Conservation Legacy

POSITION DETAILS

Position Title: Biology Assistant - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon, Arizona

Can this position be fully remote: No

Number of positions available: 1

TERMS OF SERVICE

Duration: 20 Weeks (not flexible)

Flexible Start Date: Yes

Start Date: 05/18/2025

End Date: 10/05/2025

AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 675 Hour

BENEFITS

  • Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $2,817.00 upon successful completion of position.
  • Living Allowance of $565.00 per week.
  • Relocation Allowance of $400.00 distributed as a one-time lump sum.
  • Student Loan Forbearance if applicable (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly).
    • Student Loan Interest Payments if applicable (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly).

APPLICATION TIMELINE

The position will close after receiving 75 applications, or at 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, 19 January, 2025, whichever occurs first. The review of applications will begin after Sunday, 19 January, 2025.

PURPOSE

This Biology Assistant is an AmeriCorps position that will support the NPS mission to preserve and protect the natural resources (wildlife) of the park through research and understanding and managing bison. This project will improve the information known about bison in GRCA, and assists with understanding listed federally threatened or endangered species. This information will be used to manage park and visitor use to minimize the impacts to these species and to improve their conditions where possible. The project, and the SIPs work, will further conservation of bison (our national mammal), and other sensitive bird species that the NPS has a mandate to protect.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Project Description: This position will be stationed at the North Rim and support Grand Canyon National Park’s Wildlife Program. The primary focus of this position is on Grand Canyon’s bison monitoring and relocation projects, which includes:

1) Bison radio tracking and demography counts

2) Vegetation transects and exclosure monitoring for bison effects

3) Assist with ongoing pollinator study (how bison grazing affects pollinators)

4) Assist with eDNA project at water sources (bison impacts to water)

5) Baiting bison into a capture corral

6) Assisting with bison capture events

7) Occasionally tracking endangered CA condors via radio telemetry, and assisting with condor hazing and nest monitoring,

8) Assisting with human/ wildlife interactions and other pest management issues as they arise.

Data entry and management are also part of this position. On occasion, but not primarily, this position may assist in some capacity with the following: bison monitoring and capture, camera trap data review, and will help with the duties of other members to provide the candidate a multi-faceted experience.


KEYWORDS: Wildlife Management, Research, Bison, Vegetation

DELIVERABLES

The candidate may be assigned to develop a particular project, or aspect of an existing project, related to an ongoing or new wildlife management issues at Grand Canyon and then refine and present their findings at relevant scientific conference with the supervisor’s authorization. They will also be expected to contribute to data analysis and report writing related to projects that they work on.


QUALIFICATIONS

  • 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 AmeriCorps 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 NPS site location.
  • The applicant must be available to participate for 20 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Experience with radio tracking ungulates.
  • Experience with classifying animals to sex and age a plus.
  • Experience with using vegetation transects or basic vegetation monitoring methodologies.
  • Experience operating remote cameras and using GIS/GPS for navigation
  • There is field work associated with this position – the candidate should be extremely physically fit and able to work in a steep and variable environment, should be skilled in hiking/backpacking, orienteering and backcountry camping in remote settings in variable conditions.
  • Applicants must be able to carry a heavy pack (up to 40 lbs.) for multiple days while backpacking.
  • Off trail hiking and navigating abilities is a must.
  • Training in first aid or wilderness first responder is a plus.
  • The candidate should have the ability to work as part of a team for extended periods and independently, and be skilled in use of computers and standard programs and GPS, GIS (ARCMAP) is a plus.

ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION

POSITION SETTING

Work will be focused within the non-developed areas of the North Rim of Grand Canyon, along the rim, and occasionally within the more remote inner canyon wilderness. The North Rim receives approximately 500,000 visitors between May 15 and October 15. The North Rim has a robust concession operation which features a historic full service lodge with accommodations serving around 500 visitors each day, 230 concession employees, a general store, post office, mule ride concession, gas station, campground, etc. Outside of the North Rim Village the district includes about 20 miles of paved scenic roads, 80 miles of high clearance 4 wheel drive roads, and many miles of hiking trails. . The elevation on the North Rim is about 8,000 feet and consequently the climate in the summer is mild with highs in the 80's and lows in the 50's. The terrain is composed of large stands of ponderosa pine, mixed conifer forests with aspen, outstanding scenic viewpoints, and meadows filled with wildflowers.The nearest community with full range of services is located in Kanab, UT which is 80 miles to the North.


VEHICLE AND DRIVER’S LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

  • Applicant must have a valid driver's license to drive a government vehicle.
  • A personal vehicle is REQUIRED for this position.


HOUSING

Park housing is available and will be provided at no cost to the participant. Housing is provided in the North Rim Housing area. Housing is sometimes a shared government trailer, cabin or apartment with shared kitchen, living and bath areas. Some cabins are single occupancy. Trailer pads may be available. Ability to live and work closely with others is essential. Bring cooking utensils, linens and personal items. Family members and/or pets are not allowed in shared housing. This is a remote

location and, depending on your provider, cell phone reception may be poor or non-existent. There is very limited access to residential Wi-Fi. typically via a satellite provider. It is usually very easy to walk or ride a bike to and from the housing areas and the office.


HOW TO APPLY

Apply online, all Scientists in Parks positions are listed at: https://conservation-legacy.breezy.hr/. Complete the application for this position, highlighting why you are interested in the position and how your background and experience will help you succeed in this position. Be prepared to upload your resume and unofficial transcript as part of completing the application questionnaire.

Once you begin applying for a position, the application must be completed in one sitting. You cannot save and return later to complete it. Applicants can apply for up to five Scientists in Parks positions per season. You need to complete a separate application for each position in order to be considered. You should receive a confirmation email after successfully submitting an application. Sometimes institutional email filters/settings can redirect or block emails related to the application. We recommend watching spam, junk, and promotional email folders in case your email service delivers messages there. Please visit How to Apply for additional resources and information about applying (i.e., learn what materials to have ready for applying, find a worksheet that previews application questions, etc.). Learn more about Scientists in Parks at: https://www.scientistsinparks.org/.


ADDITIONAL DETAILS


PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions. Some positions may require periodic overnight travel, non-traditional hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions.


TIME REQUIREMENTS

  • This position is expected to serve full time each week, but exact service schedules may vary.
  • Lunch breaks will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service hours.
  • Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.

ORIENTATION AND TRAINING

  • Orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
  • Pertinent training from the NPS site location throughout the term of service.
  • Access to free professional development webinars led by Conservation Legacy staff or the Ecological Society of America.
  • Opportunity to join one (or more) SIP Affinity Groups. Groups include: DEIJ Change Makers, Women+ in Science, BIPOC, or Pride in STEM.
  • Opportunity to present the outcomes from the SIP position at national scientific meetings held by the Ecological Society of America and Geological Society of America.

EVALUATION AND REPORTING

As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of hours, the member has satisfactorily completed assignments, and if the member has met other performance criteria that were clearly communicated at the beginning of the term of service.


Reporting requirements include, but are not limited to, bi-weekly timesheets and accomplishment tracking.


Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards), a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with AmeriCorps service and career 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 Grand Canyon National Park will host a Biology Assistant.


Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. This program is available to all, without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, political affiliation, marital or parental status, genetic information, and military service. Where a significant portion of the population eligible to be served needs services or information in a language other than English, the recipient shall take reasonable steps to provide written material of the type ordinarily available to the public in appropriate languages. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with AmeriCorps requirements.


If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to Scientists in Parks using the email address at the base of the home page, under “Questions? Contact us!”

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