GIS Support Steward - Valles Caldera National Preserve
Listed on 2026-08-02
-
Science
Information & Knowledge Management, Research Scientist
Position Title: GIS Support Steward - Ameri Corps
Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements
Site
Location:
Valles Caldera National Preserve/Bandelier National Monument
Application Due: Friday, August 7, 2026
- Start Date:
10/05/2026 - End Date: 3/19/2027
- Ameri Corps Slot Classification: 675-Hour Slot, 24 Weeks
Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards), a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with Ameri Corps service and career internship opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants serve with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits to provide institutional capacity, develop community relationships, and support ecosystem health. Stewards in partnership with the NPS GIS office is hosting a cohort of GIS stewards.
Overview:Valles Caldera National Preserve is located in the Jemez Mountains of north-central New Mexico. This 88,900-acre park encompasses almost all of the volcanic caldera created by a spectacular volcanic eruption about 1.2 million years ago. The caldera is dormant, but not extinct, and still displays signs of volcanic life with hot springs and boiling sulphuric acid fumaroles. The juxtaposition of large grassland meadows, or valles in Spanish, surrounded by rounded, forest-covered volcanic domes provides the distinctive natural landscape that led to the name of Valles Caldera.
These ecosystems, ranging from 8,000 to 11,254 feet high at the top of Redondo Peak, combine abundant rainfall, mixed conifer forests, and deep, rich soils to support a broad mix of animals, plants, fungi, and other organisms including several thousand elk and healthy populations of mountain lions, bears, and coyotes.
For thousands of years, American Indians have used the caldera for hunting, fishing, and gathering various plants for food, medicine, and ceremonies. The signature resource for these indigenous peoples was obsidian, and tools found across the United States were made from obsidian gathered here. Numerous American Indian tribes and pueblos in the region have deep historic and cultural connections to the caldera.
Valles Caldera also chronicles the history of New Mexico’s enchantment and exploitation—from 19th century land use after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and sheep grazing under the partido system to subsequent cattle grazing, timber harvesting, and geothermal exploration.
The park collects and manages several types of geospatial data including those used to manage and protect natural and cultural resources within the Preserve.
Description of Duties:The GIS Steward will work closely with the National Park Service's Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Natural Resource programs at Valles Caldera National Preserve, with opportunities to support projects at Bandelier National Monument. Under the guidance and mentorship of the park's GIS Specialist, the participant will gain hands‑on experience applying geospatial technologies to support natural resource conservation, land management, and public engagement.
Primary responsibilities will include modernizing legacy geospatial datasets, updating enterprise geodatabases with historical and newly collected GIS data, maintaining and utilizing National Park Service spatial datasets, supporting web and mobile GIS applications, preparing GPS and tablet equipment for field data collection, integrating spatial data into established national and regional data standards, producing maps and other geospatial products for park staff, improving GIS workflows, and responding to GIS-related requests from multiple park divisions.
The participant may also participate in field data collection to support new facilities and infrastructure projects within Valles Caldera National Preserve and assist with GIS initiatives at Bandelier National Monument. The position may require operation of a government vehicle, and park housing may be available.
Throughout the position, the GIS Steward will develop practical skills in enterprise GIS, field data collection, data management, cartography, mobile GIS technologies, and spatial analysis while gaining valuable experience…
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