Position Title: GIS Air and Natural Resources Steward – AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: NPS Air Resources Division, 1 Denver Federal Center, Building 50, Denver, CO 80225

Alternative Service Location: Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Bushkill, PA 18324 (Teleservice possible within commuting distance of NPS site)

Application Due:

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: 10/05/2026
• End Date: 03/19/2027
• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 675-Hour Slot

Purpose:

Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards), a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with AmeriCorps service and career internship 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 NPS GIS office is hosting a cohort of GIS stewards.

Air pollution networks across the United States measure acid rain, deposition of nutrient pollution and metals, haze, and smog. National parks use monitors in these networks to estimate risk from air pollution to the organisms and environments that they protect. However, not every park has a monitor; even parks with monitors are not always able to capture shifting risk across park elevation, microclimates, and plant communities. We want to improve our estimates of risk by improving our models of air pollution and our models of plant growing seasons.

The Air Resources Division (ARD) has 22 full-time staff including scientists, policy experts, engineers, and data analysts. Our mission is to protect air quality in parks and resources that may be harmed by air pollution in parks. We deal with a variety of issues, including pollution effects on lakes and streams, soil, vegetation, wildlife, visibility, and scenic views. ARD staff work remotely in positions around the country and hold weekly and monthly meetings for communication and collaboration. The Steward will participate in these meetings and in ARD projects to learn about how National Parks manage and respond to air pollution.

Description of Duties:

We seek a Steward with experience in different methods of spatial interpolation and modeling to build an ensemble model of air pollution risk. Ideally, the Steward will have previous experience in using R or Python in concert with ArcGIS so that projects can be maintained as new data becomes available. Experience with building and evaluating multivariate spatial models will be necessary.

The bulk of the service for this position will be completed in teleservice using a computer provided by National Park Service. The Steward will work with the Air Resources Division and meet several times a week with a project mentor with expertise in air pollution and ecology but not in GIS.

Requirements:

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• Applicants must be between ages of 18-30 years old, or up to 35 for veteran, based on Public Land Corps Act of 1993 authorizing this AmeriCorps opportunity.
• 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.

Preferred Qualifications

The ideal candidate has completed a bachelor’s degree, preferably in natural sciences or geography. They will be enrolled in or have recently completed a graduate program in natural sciences or geography.

Applicants who have obtained or are pursuing a GIS degree or certificate and/or with GIS experience are preferred. Prior to starting this position, a federal government security background clearance will be required.

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 40 hours per week, 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.

Orientation and Training:

• Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $2,817.14
• Living Allowance of $600 per week.
• Additional Benefit of $280 per week.

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:

Program Contact information: James Gasaway, jgasaway@conservationlegacy.org

Service Site Contact Information: Emmi Felker-Quinn, Emmi_Felker-Quinn@nps.gov

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.