Continential Divide National Scenic Trail-Native Lands National Trails, GIS and Native Relations Ind
Conservation Legacy
Position Title: Continental Divide National Scenic Trail-Native Lands National Trails, GIS and Native Relations Ind – AmeriCorps
Conservation Legacy Program: Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps
Site Location: Candidates from the following locations encouraged due to opportunities for in person engagement and mentorship with USFS Staff (preferred)
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Central Colorado (with the ability to travel to USFS office)
- Remote (anywhere within 50 miles of the trail centerlines, please refer to Continental Divide National Scenic Trail Map)
Terms of Service:
- Start Date: June 1, 2026
- End Date: May 14, 2026
- AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 1700 hour
Purpose:
Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps
Our vision is to lead our Nations back to ecological and cultural well-being by engaging underrepresented Indigenous youth and young adults in conservation service programs that reconnect participants to the land, their cultural heritage, and their traditions. We work to remove barriers to participation, education, and employment by partnering with local community organizations, agencies, and institutes of higher learning to create paid service and career training opportunities, personal and professional development, and pathways to postsecondary education and employment.
*Ancestral Lands serves local tribal communities in the regions we operate. 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.
Native American, Alaska Native applicants are encouraged to apply
Native Lands, National Trails
Native Lands, National Trails (NLNT) is a project that was created in collaboration with the Partnership for the National Trails System, Native Land Digital, Bureau of Land Management and Ancestral Lands Conservation Corp (ALCC). Now hosted with ALCC, NLNT is an introductory, GIS focused Individual Placement program continues the project work to create and share resources designed to inform the public and help National Trails and their nonprofit organization partners to advance the National Trails System’s knowledge of Indigenous ancestral Lands through partnership and collaboration with Indigenous communities along National Scenic and Historic Trails.
USDA Forest Service – Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
The Continental Divide has been a cultural resource and a connector of communities for thousands of years. As a result of the National System Act of 1968, the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) was congressionally designated as a National Scenic Trail in 1978. The CDT spans 3,100 miles through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana providing access to the Continental Divide landscape and Rocky Mountain communities. The CDT covers 20 National Forests, 4 National Park Service units, and 13 Bureau of Land Management field offices. The CDT is administered by the U.S Forest Service and supported by the national trail partner, the Continental Divide Trail Coalition, both working closely together to promote the nature and purposes of the trail.
“The nature and purposes of the CDNST are to provide for high-quality scenic, primitive hiking and horseback riding opportunities and to conserve natural, historic, and cultural resources along the CDNST corridor”
This includes increasing public access through education such as online mapping, informational trailhead kiosks, junior ranger programs, and supporting gateway communities.
Description of Duties:
This AmeriCorps Individual Placement will work with the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDNST) and associated Indigenous nations of the trail to create a public GIS project that will be hosted on Native Lands, National Trails Resource page. The AmeriCorps Individual Placement will be provided training on Indigenous Data Sovereignty, ethical research practices, GIS and on the National Trails System.
This project will help support the efforts of increasing intentional access to CDT’s cultural, natural, historic and recreational resources through education. This includes inventorying existing kiosk properties and applying learned lessons to new kiosks. Kiosks are structures that provide information to the public. The CDT program is looking towards combining GIS and information sharing, to create a resource that will showcase kiosks along the trail, virtually and physically, with storytelling at the forefront. This long-term project will include working alongside tribes, national forests/district staff, CDTC, and the USFS to showcase CDT Kiosks. This project will include collaborating with tribes to highlight their priorities and working alongside the Forest Service to compile the information.
The project will include geospatial components as the project will develop an asynchronous tool highlighting kiosks on the CDT. This can include ESRI Experience Builder, ArcGIS Online web application and hosted data, and Story Map. This Individual Placement will have access to training and project and education materials related to GIS, National Trails, Indigenous and ethical research practices through NLNT. Research and tribal engagement for data collection and mapping for additional topics may be explored.
Additionally, the Individual Placement will be working closely with the Continental Divide Trail Coalition, who works with communities along the CDT. The CDTC will be hosting another IP, therefore both IPs on the CDT will have the opportunity to collaborate on a joint GIS Product such a CDT Story Map or AGOL Experience. The CDT GIS product may include storytelling along the CDT, highlighting varying stories along the CDT, along with utilizing the NLNT map. Through these projects they will be highlighting indigenous voices and stories on the trail. The internship will provide perspectives that will fortify the purpose of the CDT.
Essential Functions and responsibilities:
- Collaborate in the creation of information kiosks on the CDT.
- Conduct research on kiosk details, which will include identifying potential collaborators
- Conducting outreach to tribal members, USFS and the Continental Divide Trail Coalition. Developing a program of work for the completion of the Kiosks
- Participate in-person meetings with co-collaborators.
- Co-advising on the Kiosk creative design such as information placement, map creation and illustrations.
- Creating and publishing a geospatial tool, such as story maps or ArcGIS Online experience sharing kiosks on the CDT.
- Research the Esri tools and determine a practical tool to showcase kiosks on the CDT.
- Use the information collected from the kiosks development to publish a geospatial product.
- Similar to the physical kiosks, provide a storytelling component to the virtual versions.
- Co-producing a public resource with Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC) Individual Placement that aligns with the purposes of the CDT.
- Participate in the CDT career mentorship program.
- Partner with the CDTC’s individual placement to research current needs for public resources that inform the purposes of the CDT.
- Co-Create a geo-spatial deliverable for the CDT program, the public and CDTC.
Qualifications:
- 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
Our Commitment:
Conservation Legacy is committed to the full consideration of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential job functions. Physical requirements may include periodic overnight travel, non-traditional work 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. The ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.
Time Requirements:
- Typically, this position is expected to serve 06/01/2026 to 05/14/2027, but exact service schedules may vary. 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.
- This position is full time 40 hours a week for 50 weeks.
Orientation and Training:
- Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
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Member will receive an orientation on Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps, Native Lands, National Trails (NLNT) Program and Continental Divide Trail Coalition
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Member will receive training on Defensive Driving via Conservation Legacy
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Member will undergo training from Native Lands National Trails on Indigenous Data Sovereignty, ethical research practices, GIS and on the National Trails System
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Member will receive GIS Training via ESRI on GIS basics, ArcGIS Pro, Managing Geospatial Data, Spatial Analysis and additional course(s) of IP’s interest
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Benefits:
- Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $7,395.00
- Living Allowance of $500 per week.
- Additional Benefit of $300 per week.
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Public Land Corps Hiring Authority (PLC)
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Paid Professional Development Opportunities
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Federal Student Loan forbearance if eligible
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Federal Student Loan Interest Payments if eligible
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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.
Supervisor Name and Contact Information:
ALCC Individual Placement Program Coordinator: Kiana Etsate-Gashytewa kiana@conservationlegacy.org
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.