Conservation Positions

Seasonal Positions Available

US Forest Service
North Zone Wilderness Ranger
1 Half Term Position (6 month full time 900 hours) Seneca Rocks, WV; Morgan Rao Supervisor

Do you enjoy recreating in a Wilderness area? Try serving in four different Wilderness areas! This position is located on the North Zone of the Monongahela National Forest and involves working in Dolly Sods, Roaring Plains, Otter Creek, and Laurel Fork Wilderness areas. The position requires knowledge of and/or interest in the Wilderness Act, trail work, GPS/GIS, field monitoring and protocol, and the passion to work with volunteers and staff to make the Wildernesses a better place to enjoy the great outdoors through education, interpretation, and trail work!

US Forest Service
Restoration Interpreter
1 Half Term Position (6 month full time 900 hours) - Bartow, WV; Morgan Rao Supervisor

The Restoration Interpreter position is designed to deliver personal and non- personal interpretation for the North Zone of Monongahela National Forest and perform other related duties as assigned. The selected AmeriCorps Member will gain valuable communication skills developing and delivering high quality education and interpretive programs, acquire a professional certification as a Certified Interpretive Guide, cultivate their writing abilities, and fine tune their coordination skills. There will also be opportunities to train in other areas of interest, such as recreation, wildlife, fire, or public affairs, for example. Restoration of forest resources will be the focus for working with the public.

Filled Positions

Filled - Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area
Conservation Associate
1 Full Time 3 Month Position (450 hours) - Elkins, WV - Logan Smith, Supervisor

Are you passionate about conservation, community engagement, and heritage tourism? The Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area (AFNHA) is seeking a motivated and enthusiastic AmeriCorps member to serve as a Conservation Associate at our Discovery Center in Elkins, WV.

As an AFNHA Conservation Associate, you’ll play a vital role in supporting our mission to conserve and interpret the region’s rich forest heritage. Your primary focus will be on advancing our Pollinator Initiative, including managing pollinator gardens, developing educational resources, and building partnerships with local organizations. You’ll also contribute to the Appalachian Forest Discovery Center through exhibit development and visitor services.

This position offers a unique opportunity to engage in diverse activities, from conducting conservation workshops and creating outreach materials to coordinating volunteer efforts and supporting AFNHA events. You’ll collaborate with a team of dedicated professionals and AmeriCorps members to implement our National Heritage Area Management Plan and share the stories of our region.  

If you're ready to gain valuable experience in conservation, interpretation, and community development while serving a beautiful and culturally significant region, we encourage you to apply! Help us connect communities to their heritage and promote sustainable tourism in the Appalachian Forest.

Filled - Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge
AmeriCorps Biological Technician
1 Half Term Position (6 month full time 900 hours) Davis, WV; Robert Frank, Supervisor

Serve in an ecosystem called “Little Canada.” Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge is looking for 1 member to serve in a lush deciduous rainforest in the highlands of W.V. This position focuses on wildlife with a wide variety of biological studies duties including monitoring of bats, vernal pools, beaver dams, water quality, threatened and endangered native species, and non-native invasive plant species. Monitoring includes field surveys and the GIS and data duties related to these studies. Members help organize and participate in tree planting and public lands improvement projects. In addition, members conduct outreach events, manage volunteers, help with visitor services, events and school group activities, and provide interpretive walks about the Refuge. Conservation degree with some field work experience expected. Love where you live and join our team in Canaan Valley, WV!

Filled - Cranberry Mountain Nature Center Conservation Education Coordinator
Hillsboro, WV - Diana Stull Spervisor

Spend a year working at the happiest place on the Mon! Cranberry Mountain Nature Center (CMNC) is located on the Gauley Ranger District of the Monongahela National Forest, on a mountain between two cool small towns, Richwood and Marlinton. We are right in the center of many of the unique and interesting things to do in scenic Pocahontas County, West Virginia, and host between 25,000 and 30,000 visitors through our doors, with a great many more on our trails, in a season. CMNC is a very popular visitor center and is known for its great displays and events and friendly atmosphere. This is a wonderful opportunity to do great work at CMNC, including interacting with visitors, planning and carrying out events and programs, assisting conservation education staff with planning and programs.  Your schedule will include some weekends to assist with programs, attend events.

We will provide a well-rounded experience for the member as part of the team that staffs the center and pair them with our zone conservation education specialist to build on our interpretive program at the center, including planning and conducting programs at the center and at schools, campgrounds, events around the area; and also creating temporary and permanent displays at the center and writing programs for some of the unique points of interest we represent; creating programs for local points of interest such as former Mill Point Federal Prison. We will provide the opportunity to assist the nature center director in planning events at the center, such as Cranberry Fun Day, Cranberry Shindig, Scenic Drive Day, and other community events in Richwood where the Gauley District is located and present programs at these events, including Smokey fire prevention and nature-related programs; help select interpretive items for sale in our nature store and help maintain the stock. The member will crosstrain with Heritage Americorps in our archeology program and Americorps working across our forest, assisting them with their projects , and will have opportunities to work with Forest Service employees in their respective programs, such as wildlife, recreation, fisheries, archaeology, and botany.

