Scientists In Parks Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

POSITION DETAILS
Position ID(s): 4526
Position Title: Interpretive Assistant - AmeriCorps
Conservation Legacy Program: Scientists in Parks, Stewards Individual Placements
Site Location: Joshua Tree National Park, Twentynine Palms, California
Number of positions available: 1
TERMS OF SERVICE
Duration: 20 Weeks (not flexible)
Flexible Start Date: Yes
Start Date: 10/05/2026
End Date: 02/22/2027
AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 675 hours - this is the minimum number of hours the selected candidate must serve throughout the duration of their position.
BENEFITS

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award: $ 2,817.00 upon successful completion of position (pre-tax)
• Weekly Living Allowance: $ 775.00 per week, fixed rate (pre-tax)
• Relocation Allowance: $ 450.00 (distributed as a one-time lump sum with first paycheck) (pre-tax)
• Student Loan Forbearance if applicable (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly)
• Student Loan Interest Payments if applicable (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly)

APPLICATION TIMELINE
Preference given to applicants who submit applications before Sunday, June 14, 2026. Applications will be reviewed after the application deadline passes. Positions will close after receiving 60 complete applications, or at 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 14, 2026, whichever occurs first.
KEYWORDS: Volunteer coordination, community engagement, environmental restoration, trail management, resource management
PURPOSE
This Interpretive Assistant is an AmeriCorps position. The SIP will address an important social science component of resource management by increasing community stewardship. When people are offered opportunities to engage directly with a resource, it builds a connection. The JOTR SIP will support natural resource management by expanding the park's capacity to implement projects that address priority needs with the support of volunteers. They will collaborate closely with the Science and Resource Stewardship division and other park programs to plan and facilitate volunteer projects that contribute to data collection, habitat restoration, and resource protection.
A priority initiative for the SIP will be to engage volunteers in large-scale planting efforts in fire-affected areas of the park in fall/winter 2026. The SIP will collaborate with park vegetation program staff to identify dates for planting projects, identify parameters for volunteer involvement, recruit volunteers, lead volunteers in the field, and communicate the impact of this effort to volunteers. Part of this effort will also involve projects in the park's native plant nursery, where nursery staff and volunteers will water, prune, and transplant native seedlings for use in these fire restoration projects. This will involve targeted recruitment to local community members, including biological studies students at local community colleges and environmental clubs of local high schools.
This interdisciplinary position will involve natural and cultural resource stewardship, facilities management, and community engagement, all while maintaining a strong and direct connection to natural resource management needs within the park.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
The Joshua Tree National Park Scientists in Parks participant (SIP) will inspire stewardship the park's gateway community members and visitors through meaningful, educational volunteer service projects that support park resource management and stewardship. They will plan, coordinate, and facilitate volunteer projects including native plant restoration, trail maintenance, rare plant monitoring, citizen scientist wildlife counts, historic structure preservation, and native plant nursery projects.
The SIP will conduct community outreach to share opportunities, better understand community member interests, and understand barriers to volunteerism. Community outreach includes meeting with staff from the local military base, community colleges, libraries, nonprofit organizations, and service groups. It also includes attending relevant community events. These projects will build new and strengthen existing partnerships that expand availability of volunteer opportunities and community support of resource management.
The SIP will collaborate closely with staff to increase volunteer engagement in priority projects and expand public single-day volunteer service events that make volunteerism more attainable. They will also help develop private group service opportunities including service-learning partnerships with schools. The SIP will identify project opportunities with staff, plan and lead resource management projects, evaluate projects for effectiveness, and record data from those projects. They will also manage relevant volunteer data from resource management volunteer projects.
General duties and tasks:

• Collaborate with park staff and partners to identify opportunities for volunteer service projects and facilitate volunteer service projects
• Recruit volunteers for opportunities using volunteer.gov platform, outreach to local community hubs like colleges and libraries, and targeted outreach to community partners via email
• Manage volunteer service agreements for project volunteers
• Lead volunteers in the field for projects including native planting, native nursery plant management, and trail maintenance
• Perform native plant management duties in the park's native plant nursery including pot construction, wire cage construction, irrigation, pruning, transplanting, species labeling, and soil mixing
• Perform native planting duties including digging holes, carrying plants, filling water buckets, removing plants from pots, planting plants, watering plants, and applying cages
• Scout trails service projects by hiking trails to determine visitor traffic and amount of off-trail travel
• Perform trail maintenance duties like lining trail with rocks that weigh 5-20 pounds, using loppers to trim vegetation that obscures trail corridors, and installing route signs
• Maintain tools and equipment used in volunteer projects in safe collaborating condition
• Seek and identify opportunities for community partnerships by attending events, visiting local academic institutions, and performing online research
• Collect and enter volunteer program data including volunteer hours and quantifiable project impacts and success

