Cultural and Natural Resource Member

Summary: American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with John Muir National Historic Site, is seeking 1 Member to contribute to Cultural and Natural Resource projects alongside NPS Staff.

For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

Start Date: 5/26/26

Estimated End Date: 9/12/26

*a 16-week minimum commitment is required *

Location Details/Description: John Muir National Historic Site, Martinez, CA is the home and fruit ranch once owned and managed by naturalist John Muir and is characterized by three separate park units: a 9 acres fruit orchard and ornamental garden site (House Unit); 350 acres of oak woodland and grassland (Mount Wanda Unit); 1 acre gravesite and orchard (Gravesite Unit). In addition to work at the John Muir NHS Members will also be engaged with the landscape at another park site located 20 miles away in the town of Danville, the Eugene O'Neill NHS, characterized by 15 acres of orchards and ornamental gardens.

For more information about John Muir NHS, please visit the NPS website.

Position Overview: The John Muir NHS maintains approximately 370 acres of landscape, in addition to 15 acres of orchards and cultivated landscape at our other park, Eugene O'Neill NHS. This position is necessary for our park to maintain the orchards, gardens, trees, shrubs and other landscape features to the quality and level expected by the public and the two park units.

This position will entail a variety of landscape duties from basic gardening and cultural landscaping tasks (pruning, watering, weeding, mulching). Natural resource work may include removal of invasive weeds like thistle, threatened and endangered species monitoring, or native tree and plant monitoring. Day-to-day work will involve working primarily outside in a variety of weather conditions, though the timeframe of this position should be mostly warm to hot especially in summer. For any IPM (integrated pest management) work the Member may need to set traps or hand pull weeds, but any use of baits or chemicals will only be done under close supervision by the park IPM coordinator. The park philosophy towards toxic chemicals is to limit or avoid their use whenever possible in favor of mechanical or other means of pest management.

The ACE Member will work day-to-day in tandem with two other ACE interns and will also engage as much as possible with other divisions at the park including Maintenance, Natural Resources, Cultural Resources, Interpretation, and also park volunteers and Youth Conservation Corp members. To the degree possible, Members will be invited to engage with other parks in the Bay Area NPS network if time and opportunity allows. If the Member has time, interest, and initiative to take on special projects that interest them, and if such a project also aligns with park objectives, this would be supported by their supervisor.

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.

Schedule: This will be a full-time 40 hour/week position, daily schedule will typically be from 7am - 3:30pm, however daily start/stop times may be flexible depending upon job assignments and/or the individual's needs on a day-to-day basis.

Position Benefits

Living Allowance: 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.

Public Land Corps Hiring Authority: 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: Housing is the responsibility of the member and not provided by ACE or NPS.

Provided Training/Orientation: 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 may include artifact handling, cataloging and preservation; housekeeping and integrated pest management; environmental monitoring in museum spaces; Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

Qualifications

Required:

Members must be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident, as required by U.S. government contracts
Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner.
Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.
A valid driver's license and an insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request).
A current and valid form of ID (will be required to provide copies of ID's upon hiring)
Willing to undergo and must pass the required criminal history checks
Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
ACE Members will need to complete bi-weekly timesheets, beginning of term feedback forms, end of term evaluations and for longer terms, a mid-term evaluation.
Members may not participate in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service Agreement.
To learn more about eligibility requirements, please visit our website located on our Indeed homepage.

Preferred:

Ability and willingness to work independently or in pairs or a group outside in a variety of weather conditions.
interest in historic cultural landscapes and garden design and maintenance.
Education and/or experience in the environmental sciences such as biology, ecology, natural resources management, horticulture, wildlife biology, forestry, botany, and geography, or a similar program will also be considered.
CPR/First Aid, Wilderness First Aid training or willingness to be trained.

Physical Demands, Work Environment and Working Conditions:

Physical Demands: Requires frequent sitting, standing, walking, hiking, carrying, using hands to handle or feel, reaching with hands and arms, talking and hearing. Manual dexterity required for use of various tools, computer keyboard/mouse and other office equipment. Required to stoop, kneel, climb stairs, and/or crouch. Walk and hike up to several miles per day, lift occasional heavy items, climb ladders.
Vision Requirements: Requires close, distance, peripheral and depth perception vision as well as the ability to focus.
Weight Lifted or Force Exerted: Ability to move up to 50 pounds.
Environmental: Outdoor and indoor conditions. Various weather conditions.
Noise Environment: Moderate noise such as in a business office with equipment and light traffic.
Travel: This position does not require unique travel.

Environmental Conditions/Hazards: The ACE member(s) may encounter environmental conditions/hazards including extreme heat or cold, rocky terrain, biting insects, and potentially dangerous wildlife. The member is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as not to endanger self, fellow staff/members or resources.

Vehicle and Equipment Use/Safety: If a vehicle is required for the accomplishment of the duties, one will be provided by the NPS or ACE. Any tools required for the accomplishment of the duties will be provided by the NPS. Use of personal protective equipment (PPE), typically provided by the NPS, will be mandatory for any activity that requires it. Strict adherence to NPS and ACE equipment training, certification and safety protocols is required.

To Apply: Please submit your resume, a cover letter demonstrating your interest and experience, and contact information for three professional/academic references to ACE's online application page for this position on our website. Early consideration will be given as applications are received. This position may close at any time. If you have any questions regarding this position please feel free to contact Bee Garcia-Glenn, Western Member Manager.

ACE participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information when you are hired to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

EEO: Employment or Service with ACE is based upon ability, qualifications, attitude, and job-related factors. Every qualified employee, member, or applicant has the same opportunity for recruitment, hire, training, transfer, promotion, compensation, demotion, termination, benefits, employee activities, and general treatment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, creed, national origin, pregnancy, ancestry, citizenship status, genetic information, veteran or military status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital or parental status, political affiliation, ethnicity, hair texture or style, arrest record, caste, hereditary status, endogamy, or any other classification protected by applicable local, state, or federal law.