Filled - Watershed and Fisheries AmeriCorps - Marlinton, WV, Kyle Tasker Supervisor

Do you love to teach the public of the beauty and importance of brook trout, macroinvertebrates, and watershed restoration? Come serve a year with the Monongahela National Forest Watershed team! We focus on outreach and education, with opportunities to be involved with habitat restoration and stream monitoring. A large component of this position will be building upon an established snorkel outreach program to engage youth with stream ecology, fisheries, and watershed health. Additional education and outreach activities will be abundant and include working with school groups, Forest Service events, envirothons, and other public presentations. Planning and orchestrating these events is a critical component of a successful candidate. We have plenty of opportunities to develop social media and manage volunteers.

Our member will be exposed to restoration and monitoring projects. Projects include stream habitat restoration, riparian tree planting, aquatic organism passage improvement (culvert replacement) and road decommissioning to restore watershed hydrology, as well as various stream monitoring and research activities. Data entry and GIS mapping are also likely components of the position.

This position is located in the heart of beautiful Pocahontas County in Marlinton, WV serving with the watershed and fisheries program for the Monongahela National Forest. We are seeking a self-motivating individual with a watershed, fisheries, or similar conservation degree. The position will continue to build upon existing community outreach events, fishing derbies, and other environmental interpretation opportunities within the town of Marlinton. Our member will also have the opportunity to work with state, federal, and local non-profit partners with similar goals.

Filled - Watershed and Fisheries - Bartow, WV, Chad Landress Supervisor

We are seeking a motivated and dedicated individual looking for the opportunity to experience a diverse assortment of opportunities associated with the management of watershed, fisheries, and aquatic resources.  The Monongahela National Forest Watershed Program is actively engaged in conserving, restoring, and enhancing fisheries and the watersheds upon which they depend in the central Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia.  Brook trout and associated cold-water fish communities are the focus of these efforts.  Habitat improvements include stream restoration efforts (e.g., large woody material additions, riparian planting), aquatic organism passage improvement (e.g., culvert replacement), and road decommissioning.  

Duties include watershed and fisheries improvement, monitoring, restoration, and promoting awareness through community outreach and education about the importance of fish, aquatic ecology, and watersheds.  The member will be supported in exploring scientifically based monitoring and research questions.  Additional opportunities and/or requirements to assist other programs (e.g., wildlife, botany, timber, recreation, etc) exist.  

Members have the opportunity to help strengthen communities through environmentally-based public outreach activities that include assisting in the organization of environmental education fairs, delivering presentations to community members, classrooms, and service groups, coordinating hands-on community restoration projects, and staffing public information booths at public events. Members may also promote watershed conservation awareness in K-12 classrooms by developing curricula, and engaging students, teachers, and community members in hands-on restoration projects.  The Monongahela National Forest has a popular stream snorkeling outreach program and it is a large part of the AmeriCorps member’s duties to plan and implement this program.

Filled - Save the Tygart Watershed Association - Phillipi, WV
Upper Tygart Valley River Watershed Outreach Coordinator
Supervisor Kelley Flaherty
1 Full Time 11 1/2 Month Position

Do you love the beauty and recreational potential of the rivers of West Virginia? The Tygart Valley River watershed is both blessed by valuable aquatic resources and plagued by historic and contemporary water quality impairments. The mission of the Save the Tygart Watershed Association is to protect and preserve the water quality of the Tygart Valley River watershed through monitoring, remediation and education. You can join us on our mission by leading the development of watershed-based education and outreach initiatives in our upper reaches. As an Americorps team member with Save the Tygart, you'll work with K-12 groups to lead place-based STEM learning programs and inspire the public to appreciate water quality through aquatic recreation programs. You will also build your skills in mapping and water quality monitoring as we develop conservation partnerships to promote future remediation efforts. We're excited by all of the potential we will have to grow with you as part of our team this year!

Filled - Seneca Rocks Discovery Center (SRDC) - North Zone Interpreter - Pendleton County, Jeremiah Hyslop Supervisor

At 4,863 feet above sea level, Spruce Knob is the highest point in West Virginia. Seneca Rocks is an awe inspiring rock formation and a renowned rock climbing destination. Within the Seneca Rocks Unit of the national recreation area, approximately 80,000 people visit the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center (SRDC), and 40,000 people visit the historic Sites Homestead every year. Fulfilling recreational opportunities abound. The Mountain State is calling you. Come see what it has to offer!

