Ecology Assistant AmeriCorps

POSITION DETAILS

Position (s): 4325

Position Title:

Ecology Assistant – Ameri Corps
Conservation Legacy Program:
Scientists in Parks, Stewards Individual Placements
Site

Location:

Southern Plains Network, Pecos, New Mexico
Number of positions available: 1

Duration: 52 Weeks (not flexible)
Flexible

Start Date:

Yes

Start Date:

05/04/2026
End Date: 05/03/2027
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)

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.

ecology, data science, natural resources, data management, R, modeling, analysis, field projects, vegetation monitoring

This Ecology Assistant is an Ameri Corps position. The National Park Service invests heavily in monitoring the health of native vegetation communities and detecting the establishment and spread of exotic plants. There is a strong need to collect, synthesize and evaluate data so that scientific information can be provided to park leadership and natural resource staff in a regular and timely manner.

These data are used by park managers to assess, plan, and develop natural resource protection activities and are essential for understanding the status and trends of park ecosystems and for informing management decisions. This position would help to make the data more available to park managers, researchers, and the public, and to raise awareness of the importance of ecological monitoring and conservation.

Overall, the projects we do and the data we collect and manage is analyzed and conveyed to park managers, providing them with the scientific information on resource condition that they need to make decisions and take actions to conserve park resources. The gathered information is vital for assessing the health, ecological variety, and resilience of park ecosystems.

The Ecology Assistant will complete projects with the Southern Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network (SOPN) and split their time between vegetation monitoring in the field and data science and statistical analysis in the office. This position will support the collection, formatting, analysis and reporting of vegetation and invasive plant data in national park grasslands. Data science and statistical analysis projects will focus on cleaning, visualizing and reporting data using R Markdown formats, formatting datasets and preparing them for publication, presenting data in web reports and dashboards to national park resource management, developing and implementing procedures for automating data certification, implementing statistical models and synthesizing the results, and providing general coding support to network scientists.

During the summer field season, the Ecology Assistant will participate in vegetation sampling at our 10 network parks across the southern plains. Field projects will occur in small, 2-4-person teams. Sampling methods will include line-point intercept, recording plant species presence/absence in small plots and mapping of invasive plant infestations. Ideally, candidates will have a strong background or interest in botany and plant sciences.

Assistants will learn to identify grasses, forbs, shrubs, and trees of the Southern Plains using field guides and dichotomous keys. Monitoring sites are off trail, and hiking and carrying equipment in a backpack for…