Invasive Plant Management Member - Southeast Coast Invasive Plant Management Team - Stones Rive

Summary

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with Stones River National Battlefield, is seeking ONE Invasive Plant Management Member to contribute to IPMT projects alongside NPS Staff. For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

Start Date: Anticipated February 2026

Estimated End Date: 16 weeks after start date (a 16-week minimum commitment is required)

Location: Murfreesboro, TN

Stones River National Battlefield preserves and protects a cultural landscape consisting of 700 acres of forests, grasslands, cedar glades, savannas, and barrens, and includes one of the earliest national cemeteries. The park is located in the historic city of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, about 30 miles southeast of Nashville. The park is in a suburban area, served by public transit but most easily accessed by car.

Tennessee can be very hot and humid. The work environment at the park is heavily field-based, and interns may spend considerable time standing and hiking. They may be subject to full sun, high heat, biting and stinging insects, and the potential for dehydration during fieldwork.

One of the many ways the NPS is addressing invasive species is through the Invasive Plant Management Program. The program assists parks in preventing introductions of new species, reducing existing infestations, and restoring native plant communities and ecosystem functions.

The member will control non-native plants using both manual and chemical methods (75%), perform distribution mapping of non-native plants using GPS (10%), and assist with additional resource management field, GIS, and data management projects (15%). Because of the travel-intensive nature of this internship, we are looking for adaptable applicants willing to work in an environment requiring a lot of flexibility. At times our travel plans change suddenly due to unforeseen weather or training opportunities.

This position is meant to facilitate professional development and promote exposure to land management and networking with professionals at various parks. Interns will potentially receive training on many resource management aspects: herbicide safety and handling, truck and trailer driving, hand tool use, GIS skills, and see a variety of beautiful parks located in the Southeast. The crew will manually removing exotic invasive vegetation in both urban and rural NPS sites.

The team will live together while in travel status, so the ability to get along with others is vital. The accommodation will vary from rustic park housing to hotels, but while traveling camping will not be required.

Week1:
Monday-Friday 6:30am-4:00pm CST, Week2:
Monday-Wednesday 6:30am-4:00pm CST, Thursday 6:30am-3:00pm CST

Living Allowance: ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $650/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.

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 is provided in shared NPS Housing at no cost to applicant.

ACE members will receive position specific training and an orientation outlining ACE policies and procedures, clear guidance on prohibited activities, and networks for support.

Required:

• Members must be authorized to work in the United States. ACE does not provide sponsorship for employment…