Position Title: Guadalupe Caves Technician – AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location:

Lincoln National Forest, Guadalupe Ranger District, 3366 Queens Hwy, Carlsbad, NM, 88220

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: 2/23/2026
• End Date: 5/15/2026
• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 450 Hours

Purpose:

The USDA Forest Service Washington Office Lands, Minerals and Geology (WO-LMG) in partnership with the Conservation Legacy is pleased to announce the 2026 Geoscientists in Forests (GSF) Program offering paid professional development opportunities to emerging geoscientists that leverage Agency capacity to conduct critical geologic work in alignment with the administration’s priorities (see Executive Orders and Secretarial Memos listed below).

The GSF Program specializes in individual placements that address geoscience-related needs and management priorities. The program is designed for individuals aged 18-30, and veterans up to age 35. Projects involve predominantly field-oriented research, inventory and monitoring, and geoscience interpretation for agency staff and the public. GSF programs support Forest Service responsibilities under Executive Orders on American energy (EOs 14154, 14156, 14241), Secretarial Memo 1078-005, and the Public Land Corps Act’s workforce development focus.

The primary purposes of the Geoscientists in Forests Program are to:

• Address critical geoscience needs on National Forest System lands
• Foster geoscience career growth to support mineral and energy development in alignment with the administration’s priorities;
• Provide on-the-ground geoscience training and immersive paid developmental experience for emerging geoscience professionals under Forest Service mentorship[LS1]

Description of Duties:

The Guadalupe Caves Technician will:

• Assist in the management of world class cave resources on the Lincoln National Forest in southern New Mexico.
• Serve with the Cave Program Manager to help with documenting and monitoring caves located on the Lincoln National Forest.
• Monitor, survey, and inventory backcountry caves. Inventories will include noting geological, mineralogical, paleontological, biological, other scientific, and recreational aspects of specific caves.
• Other tasks may include helping prepare cave related educational presentations and materials, preparing significant cave nomination packets, entering field data into spreadsheets, creating rescue plans, scanning and organizing slides and photos, maintaining gear caches, processing LIDAR data, programming and downloading scientific monitoring equipment, cave restoration, and trail maintenance. Depending on the participants interests, we would support them conducting detailed studies on wildlife, cave environmental monitoring, geology, history, etc.
• By the end of the project, the selected individual will have greatly expanded the knowledge of caves and other karst features on the Lincoln National Forest. Monitoring data collected will be used to inform management decisions made for the Forest Cave Program. Information gathered will be added to the Forest Cave Files and to could be used to create nomination packages for cave significance under the Federal Cave Resources Protection Act.

Qualifications:

• BS degree in geology or environmental science with two years of coursework completed.
• Ability to work well independently and as a team, both in the office and in the field.
• Good organization skills, basic map reading and GPS orientation knowledge, and
• Be comfortable hiking cross-country in a rugged mountain environment and traversing cave environments.
• Experience in caving and single rope techniques will make the applicant highly competitive.
• Applicant must have a valid state driver’s license and a good driving record and be able to acquire a government driver’s license (training and testing will be provided).
• • A vehicle for the applicant to drive to and from the field and to the main office from housing for official work duties will be provided.
  • Driving in the field will routinely require operating a 4wd vehicle in very rough terrain.
• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• At least 17 years of age
• Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of elementary or 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
• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check.

Benefits:

· Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $1,956.35

• Living Allowance of $600 per week.

• Additional Benefit of $100 per week.

• Housing Provided (see description below)

• Loan forbearance if Eligible

• Interest Payments if Eligible

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:

Program Contact information: Sam Rush at srush@conservationlegacy.org

Service Site Contact information: Jennifer.Foote@usda.gov

How to Apply:

Apply on-line at: https://stewardslegacy.org/open-positions.

Application Timeline:

Preference given to applicants who submit applications by January 4th, 2026. Application review will begin on January 5^th. Position will close on January 19, 2026.

Host Site/Work Environment Information

The Guadalupe Ranger District is located in southern New Mexico adjacent to Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks. The mountains are formed of Permian bedrock. The landscape consists of deep rugged canyons with dramatic karst spires and cliffs and vegetation is primarily desert plants. Temperatures in the summer time regularly reach 100 °F, with occasional snow in the winter. The caves on the Forest are known for their unique hypogenic formation, mineralogy, biology, and impressive speleothems. The forest contains around 200 known caves ranging from shelters to large caves over 7 miles in length.

Service will be a mix of office and fieldwork. Fieldwork will occur in remote areas with no cell service. Traversing steep rocky slopes, ropework and crawling in caves will be common practice. Expect challenging, trailless cave hikes over 3 miles long with up to 1400 feet of elevation gain or loss. It will be necessary to utilize single rope techniques to gain access to certain caves or within certain caves. This involves rappelling between 10-300 feet on fixed ropes and ascending those same ropes with mechanical ascending systems. While many caves are very spacious, it may be necessary to negotiate extended sections of crawling as well as squeezes as small as nine inches wide. Cave temperatures are pleasant, ranging from 55-65 degrees. Cave equipment such as helmets and vertical gear will be provided. Participant must bring a sturdy pair of hiking boots with non-marking sole. Backcountry or car camping may occur to support field activities.

The Queen administrative site is located about an hour from the town of Carlsbad New Mexico, and is currently staffed by three people. Work typically takes place Monday through Friday, but working on weekends may occur in exchange for flex days off. Carlsbad has a population of approximately 32,000 people and is a hub for potash mining, petroleum production, and tourism.

Government housing will be provided at the Guadalupe District Administrative site in Queen, NM, at no cost to the participant. The bunkhouse has four potentially shared bedrooms, four bathrooms, equipped kitchen, tv, wi-fi, and laundry. Housing requires ascending 3 steps to the porch. Groceries and services are about a 50 mile drive from housing. No guests and no pets are allowed. It is about a 100 foot walk from housing to the primary office work site. A personal vehicle is required for personal errands and for exploring the area independently during time off. Housing is located 50 minutes from the nearest town, Carlsbad.

Our Commitment:

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. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Time Requirements:

• Service schedules may vary and will be determined to meet host site project needs. Regardless of days worked, a half hour lunch break will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service
• Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.

Orientation and Training:

• Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
• Host site will provide job-specific skills training.

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.

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 reasonable accommodations due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.