POSITION DETAILS

Position Title: Ecology Assistant – AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: North Cascades National Park, Sedro-Woolley, Washington

Can this position be fully remote: No – Must be within commuting distance to office location.

Number of positions available: 1

TERMS OF SERVICE

Duration: 52 Weeks (not flexible)

Flexible Start Date: Yes

Start Date: 01/12/2026

End Date: 01/08/2027

AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 1700 hours – this is the minimum number of hours the selected candidate must serve.

BENEFITS

  • Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $7,395.00 upon successful completion of position.
  • Living Allowance of $700.00 per week.
  • Relocation Allowance of $450.00 (distributed as a one-time lump sum with first paycheck)
  • Student Loan Forbearance if applicable (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly).
    • Student Loan Interest Payments if applicable (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly).
  • For 52-week-long positions only:
    • Healthcare Coverage (opt in)
    • Childcare Coverage (opt in)

APPLICATION TIMELINE

The position will close after receiving 60 applications, or at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, 12 October, 2025, whichever occurs first. The review of applications will begin after Sunday, 12 October, 2025. Preference given to applicants who submit applications before Sunday, 12 October, 2025.

PURPOSE

This Ecology Assistant is an AmeriCorps position. The National Park Service invests heavily in monitoring the health of rivers, streams, and lakes. As these datasets accumulate year after year, the need to synthesize and evaluate how and why the biological communities of NPS rivers, streams, and lakes have changed over time intensifies. To that end, NOCA is looking for a candidate with skills in statistical methods used to summarize BMI and water quality trends. We will leverage these skills to evaluate NPS datasets from some of the most iconic parks of the Pacific Northwest. Results from this project will be shared with park managers charged with protecting these aquatic ecosystems into the future.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

This project will support efforts to expand our understanding of the status and ecological health trends of mountain lakes and representative streams in the Pacific Northwest national parks using benthic macroinvertebrates (BMIs) as indicators. The project leverages the use of an extensive long-term monitoring data set to produce results for improved management of these significant mountain lake and stream systems for fisheries and recreational purposes, and to provide insights on environmental changes. Outcomes of this project will include scientific reports and resource briefs that will serve as the basis for developing interpretation and outreach materials for the public.

 

Major duties include summarizing existing, multi-year BMI and water quality data sets to evaluate status and trends of 12 mountain lakes across MORA and NOCA and 31 streams across five national park units (LEWI, MORA, NOCA, OLYM, and SAJH), using graphical summaries and standard statistical approaches. Data analysis will specifically characterize biological responses to invasive species control efforts in 9 mountain lakes at NOCA and 2 mountain lakes at MORA, as well as evaluate current monitoring approaches for Water Quality Assessments and make recommendations to park managers for future implementation or revision. Other duties will include: collection of water samples and preparation for laboratory analyses; wading in streams, rivers, and lakes; use of continuous water quality sensors; use of GPS units, water quality instrumentation, and flow meters; use of paper data sheets, as well as, tablets, laptops, and mobile devices for note taking; being in the field with NPS and partnering scientists and volunteers; ability to drive using government vehicle (significant travel time between sites will be required); ability to problem solve independently; extensive trail and off trail hiking with backpack and sample gear in mountainous terrain (up to 15 miles/day with 50 lb pack); visual and eDNA surveys for amphibians and other aquatic organisms; and kick-net sampling of BMI. Ideal candidates will have some familiarity or experience with statistical analysis and code development in conjunction with water quality or aquatic ecology.


KEYWORDS: Ecology, Macroinvertebrates, Lakes, Streams, Monitoring

DELIVERABLES

The candidate will perform statistical analysis and prepare BMI and water quality trend reports on long-term monitoring sites across Pacific Northwest parks. Specifically, the candidate will use various R packages (e.g., vegan, designed for community ecology analyses) to evaluate long-term changes in BMI communities and water quality while accounting for short (seasonal) and long-term (multi-year) variations in snowpack. The candidate will then synthesize the reports from each monitoring site into one comprehensive, multi-park report. Results will be shared with park managers and scientists to improve their understanding of how BMI communities and water quality changed through time and coincident with changes in primary environmental drivers (e.g., snowpack and temperature).


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 52 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate should be a recent graduate or working on a graduate degree at an accredited institution in environmental science, biology, ecology, or hydrology (or a related field) with experience in the programming language R. Preference will be given to candidates that have a history of working on water quality and macroinvertebrate data sets. The individual may also have experience in using other statistical packages such as python. Strong leadership, technical writing, and communication skills are desired. Individuals that have experience working as part of a team and are flexible, collegial, and have a strong work ethic are sought. Candidates with backcountry experience are encouraged to apply.

ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION

POSITION SETTING

Projects may occur in both an office setting and/or in the field. North Cascades National Park (NOCA) spans 500,000 acres in Northwest Washington state. The park encompasses varied landscapes, including streams and rivers in glacially-carved valleys, forests, as well as high-elevation alpine and subalpine landscapes dominated by glaciers, snow, granite, meadows, and mountain lakes. While parts of North Cascades are within a 2-hour drive from either Seattle, WA, or Vancouver, BC, backcountry locations are remote. Weather varies throughout the year, from abundant rain and snowfall in the winter to hotter, drier conditions in the summer.


VEHICLE AND DRIVER’S LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

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

HOUSING

Park housing is NOT available. The SIP participant will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area. Nearby housing is available in Skagit County (Mount Vernon, Burlington, Bow, Sedro-Woolley) or Whatcom County (Bellingham). Rental housing prices range from approximately $500+ per month in a shared house or $1,000+ per month for single occupancy. Nearby housing is within 30 minutes of duty station.


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.
  • Free professional development webinars led by Conservation Legacy staff.

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 North Cascades National Park will host a Ecology Assistant.


Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal 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!”