Ecology Assistant AmeriCorps

Ecology Assistant (52 Weeks) - Ameri Corps

Position (s): 4364, 4365

Position Title: Ecology Assistant - Ameri Corps

Conservation Legacy Program: Scientists in Parks, Stewards Individual Placements

Site

Location:

Chihuahuan Desert Network, Sonoran Desert Network, Southern Plains Network, Tucson, Arizona

Number of positions available: 2

Duration: 52 Weeks (not flexible)

Flexible

Start Date:

Yes

Start Date: 08/02/2026

End Date: 08/01/2027

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: $ 700.00 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)

APPLICATION TIMELINE: 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: aquatic ecology, botany, wildlife biology, ecological monitoring, vegetation ecology

PURPOSE: This Ecology Assistant is an Ameri Corps position. The position will support core field science and monitoring functions that facilitate the availability and use of high-quality science information into park resource management activities.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES: We are seeking an enthusiastic person to join our collaborative monitoring team, someone who is interested in getting lots of excellent natural resource field experience and learning about ecological monitoring in several southwestern parks. This field ecology position will collect key ecological information on vegetation, soils, biological soil crusts, assess the hydrology and water quality of perennial springs, rivers, and wetlands, and survey park wildlife using remote wildlife cameras, environmental DNA (eDNA), and autonomous acoustic recorder devices (ARUs).

The position will be conducted in remote backcountry settings ranging from Sonoran desert valleys and foothills to high‑elevation mixed conifer forests in this ecological variety group of national parks. This position will provide the incumbent the opportunity to explore and learn the flora and fauna of the Sonoran Desert and Apache Highlands, gain practical field experience in water quality and quantity sampling, and apply new monitoring technologies (eDNA, remote cameras, ARUs) to study native wildlife.

We encourage and support development of an independent research project as part of this paid position. As part of a team, the SIP will measure riparian vegetation, survey river morphology, collect aquatic macroinvertebrate, eDNA, and water chemistry samples from rivers and perennial springs, and deploy and retrieve wildlife cameras from high‑elevation habitats during summer months. In autumn, monitoring terrestrial vegetation, soils and biological soil crusts become the focus, moving from higher to lower elevations sites as the season progresses.

In winter and spring, projects will shift to exotic plant early detection surveys, mammal monitoring with remote cameras, and additional river and perennial springs monitoring. Between and around field projects, tasks consist of tabular and spatial data processing, management and analysis, science writing, plant identification/keying, and labwork, with time available to identify and focus on an independent project. There are opportunities to participate in public education programs at the Desert Research Learning Center, and also to work in Chihuahuan Desert and Southern Plains parks on similar field protocols.

DELIVERABLES: Depending on person and the projects selected, the SIP participant will produce an analysis report, new geospatial datasets, a data…