The SIP will help bridge gaps between Joshua Tree National Park and its gateway communities through outreach and service projects. The person in this position will inspire environmental stewardship in new audiences, expand volunteer engagement, support the protection of park resources, and provide data for park resource management.
DELIVERABLES

• 200 native plants planted through volunteer service
• 200 native seedlings transplanted
• 25 unique volunteers engaged in service projects
• 8 public service projects facilitated
• 5 miles of trails maintained to reduce or eliminate off-trail hiking
• 3 social media posts highlighting volunteer service including fire restoration planting projects, nursery plant management, and trail management
• 1 volunteer newsletters highlighting upcoming volunteer projects and recent volunteer service
• 1 community newsletters sharing upcoming opportunities

QUALIFICATIONS

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien.
• Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of 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.
• Prior to starting the position, agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check for the employer of record, Conservation Legacy, and a separate government security background check for the host site.
• The applicant must be available to participate for the entire 20 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Passionate about public service
• Attention to detail when planning projects, entering data, and writing
• Enjoy collaborating with groups of people
• Experience with outreach or customer service
• Strong public speaking skills
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to hike 6 off-trail miles on field days
• Experience working in desert environments
• Familiarity with Mojave Desert plants
• Available to complete hours on weekends
• Pursuing an associate or bachelor's degree in a scientific study like environmental studies, biology, etc.

ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION
POSITION SETTING
Project environment: Participant will begin and end their day at park headquarters in Twentynine Palms, CA. They will have their own desk, laptop, storage space, project supplies, and project equipment in the volunteer office. The office is shared with their supervisor, the Volunteer Program Coordinator. The typical schedule is expected to be Tuesday - Saturday. Approximately 30% of the projects will be office-based and 70% of the projects will be field-based. Field activities include conducting community outreach and leading projects in the field. Participant must be able to hike 6 miles within 4 hours, be able to lift 25 pounds, be on their feet for the better part of 8 hours, be able to conduct projects outdoors in a desert environment, and bend and stand repeatedly.
Job hazards:

• project requires that the participants use personal protective equipment like gloves and eye protection during volunteer projects
• physical labor like planting and trail maintenance involves the possibility of bruises, muscle strains, cuts, scrapes, and other injuries due to nature of physical outdoor labor
• conducting projects outdoors in the desert involves exposure to environmental hazards like wildlife, venomous wildlife, sharp plants, hazardous terrain, UV exposure
• conducting projects in a National Park involves some level of public interaction and exposure to potentially dangerous visitors and communicable illness
• conducting projects in a National Park involves hazards related to traffic like distracted drivers, collisions, and pedestrian traffic

Basic park info: Joshua Tree National Park protects natural resources brought together by the junction of the Colorado and Mojave Deserts. The Colorado Desert is characterized by stands of ocotillo plants, cholla cactus, and expansive sandy washes. The southern boundary of the Mojave Desert, reaching across the northern part of the park, is the habitat of the park's namesake Joshua tree and features striking monzogranite rock formations.
Local area info: The Morongo Basin communities of Twentynine Palms, Yucca Valley, and Joshua Tree border the northern edge of the park at about 3,000 feet elevation. This semi-rural area is where most staff live. Theres is also a large military base a few miles from park headquarters. The weather is hot in the summer and chilly in the winter, with rare snow and limited precipitation overall. There are several high-quality grocery stores, several big-box hardware stores, a movie theater, dozens of restaurants, two bowling alleys, public parks, community centers, and other amenities that make it easy to serve and live in this area.

HOUSING
Park housing is NOT available. The participant will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area.

Housing in the Morongo Basin communities of Yucca Valley, Twentynine Palms, and Joshua Tree is plentiful and generally more affordable than in other parts of Southern California. One-bedroom apartments typically average $1,200 per month. Lower-cost and shared housing options often available for under $1,000. Applicants may be able to find shared short-term housing with other park staff, including seasonal staff and selected candidate.
VEHICLE AND DRIVERS LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

• Applicant must have a valid driver's license to drive a government vehicle.
• A personal vehicle is REQUIRED for this position.

OUR COMMITMENT
Stewards Individual Placements and Conservation Legacy are 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 Scientists in Parks using the email address at the base of the home page, under "Questions? Contact Us!"
TIME REQUIREMENTS

• This position is expected to serve full time each week, but exact service schedules may vary based on project needs. Lunch breaks and days off will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service hours.
• 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 pertinent project and site training from the host site throughout the term.
• Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
• Access to free professional development webinars led by Conservation Legacy staff.

EVALUATION AND REPORT...