American Conservation Experience

American Conservation Experience (ACE) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing rewarding environmental service opportunities that harness the idealism and energy of a volunteer labor force to help restore America’s public lands. ACE is grounded in the philosophy that cooperative labor on meaningful conservation projects fosters cross-cultural understanding and operates on the belief that challenging volunteer service unites people of all backgrounds in common cause. Read More

• About Us
  Offered as an advanced, long-term opportunity to earn significant practical and environmental work experience, AmeriCorps Professional Development Members will spend approximately 3-6 months participating on complex trail construction, forestry, and environmental restoration projects under the guidance of ACE’s most highly skilled staff members. The goal of the position is to accomplish meaningful project work for a variety of agencies while being exposed to various field techniques such as trail construction and maintenance, ecological restoration, dry stone masonry, and Leave-No-Trace principles. As skills develop, it’s expected to remain on a project and cohesive crew long-term to advance ones skills, leading to less project variety in relation.
  
  AmeriCorps Professional Development Members will also gain leadership skills while helping to supervise, train, and generally support current and incoming ACE volunteers and Corps members, who are rotated into new and ongoing long-term projects. All work is physically demanding, often requiring stints in the backcountry and/or extended stays in the field. This position requires hiking, backpacking, camping and cooking outdoors while at front country and wilderness spike camps. Members will also be expected to serve as ambassadors of ACE and citizens of their local community by participating in a volunteer in a local service event at some point during their 6 month term. (see VSP- Volunteer Service Project)
  
  Professional Development Members should have an established interest in conservation issues and should take joy in tackling challenging situations with a positive mindset. Applicants must be willing to undertake arduous physical work in all types of weather and terrain, and to participate as a team member dedicated to ACE’s mission. ACE’s Professional Development Program is meant as a stepping stone to environmental careers and as a gateway to potential advancement within ACE, not only as an interesting and rewarding way to spend several weeks working in beautiful locations. Drug users, including users of marijuana, should not consider applying as ACE reserves the right to require drug testing and absolutely abhors the presence of drug users in our program. ACE intends to be a positive influence and intends to create safe and healthy environments for our members. The culture of alcohol and tobacco use is also restricted from ACE property and not supported by our mission of professionalism and personal development.
• Our Impact
  Projects throughout the season will take place at various locations throughout the United States, based in 4 main headquarters(AZ, CA, UT, NC, TX). All participants must be flexible and willing to be assigned to a variety of locations and for multiple agencies, wherever community need is the highest. Projects awarded to ACE typically vary in length from one week to four months so members should expect varied opportunities during their 12 to 26-week term. Crew members’ project schedule is comprised of multiple short-term ