Maintenance and Natural Resource Individual Placements - Antietam National Battlefield

Job Overview

Title: Maintenance and Natural Resource Management Individual Placements 

Location: Antietam National Battlefield, Sharpsburg, MD 

Positions Available: 2 Internships 

Dates: May 28th, 2024 – November 22nd, 2024 (26 weeks) 

Pay: $600/week 

Status: This is a full-time, temporary 900 hour AmeriCorps National Service position.  

Contact: Questions? Email [email protected] 

How to apply: Apply via the link on this site. A resume and cover letter are required to be considered for this position. Please complete all evaluation questions as needed.  

Appalachian Conservation Corps: 

Our Individual Placement program works to connect young people to conservation service work across Appalachia and neighboring communities in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, DC, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. ACC is a program of Conservation Legacy, a nationwide network of conservation organizations.  

Individual Placements gain hands-on experience at their placement site, and ACC supports them through their term, as well as provides a variety of benefits to help them succeed in achieving their career goals. ACC welcomes national applicants, but also emphasizes the engagement of local individuals who represent the communities in which they serve.   

Position Summary: 

This is a great opportunity to learn more about a career in park maintenance or resource management and land stewardship! The Maintenance and Resource Management Individual Placement is an internship position based at Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg, Maryland. 

The Maintenance and Natural Resource Management Individual Placements will serve directly with National Park Service staff with the Maintenance and Resource Management divisions to complete a wide variety of field projects. The position will be involved primarily with activities related to the maintenance of landscapes throughout the battlefield including the National Cemetery and established warm season grasslands. Interns will use equipment such as mowers, hand trimmers, hand tools and backpack and tank herbicide sprayers to accomplish tasks and will be required to operate passenger vehicles and light trucks. The interns will assist with custodial duties, set-up tear down for special events, invasive and exotic vegetation management, maintaining trails and rebuilding of historic fencing. There may be opportunities to assist with monitoring of meadows and reforestation sites. At times may assist with cultural resource activities such as painting historic tablets, construction scaffolding and cleaning battlefield monuments and headstones. 

Training may be provided in First Aid/CPR, plant identification, herbicide use and safety, landscaping and pruning and other subjects as needed. 

The work involves standing, bending, walking and a moderate amount of physical exertion. Intern may be required to lift items weighing up to 25 pounds in performance of assigned duties.  Most work is performed outdoors where the intern may encounter variable weather conditions and exposure to insects, poison ivy and snakes. Work performed indoors is in an office or workshop setting. 

Housing is NOT provided for this position. 

Benefits:   

• $600/week living stipend, paid bi-weekly    
• $3,447.50 AmeriCorps Segal Education Award upon successful completion of 900 hour service term (award amount varies based on length of commitment and can be used for paying off federal student loans or paying tuition for a Title IV accredited college)   
• Possible student loan forbearance   
• Non-competitive hiring eligibility with the federal government (PLCHA) 
• Member Assistance Program – 3 free sessions of support with a counseling or work-life balance specialist   
• Uniform shirts and other necessary safety equipment is provided   
• On-the-job training   
• Additional subject-specific trainings may be offered   
• Depending upon the academic institution and program, this position may fulfill internship requirements   

• Professional development opportunities (mentorship, resume support, alumni listserv, etc.) and exposure to natural resource career paths   

Required Skills

General Qualifications: 

To qualify, you must be between the ages of 18 and 30, and a US citizen that has received a high school diploma or GED. All offers of employment are conditional upon completion of an acceptable check of the National Sex Offender Public Registry and federal criminal background check. Must be eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award. 

Preferred Qualifications:  

• Possess a valid driver’s license 
• Willingness to work as part of a team 
• Physically capable of field activities (hiking, carrying backpacks and equipment) in adverse conditions (high heat, high humidity, biting insects, rough terrain, inclement weather) 
• Comfortable working in a field and office environment  
• Demonstrated experience working in a field environment 
• Experience working on small teams 
• Familiarity with local plant identification 

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, political affiliation, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, 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 a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.