Job Description

PROGRAM OVERVIEW: American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit dedicated to providing rewarding environmental service opportunities, seeks young adults interested in exploring the Traditional Trades in partnership with the National Park Service. Learn and advance your horticulture and landscape management skills to become the next leaders in managing historic landscapes in our National Parks! For more information on the American Conservation Experience please visit:  www.usaconservation.org

The Traditional Trades Advancement Program-Landscape Stewardship Corps intern will work alongside a talented team at Weir Farm National Historical Park to care for historic landscapes in Wilton, CT learning about plant and cultural landscape management. No background or experience is necessary. A 26-week commitment is required. 

By assisting with cultural landscape preservation projects, participants directly improve the physical conditions of nationally significant park landscapes enjoyed by thousands of visitors each year. Participants gain practical, hands-on experience and the foundation for a career in historic cultural landscape preservation. Learning the fundamentals of landscape preservation and receiving on-the-job training in one or more traditional landscape trades such as horticulture, arboriculture, urban forestry, and more. The program is committed to providing all aspiring preservationists—especially those underrepresented in these fields—with a unique opportunity to work on important real-world projects while building professional experience in America’s national parks.

For more information about the National Park Service’s Traditional Trades Advancement Program (TTAP) – Landscape Stewardship Corps please visit: Landscape Stewardship Corps – Historic Preservation Training Center (U.S. National Park Service)

LOCATION: Weir Farm National Historical Park celebrates the life and work of famous American Impressionist painter J. Alden Weir (1852-1919), through the artist’s home, farm, gardens, and studio. The 68-acre park’s beautiful historic gardens, pond, rolling meadows, temperate forests, and wetlands continue to inspire visitors and artists today.  

The park is in Wilton, Connecticut, about 60 miles north of New York City near Ridgefield and other historic New England towns, which offer extensive educational, cultural, and outdoor recreational opportunities. Medical facilities and schools are excellent, and the area has many restaurants, farmers’ markets, orchards, breweries, and art-fairs. Public transit to the park is not available. A personal vehicle is required for regular commute to Weir Farm National Historical Park. 

For more information about Weir Farm National Historical Park, please visit the NPS website.  

POSITION OVERVIEW: As part of the team, you will play a vital role in historic preservation and landscape improvement projects, working closely with dedicated NPS staff to help preserve this important site for future generations. Under guidance from Weir Farm National Park staff, ACE members will experience the full range of behind-the-scenes preservation and maintenance activities required in managing a nationally significant historic landscape.

• 40 hours a week. Monday – Friday, 6:30AM-3:00PM
• General tree care
• Trails maintenance
• Invasive species management
• Turf management
• Planting, mulching, mowing, weeding, pruning
• Operating landscape equipment
• Other tasks as needed

BENEFITS:

• A weekly stipend of $720, dispersed bi-weekly.
• $1,000 in professional development funds for training, networking, and/or conferences.
• Professional mentorship learning about turf management, arboriculture, and historic preservation.
• Hands-on experience in maintaining sustainable landscapes, including plant care and identification, tree pruning, and much more.
• All expenses paid trip to a week-long professional development event with other Landscape Stewardship Corps interns from NPS sites across the country.
• Career readiness and professional networking opportunities.
• Public Land Corps Hiring Authority certification that can help secure a permanent federal job within the Department of the Interior. Learn more about the Public Land Corps Hiring Authority.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS: TTAP-Landscape Stewardship Corps requires candidates to:

• Learn and work as part of a team in positive and productive ways
• Strictly adhere to NPS and ACE equipment training, certification, and safety protocols 
• Have a strong interest in history, horticulture and/or the environment and working outdoors.
• Participate in NPS’s Landscape Stewardship Corps’ week-long in-person training.
• Be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident 
• Be 18-30 years old at time of service (veterans up to 35 years old)
• Have a High School Diploma/GED
• Pass fingerprint-based FBI, state criminal, and a national sex offender check
• Be able to provide proof of a driver’s license and complete an MVR check
• Local candidates are encouraged to apply, but being local is not required
• To learn more about eligibility requirements, please visit our website https://www.usaconservation.org/epic/#eligibility-requirements.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Caring for historic cultural landscapes in National Parks will require working outdoors for extended periods of time in possibly rough terrain, or in periods of heat or cold.  Insects may bite and wildlife is not always predictable.  Certain landscape tools require manual dexterity, and interns should be able to lift to 50 pounds.  National Parks are public spaces and positive visitor interaction is expected.

How to Apply

1. Resume and cover letter (optional) 
2. Contact information for three professional or academic references

Job Categories: Equal Opportunities. Job Types: Full-Time. Job Tags: conservation. Salaries: 20,000 - 40,000.

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