Crew Member - Saguaro National Park Diversity Conservation Corps

Start Date: January 6th, 2025 - April 25th, 2025
Compensation: $720 per week, a one time $250 stipend for field gear

Application Due: November 10th, 2024

Saguaro Diversity Conservation Corp seeks to engage ethnically and racially diverse young professionals in natural resource careers. 
You must be

Age 18-30 (35 for veterans)

U.S. Citizen or legal resident 

• A personal vehicle is required for this position.

Read about previous Saguaro Diversity Corp Member’s Experience

Position Description: 

Our diversity conservation corps is seeking young adults from underrepresented communities to conserve the  iconic Saguaro Cactus and other native park life in Saguaro National Park. As Corps members, you’ll drive hands-on projects, preserving the park’s resources for future generations.  

Saguaro National Park, a gem of the National Park Service, is under threat from increasingly frequent droughts and rising temperatures. The saguaro, one of the park’s most iconic features, is particularly vulnerable to buffalo grass and fountain grass, invasive species that increase the risk of wildfires that can cause long-term damage to the park’s environment and contribute to future loss of saguaros. This work will help to mitigate the impacts of climate change and conserve the saguaro cactus. Corps members counter this with conservation actions: to include trail maintenance or restoration, habitat restoration, invasive species removal, historic structure preservation, public structure construction, projects related to deferred maintenance, increasing recreation access, and/or increasing access for visitors with disabilities, monitoring Saguaro cacti, improving wildlife passages  and more. Through regular data collection, the Diversity Conservation Corps tracks Saguaro growth and  adaptation. They also restore riparian areas and enhance wildlife connectivity by modifying fences. Crew members  will receive training in service work as well as herbicide application and Wilderness First Aid. 

Applicants should be aware of the demanding nature of the work, involving daily hikes with temperatures  potentially exceeding 90-degrees. Being physically fit and ready for strenuous fieldwork under  these conditions is essential. Crew Members will be part of a diverse team of six (5) stationed at Saguaro National  Park.

Responsibilities:

Understand the ecological impact of these invasive species

Learn proper removal techniques

Safely remove invasive grasses using appropriate tools and techniques

Follow safety protocols for working in desert environments

Use appropriate personal protective equipment

Understand how to take accurate measurements of Saguaro cacti

Understand the importance of the data for climate change research

Be able to explain the project to park visitors if encountered during work

Qualifications:

Proven hiking, camping expertise, and passion for physical challenges.

Strong team collaboration skills. 

Dedicated to both personal and team

Public Land Corps Non-Competitive Hiring Authority (PLC)

The Public Land Corps Non-Competitive Hiring Authority is a special hiring authority available to qualifying interns. The intern must be between the ages of 18 and 30 years old, inclusive, or a veteran up to age 35 and complete 640 hours of work on an appropriate conservation project to be eligible for this hiring authority. Upon successful completion of the PLC project(s), the intern is eligible for two years to be hired non-competitively into a federal seasonal, term, or permanent position. The applicant must apply to a PLC-eligible position advertised on USAJobs.gov and selected off a non-competitive certificate of eligibility. For more information, see DOI Personnel Bulletins 11-02 , 12-13, and 17-03.

EEO Statement

Environment for the Americas provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.