Biology Assistant AmeriCorps

POSITION DETAILS

Position (s): 4441
Position Title: Biology Assistant - Ameri Corps
Conservation Legacy Program: Scientists in Parks, Stewards Individual Placements
Site

Location:

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Empire, Michigan
Number of positions available: 1

Duration: 26 Weeks (not flexible)
Flexible

Start Date:

Yes
Start Date: 5/11/2026
End Date: 11/9/2026
Ameri Corps Slot Classification: 900 hours - this is the minimum number of hours the selected candidate must serve throughout the duration of their position.

• Segal Ameri Corps Education Award
  : $3,697.50 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.

water, invasive species, education, outreach, eDNA

This Biology Assistant is an Ameri Corps position. This position will help address needs that combine the Biological Sciences and Communication and Education discipline categories. Each year, SLBE attracts approximately 1.5 million visitors. Many of these visitors come to recreate in the park’s high-quality water bodies. The vast majority of SLBE’s water bodies are also highly accessible, which combined with their interconnectivity make the spread of AIS a significant threat to aquatic resources.

Although the park does do some AIS monitoring and outreach, we lack the staff to fully respond to the recent NZM introduction. This position will provide significant support to existing staff by working with our interpretive staff to develop appropriate messaging and outreach materials, as well as making visitor contacts with targeted user groups of the Platte River, especially fishermen.

Assisting water quality staff with eDNA sampling and laboratory testing will also help address a critical biological need as our eDNA monitoring efforts expand in 2026 to include NZM and additional invasive mussel monitoring.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SLBE) is home to an abundance of water resources, including 27 inland lakes and 64 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. Given the proximity of park lakes to Lake Michigan, aquatic invasive species (AIS) are a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems. SLBE currently implements multiple projects for monitoring AIS, including an invasive mussel project using eDNA to monitor presence and relative abundance in park inland lakes and connecting streams.

In 2024, the New Zealand mudsnail (NZM) was found in the Platte River, presenting a new threat that has not yet become well-established.

This position will serve directly with park water quality staff on a multi-faceted approach to managing AIS within the park. SLBE hosts a molecular water quality laboratory and conducts in-house sampling and testing for eDNA markers using a qPCR-based method. Assisting with an expanding eDNA sampling and testing program for invasive mussels and NZM will be a primary role. This position will also assist in developing NZM educational messaging and assist with visitor outreach efforts to prevent their spread.

Additional tasks will include researching boat wash decontamination stations, developing rapid response plans, and other water-related field projects.

Specific deliverables will be defined jointly with the successful candidate based on their skills, interests, and agreed upon visitor outreach strategy. General deliverables may include one or more of the following:
1) Datasets,
2) Outreach materials (print and/or online),
3) Data visualizations (GIS maps, figures, etc),
4) PowerPoint presentations.

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien.
• Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of secondary school to enroll as an Ameri Corps participant and agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to using the education award
• Prior to starting the position, agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check for the employer of record, Conservation Legacy, and a separate government security background check for the host site.
• The applicant must be available to participate for the entire 26 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.

We seek an participant with background in aquatic ecosystems and an interest in managing aquatic invasive species. Experience in a microbiology…