Traditional Trades Program - Landscape Stewardship Corps – Hampton National Histori

Summary

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the National Park Service, is seeking two members to contribute to landscape stewardship projects alongside Hampton National Historic Site & Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine staff.

The Traditional Trades Advancement Program-Landscape Stewardship Corps is intended for enthusiastic individuals who possess an interest in gaining experience in the field of landscape preservation or horticulture. No education or experience in the field is necessary.

For more information about the National Park Service's Traditional Trades Advancement Program (TTAP) - Landscape Stewardship Corps, please visit our website.

For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

March 23, 2026

September 18, 2026

* a 26-week minimum commitment is required *

The landscape of Hampton National Historic Site includes a grand Georgian house surrounded by formal terraced gardens, state champion trees, rolling meadows and woodland, as well as the original farm, with historic main house, barns, dairy, farm structures and the houses for enslaved people and servants. All reflect the evolution of American social, economic, and cultural history from 1745 to 1948.

Hampton National Historic Site is in a quiet residential neighborhood in Townson, Maryland, about nine miles from Baltimore.

The ACE members will also work occasionally (about 25%, but subject to change) at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore, Maryland. Birthplace to our National Anthem, Fort McHenry is a peninsula of rolling turf and trees surrounding the historic star-shaped fort that once protected the Baltimore Harbor from British invasion. A personal vehicle is recommended for regular commute.

For more information about Hampton National Historic Site and Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, please visit the NPS website.

The ACE members will experience the full range of behind-the-scenes preservation and maintenance activities required in managing a nationally significant historic landscape and will receive training and mentoring from experienced park staff. The position may also require the member to work independently on some projects and assignments. Work will include preparing and maintaining planting beds, managing turf, pruning, fertilizing, mulching, watering, controlling pests, and installing the formal parterre gardens with new plants.

Additional training and skill-building opportunities will include invasive plant management, reforestation, meadow restoration, farming, and tree removal/clean-up throughout the internship.

In addition to building technical skills, the NPS mentor and park staff are dedicated to supporting ACE members' job readiness and professional growth with guidance in resume-writing, career exploration, and navigating the federal hiring process.

This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with professionals. This could include gaining experience in different conservation fields and shadowing different work groups.

Work schedule will be Monday-Friday 6:00 am- 2:30 pm with ½ hour lunch. Schedules are subject to change due to weather, heat, or special events, but will likely remain on the Monday-Friday 6:00 am- 2:30 pm schedule.

The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $720/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 the responsibility of the member and not provided by ACE. However, there may be housing available from NPS. That can be discussed during interviews.

$1,000 of professional development funds will be available to participants for pre-approved uses.

ACE members will receive position-specific training and an orientation outlining ACE policies and procedures, clear guidance on prohibited activities, and networks for support. Specific training includes OSHA-10…