Paleontology Assistant AmeriCorps
Listed on 2026-02-12
-
Research/Development
Data Scientist
POSITION DETAILS
Position (s): 4343
Position Title: Paleontology Assistant - Ameri Corps
Conservation Legacy Program: Scientists in Parks, Stewards Individual Placements
Site
Location:
Montezuma Castle National Monument, Camp Verde, Arizona
Number of positions available: 1
Duration: 12 Weeks (not flexible)
Flexible
Start Date:
Yes
Start Date: 09/28/2026
End Date: 12/21/2026
Ameri Corps Slot Classification: 450 hours - this is the minimum number of hours the selected candidate must serve throughout the duration of their position.
- Segal Ameri Corps Education Award
: $1,956.35 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.
paleontology, Cenozoic, ichnofossils, proboscideans, paleontological resource management
PURPOSEThis Paleontology Assistant is an Ameri Corps position. This project addresses instructions and mandates in NPS Management Policies (2006) and the 2009 Paleontological Resource Preservation Act concerning the stewardship of paleontological resources through inventorying, monitoring, management, protection, research, education, and outreach. Fossils are irreplaceable and non-renewable resources; there are a finite number of fossil specimens for any given extinct species, and that number is always decreasing as specimens are destroyed by erosion or illegally collected.
The ability of Montezuma Castle National Monument personnel to manage its paleontological resources is limited by incomplete data regarding the presence, distribution, condition, and significance of those resources; these gaps in information also lead to an incomplete understanding of threats to those resources. Knowledge of its resources is limited at this time but there is the potential for significant discoveries.
Completion of this project will provide the framework for a program to identify and protect rare paleontological resources, and to make them available for public interpretation and scientific study.
The selected applicant will help further park knowledge of paleontological resources by assisting with paleontological inventorying and monitoring. Montezuma Castle National Monument's primary paleontological resources are fossil proboscidean tracks in rocks of the Pliocene-age Verde Formation. Some examples have been recorded and reburied for protection but are now becoming exposed again. Inventorying is necessary to determine the scope, significance, distribution, and management issues associated with these resources.
Monitoring is necessary to establish the condition of the resources and determine how to best manage them. To address these inventorying and monitoring needs, the major activities and responsibilities of the position will include:
1) Field surveys to relocate previously recorded paleontological sites and investigate for new sites; record location and site conditions; document sites through photography and on-site data collection; enter information into computerized databases; and utilize GIS technology to develop maps of site locations.
2) Preparation of a report documenting the paleontological resources, to also include literature research on previous service and documentation of fossil resources collected from the monument that are now in archives and museum collections.
3) Public outreach on paleontological resources at the monument, which may include presentations, digital media, handouts, etc., to assist the NPS in showcasing and preserving the paleontological heritage of Montezuma Castle National Monument and increase visitor…
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