Natural Resource Management Assistant AmeriCorps

Position Details

• Position (s): 4433
• Position Title: Natural Resource Management Assistant - Ameri Corps
• Conservation Legacy Program: Scientists in Parks, Stewards Individual Placements
• Site
  
  Location:
  
  Buffalo National River, Harrison, Arkansas
• Number of positions available: 1

• Duration: 20 Weeks (not flexible)
• Flexible
  
  Start Date:
  
  Yes
• Start Date: 7/6/2026
• End Date: 11/23/2026
• Ameri Corps Slot Classification: 675 hours – minimum number of hours the selected candidate must serve during the position

• Segal Ameri Corps Education Award: $2,817.14 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 deadline passes. Positions will close after receiving 60 complete applications, or at 11:59 p.m. EST on February 15, 2026, whichever occurs first.

riparian restoration, river cane, remote sensing, GIS

This Natural Resource Management Assistant is an Ameri Corps position. River cane is a critically important habitat that provides many ecological and cultural benefits. Canebrakes provide essential habitat for wildlife such as deer and bears, and specialists that rely exclusively on river cane for food, including six species of skippers and other butterflies (creole pearly eye, southern pearly eye, southern swamp skipper, cobweb little skipper, cane little skipper, and yellow little skipper).

Bird species such as Swainson’s warbler and Bachman’s warbler heavily rely on canebrakes for nesting and cover. Canebrakes also stabilize stream banks and floodplains, preventing soil erosion and sedimentation in adjacent waterways. They slow water flow during flood events, allowing sediment deposition before it enters the waterway and filter nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. Dense stands deter invasive species spread along riparian corridors.

River cane is culturally significant to many Native American tribes in the Southeast, used for making blowguns, baskets, mats, and tools. Once abundant throughout the southeastern United States, giant river cane (Arundinaria gigantea) has been reduced to less than 2 % of its original extent before colonial agricultural expansion. Buffalo National River, one of the last undammed rivers of its size in the continental U.S., is an excellent location to promote river cane restoration where it can improve wildlife habitat, reduce erosion, improve water quality, and protect cultural resources and traditions.

We are seeking a well-rounded individual who will join an interdisciplinary team working to restore and protect America’s first National River. Primary duties include creating a map and prioritized list of potential river cane restoration sites. Responsibilities: review historic General Land Office maps from the 1800s to identify historic canebrakes; use remote sensing and GIS data to map the extent of current canebrakes compared to historic range;

conduct field projects to ground‑truth maps; prioritize canebrakes for restoration to promote riparian function and bank stabilization; and educate the public about the importance of river cane. The project involves integrating historic maps, contemporary remotely sensed data, field projects, and partner collaboration to identify, prioritize, and restore river cane on Buffalo National River.

The primary deliverable is spatial data, a map, and a report summarizing the extent of canebrakes and prioritized locations for cane restoration on the park. Additional deliverables include cleaned and properly filed data, spatial data products, and an ESRI Story Map (or equivalent GIS product) summarizing the project. The participant will gain understanding of the NPS mission, riparian habitats, and restoration techniques;

create and deliver a…