Cave and Karst Assistant AmeriCorps

Cave and Karst Assistant (52 Weeks) - Ameri Corps POSITION DETAILS

Position (s): 4438, 4439

Position Title:

Cave and Karst Assistant - Ameri Corps
Conservation Legacy Program:
Scientists in Parks, Stewards Individual Placements
Site

Location:

Great Basin National Park, Baker, Nevada
Number of positions available: 2

Duration: 52 Weeks (not flexible)
Flexible

Start Date:

Yes

Start Date:

5/18/2026
End Date: 5/17/2027
Ameri Corps Slot Classification: 1700 hours - this is the minimum number of hours the selected candidate must serve throughout the duration of their position.

• Segal Ameri Corps Education Award: $7,395.00 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)
• For 52-week positions only:
  • Free Healthcare Coverage (opt in)
  • Childcare Coverage (opt in)

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.

KEYWORDS: caves, restoration, monitoring, cartography, holistic

This Cave and Karst Assistant is an Ameri Corps position. Great Basin National Park is the only national park in Nevada and preserves many unique resources unique to the Great Basin ecoregion. Lehman Caves is one of the most important resources in the park and is visited by about 30,000 people each year. The park also contains many wild caves, some of the darkest night skies in the country, perennial springs and streams, native fish and endemic plants.

This position will contribute toward the conservation, management, research, and interpretation of Lehman Caves and other park caves. It will also provide support to manage and monitor important non-cave resources, so the participant will have a more holistic NPS experience.

The SIP participant will be tasked with assisting with the resource protection and management of Lehman Caves in Great Basin National Park, as well as other park caves and natural and cultural resources. Duties will include:

• Restoration of Lehman Caves such as hiding wires with cave rocks and dirt, removing remnant old grout (particularly the grout on delicate features), and speleothem repair.
• Assisting with the organization and running of the annual lint and restoration camp.
• Conducting periodic air quality (temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide) readings in the cave and downloading data loggers.
• Conducting cave invertebrate surveys.
• Analyzing cave weather data over various years, possibly including temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, water levels, and drip rates.
• Writing summaries of data analyses.
• Writing articles for the resource management newsletter.
• Providing interpretation and outreach about caves, such as with the Cave Sim trailer (a mobile 100+ foot long artificial cave), website, and social media.
• Working interactively with other divisions.
• Monitoring cave resources in selected wild caves in the Park.
• Assisting with bat monitoring.
• Assisting with various cave research projects.
• Working with GIS and cave cartography to develop and expand on cave inventories.
• Working with Lidar to determine where cave and karst resources may exist and checking those.
• Assisting with other resource management park projects such as air quality, fish monitoring, water quality monitoring, vegetation monitoring, and wildlife monitoring.
• and other projects as assigned.

Specific projects, goals, and materials to be produced will be individualized for the participant. Possibilities include:

• Map of restoration areas completed in Lehman Caves
• Article/short summary/presentation about cave restoration
• Article/short summary/presentation about data analysis
• Lidar/GIS maps of cave and karst resources
• GIS/cave maps of cave inventories
• Outreach to the public about caves and other natural resources of interest (e.g., air, wildlife, vegetation, etc.)

• 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 Ameri Corps 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.