Traditional Trades Program - Landscape Stewardship Corps – Chickamauga & Chattanoog

Traditional Trades Advancement Program - Landscape Stewardship Corps – Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park

Summary

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the National Park Service, is seeking two members to contribute to historic preservation projects alongside NPS staff.

The Traditional Trades Advancement Program-Landscape Stewardship Corps is intended for enthusiastic individuals who possess an interest in gaining experience in the field of landscape preservation or horticulture. No background or previous experience in horticulture is necessary.

For more information about the National Park Service's Traditional Trades Advancement Program (TTAP) - Landscape Stewardship Corps please the NPS website.

For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

Start Date: April 6, 2026

Estimated End Date: October 2, 2026

* a 26-week minimum commitment is required *

Location Details/

Description:

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park (CHCH) preserves the sites of two pivotal Civil War battles that helped shape the outcome of the conflict in the western theater. Spanning areas in northern Georgia and southeastern Tennessee, the park protects historic battlefields, monuments, and landscapes while interpreting the military strategies, human experiences, and lasting impacts of the war on the nation.

For more information about CHCH please visit the NPS website.

This position supports ongoing landscape restoration efforts at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, led by the park's biologist in collaboration with the park historian. The intern will assist with projects aimed at restoring key areas of the battlefield to more closely reflect their Civil War–era appearance. Current projects include restoring Battleline Road from a closed-canopy forest to an open cedar glade, as well as selectively reducing forest encroachment at the Jay's Mill area to reestablish its historic character as open farmland.

Future work will include landscape restoration at Cravens House, focusing on recreating a historically accurate, "lived-in" setting through research-driven plant selection such as flowers and fruit trees.

Throughout the position, the intern will gain hands-on experience in historic landscape restoration, learning both the historical context of these sites and the systematic, science-based approaches used to remove, restore, and maintain vegetation under the guidance of the park's biologist.

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

Schedule: 8am-4:30pm, M-F

Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $720/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.

Public Land Corps Hiring Authority: Members serving under this agreement 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 questions about eligibility, or view general eligibility information on our website.

Housing: Housing is the responsibility of the ACE member and not provided by ACE or the NPS.

Professional Development Stipend: $1,000 of professional development funds will be available to participants for pre-approved uses.

Provided Training/Orientation: ACE members will receive position-specific training and an orientation outlining ACE policies and procedures, clear guidance on prohibited activities, and networks for support. Specific training include OSHA-10 and Introduction to Preservation Horticulture.

• Members must be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident, as required by U.S. government contracts
• Members must have a High School Diploma or GED.
• Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner.
• Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.
• A current and valid form of  (will be required to provide copies of 's upon hiring)
• Willing to undergo and must pass the required criminal history checks
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• ACE Members will need to complete bi-weekly timesheets,…