Ecology Assistant (52 Weeks) - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy • Fort Collins, CO

3d • Onsite

About The Position

This Ecology Assistant is an AmeriCorps position. The Pollinator Ecology Assistant will be implementing natural resource protocols to collect data on pollinator occurrence, relative abundance, and wide variety of (including species of conservation concern such as the Western bumble bee and monarch butterfly), and documenting plant-pollinator interactions to help parks make management decisions to support pollinators. This position will assist the Inventory and Assessment Program (I&A) to meet park natural resource management needs in inventory and monitoring, increase collaboration with partners at Colorado State University, support science communication about I&A natural resource work, and provide support for additional I&A natural resource inventory and database work.

Requirements

• 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 52 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.
• Must be able to projects in outdoor settings, including hiking up to 4-5 miles per day in sunny conditions at elevations up to 12,000 ft.
• A valid driver's license is required.
• A personal vehicle is REQUIRED for this position.

Nice To Haves

• This position is ideally suited for a recent college graduate with an undergraduate or graduate degree in ecology, entomology, biology, zoology, botany, natural resource management, computer science, or related fields with coursework in statistics, computer programming/coding, entomology, and/or plant identification.
• Other levels of education will be considered.
• Required qualifications include the ability to contribute to a team, collaborate to solve problems, projects independently with minimal supervision, collect data following protocols, analyze and translate scientific information, pay attention to detail, and projects in a rugged field setting.
• Experience working outside during the summer months is a must.
• Preferred qualifications include experience in bumble bee identification (especially Colorado species), native plant identification, monarch surveys, statistical analysis, data management and visualization, Microsoft software products, and/or proficiency in R.
• The selected candidate must be available for fieldwork at Rocky Mountain National Park from their anticipated start date through September 30, 2026.
• After September 30, they must move within commuting distance of the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Division office in Fort Collins, Colorado, for the remainder of the position.
• Must be available November 8-11, 2026, for an entomology meeting.

Responsibilities

• Collecting bumble bee, monarch, and vegetation data to support a pollinator inventory at Rocky Mountain National Park (30%)
• Entering and analyzing the data (10%)
• Creating science communication products for the Inventory and Assessment Program (15%)
• Assisting with NPS pollinator database and data visualization projects (30%)
• Other tasks as assigned (15%)
• Collect data on pollinator species presence, abundance, wide variety of, and plant-pollinator interactions in collaboration with the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Division and Colorado State University.
• Complete training in species occurrence, field protocols, bumble bee and monarch identification, and field safety.
• Sample bumble bees and butterflies using non-lethal methods, document bee and butterfly floral associations, take photographs of pollinators for the NPS photo gallery, enter and clean data, perform data analysis, and compile results.
• Complete independent research on competition between monarch and milkweed tussock moth caterpillars at Rocky Mountain NP.
• Assist with ongoing NPS pollinator database projects, which may include compiling and organizing datasets, developing R code to improve database function, and helping generate new ways to visualize NPS pollinator data.
• Produce a report and/or other written materials (e.g. detailed protocols, assisting with writing journal articles), a conference presentation (oral or poster), and other science communication items (e.g. web articles, social media posts, videos, etc.) as a product of their service opportunity.
• Present about their project at the Entomological Society of America Meeting in November 2026 in Columbus, Ohio.
• Collect data on pollinators and plant-pollinator interactions
• Complete an independent research project
• Upload observations to Bumble Bee Watch
• Enter and analyze data
• Photograph pollinators using macrophotography
• Complete an in-depth writing project
• Assist the Pollinator Project Manager with report writing.
• Present their projects at a professional entomology conference.
• Create web articles, a Park Science article, social media posts, interpretive programming or materials, or other science communication deliverables as part of their requirements.

Benefits

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award : $ 7,395.00 upon successful completion of position
• Weekly Living Allowance: $ 700.00 per week, fixed rate
• Relocation Allowance: $ 450.00 (distributed as a one-time lump sum with first paycheck)
• Student Loan Forbearance if applicable (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly)
• Student Loan Interest Payments if applicable (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly)
• Free Healthcare Coverage (opt in)
• Childcare Coverage (opt in)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED