Environment for the Americas

Start/End Dates: May 25, 2026 – August 10, 2026 (11 weeks)
Compensation: $688 per week
Medical Insurance: Not provided
Application Due: March 1st, 2026

The Latino Heritage Internship Program seeks to engage young professionals in natural resource careers. Applicants must meet the following additional requirements:

• Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident
• Be between the ages of 18 and 30, or up to 35 if a veteran
• Be willing to undergo a background check upon hiring
• Have a valid driver’s license and a good driving record

Note: A personal vehicle is highly recommended for this position.

Position Description

The intern will focus on several key areas:

• Legacy Tree Data Collection – Geolocate, identify, and assess the health of legacy trees on the park landscape. While these trees have been documented previously, they have not been monitored in several years. The intern will ground-truth past data and update the status of legacy trees accordingly.
• Data Organization and Unification – Historical park data on legacy tree locations and health need to be organized and consolidated into a single data management system. The intern will develop a structure, including a GIS component, for mapping tree locations and supporting future monitoring efforts.
• Education and Outreach – The intern will produce introductory educational materials presenting information about legacy trees within the historical context of the park landscape.
• Natural Resource Management – The intern will gain foundational experience in natural resource management through hands-on, field-based learning. This includes exposure to resource inventory and monitoring techniques, data collection standards, and understanding how natural and cultural resource considerations intersect on the park landscape. The intern will participate in routine field tasks alongside staff and develop practical skills applicable to future work in conservation and land management.

Responsibilities

• Collect and update legacy tree data by geolocating, identifying, and assessing tree health across the park
• Ground-truth previously collected data and update the status of legacy trees not monitored in recent years
• Organize and unify historical and current legacy tree data into a single, sustainable data management system
• Develop a GIS-supported structure for mapping tree locations and supporting future monitoring efforts
• Create introductory educational and outreach materials explaining legacy trees within the park’s historical landscape
• Participate in hands-on natural resource management activities, including field-based inventory and monitoring
• Learn and apply NPS data collection, documentation, and resource management standards
• Assist with routine fieldwork and gain exposure to how natural and cultural resource management decisions are made within the NPS

Qualifications

• Relevant majors: Biology, Environmental Science, or related disciplines
• Enjoys working outdoors
• Interested in plants and plant ecology
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Interest in natural resource management, conservation, or land stewardship within a park or public lands setting
• Ability to conduct fieldwork, including walking uneven terrain and working outdoors in varying weather conditions
• Basic experience or coursework in data collection, environmental monitoring, or field research
• Familiarity with or interest in GIS, spatial data, or mapping applications
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail for managing and maintaining datasets
• Ability to synthesize scientific or technical information into educational or outreach materials
• Willingness to learn NPS data standards, monitoring protocols, and resource management processes
• Strong communication skills, including technical writing and verbal communication

Learning Goals

Interns will gain experience in plant identification, tree health monitoring, and GIS mapping using Esri products. They will also receive training in natural resource management, including invasive plant management, and learn how resource management decisions are made within the NPS framework. The internship will develop practical skills applicable to future careers in conservation and land management.

About the Site

Monocacy National Battlefield is located five miles south of Frederick, MD. Summer weather is frequently hot and humid. Grocery stores, shops, and other amenities are within a 10–15-minute drive of the park, located in and around downtown Frederick. The area also offers ample opportunities for hiking and outdoor recreation.

Frederick hosts a variety of community events throughout the summer, including First Saturdays, Alive at Five, and other gatherings. The city is home to a Latino community.

Interns in this program will receive 480 hours toward Public Land Corps (PLC) Hiring Authority. See below for more information.

Public Land Corps Non-Competitive Hiring Authority (PLC)
The Public Land Corps Non-Competitive Hiring Authority is a special hiring authority available to qualifying interns. The intern must be between the ages of 18 and 30 years old, inclusive, or a veteran up to age 35 and complete 640 hours of work on an appropriate conservation project to be eligible for this hiring authority. Upon successful completion of the PLC project(s), the intern is eligible for two years to be hired non-competitively into a federal seasonal, term, or permanent position. The applicant must apply to a PLC-eligible position advertised on USAJobs.gov and selected off a non-competitive certificate of eligibility. For more information, see DOI Personnel Bulletins 11-02 , 12-13, and 17-03.

EEO Statement

Environment for the Americas provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employmentand prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.