Filled - SRDC & Sites Homestead Interpreter - Pendleton County, Jeremiah Hyslop Supervisor

The purpose of this position is to work closely with the Center Director and Assistant Director to improve and add capacity to the interpretive programs offered at the SRDC and the Sites Homestead. Examples of programs that the selected AmeriCorps Member might be involved in include River Snorkeling, Atlatl throwing, interpreting Appalachian culture, and evening programs at Seneca Shadows campground. Hosting an AmeriCorps member will allow SRDC to offer programs and improve community engagement beyond what it would be capable of through routine staff work. This position will also have opportunities to work with other resource areas, and to train in other fields of interest.

Other duties of the AmeriCorps Member will be to assist in the execution and creation of a long-range interpretive plan, recruiting and training volunteers, and developing a volunteer and/or interpretive training guidebook for the Sites Homestead and/or the SRDC. During the school year, the member will focus on curriculum-based interpretive programs.

Filled - Restoration AmeriCorps - Marlinton, WV, Nancy Adamson Supervisor

Do you want to help restore ecosystems in the central Appalachians? Do you want to teach youth about important forest conservation issues? Then this position is for you! The Monongahela National Forest is looking for a self-motivated AmeriCorps member to collaborate with a variety of partners on landscape-level ecosystem restoration projects. Working with the Botany/Ecology Program Team in and around the South Zone of the Monongahela National Forest, on-going projects include native plantings for pollinators, non-native invasive species management, and education and outreach on plants, pollinators, and watershed management. The Restoration AmeriCorps helps coordinate the Central Appalachian Spruce Restoration Initiative (CASRI) and the West Virginia Cooperative Weed and Pest Management Area (WV- CWPMA) programming, and has opportunities to teach in nearby state parks and schools.

Helpful skills or skills that you can learn while serving include botany, ecology (especially how plants support wildlife), and natural resource management, using ArcGIS applications for field work, data management, and communication (online and with educational outreach). Members have the chance to develop outreach materials, work with other Forest Service programs including Recreation, Watershed, and Wildlife Biology, and may be involved in propagating native plants, collecting seed, and helping to document native plant communities.

FILLED - US Fish and Wildlife Service - Davis, WV
Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program Assistant
1 Full Time 11 1/2 Month Position - Nick Millet, Supervisor

The US Fish and Wildlife Service is looking for a self-driven and motivated AmeriCorps member to implement habitat restoration projects, conduct education and outreach, and monitor water quality for the benefit of Federal Trust Species. This individual will serve on a team and be on the front lines of restoration and recovery efforts for over 30 Federally Threatened and Endangered Species in West Virginia. Focal species include but are not limited to; crayfish, freshwater mussels, pollinators, and forest song birds. Expect rigorous field days in a variety of terrain and weather conditions, along with office time for data entry and analysis. Members will benefit from countless networking opportunities with professional partners in other federal and state agencies, and with non-profit organizations. These positions offer a housing stipend of $500 per month in addition to the standard cost of living allowance, and if members complete two full year service terms, they will be eligible for a $2,000 bonus at the end of the second year.

The location of the West Virginia Field Office which is co-located with the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center in Davis, WV. Canaan Valley is not only home to the National Wildlife Refuge, but is also surrounded on all sides by two WV State Parks, the Monongahela National Forest, and the Dolly Sods and Roaring Plains National Wilderness areas. It is hosts three ski resorts, hundreds of miles of hiking trails, and the headwaters of the Blackwater River that provide endless fishing, kayaking, and wildlife viewing opportunities. Elkins, WV and Oakland, MD have larger populations and are within an hour drive east or west of Canaan Valley and provide additional conveniences for dinning, shopping, and housing.

Experience is not a pre-requisite but members should be comfortable and willing to work in and around water (wading, canoeing, kayaking, etc.), operate power tools such as bladed weed eaters and chainsaws, and willing to do in adverse weather conditions on remote terrain. Although part of a habitat restoration team, members will at times be expected work on their own with integrity and make sound decisions in the absence of supervision. The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program prides itself on a strong and respectful working relationship with private landowners. Honest and outgoing interpersonal skills are critical for successful performance in this position.

Filled - Yew Mountain Center
Community Outreach Coordinator
1 Half Term Position (6 month full time 900 hours) - Hillsboro, WV; Erica Marks Supervisor

The Yew Mountain Center was founded in 2016. We are seeking a member to help with our educational initiatives around stewardship of the land and expansion of the Mountain Medicine Trail network to improve rural agricultural based businesses Good oral and written communication skills are necessary as the position requires supporting and developing new community partnerships. Ability to navigate social media for marketing and publicity purposes is a plus. This member should be able to work with a team, take initiative, and follow through with minimal supervision. A successful candidate will enjoy working outdoors. Knowledge of Appalachian ecology would be helpful but not a requirement. Find out more about our organization here: https://www.yewmountain.org/