable (administered through My Ameri Corps , directly)

Preference given to applicants who submit applications before Sunday, February 15, 2026. Applications will be reviewed after the Final date to receive applications passes. Positions will close after receiving 60 complete applications, or at 11:59 p.m. EST on February 15, 2026, whichever occurs first.

wildlife, carnivores, owls, forests, Sierra Nevada

This Biology Assistant is an Ameri Corps position. This project supports the NPS mission by gathering information that informs management and conservation of key natural resources in the parks - including sequoia groves, mixed-conifer forest, and wildlife species. Mid-elevation forests on the western slope in the southern Sierra Nevada (including giant sequoia groves) have been impacted by wildfires and continue to be at high risk for catastrophic fires in this region.

These forests provide habitat for rare and common species and are popular areas for park visitors to recreate. In Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI), learning more about the occurrence and habitat needs of forest-dwelling species can help facilitate conservation of rare species and completion of important management activities (e.g., fuels reduction, prescribed fire, road repairs) while finding ways to minimize impacts.

As we navigate forest restoration in areas impacted by wildfires and use fuels reduction to improve resiliency of remaining green forest, studying how particular wildlife species use the current landscape and particular forest structures can help park managers, biologists, and fire staff find ways to balance multiple objectives. Additionally, SEKI wildlife staff are currently collaborating with others (e.g., Yosemite NP, USFWS, USFS, CA Dept.

of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon State University) to contribute new information to conservation strategies for some of the rare and listed species for our region (e.g., fisher, SN red fox).

The position at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks will support monitoring forest-dwelling wildlife, with an emphasis on species that overlap with prescribed fire activities (planned or implemented) and areas affected by recent wildfires. In particular, the participant will contribute to learning more about wildlife use of giant sequoia groves, a natural resource of high value for park managers and visitors.

The participant will assist with surveys and studies of mammals (fisher, marten, squirrels) and owls (California spotted, great gray) to help improve our understanding of their habitat needs in the southern Sierra Nevada and incorporate this information into management and conservation planning. Techniques to monitor mammals will include use of remote cameras and monitoring via telemetry. Techniques to monitor owls will include audio / visual surveys to document presence, reproductive status, and (when possible) location of nest or roost structures.

Additionally, the participant may have occasional opportunities to assist with surveys for peregrine falcons, bats, bears, and possibly Sierra Nevada red fox or…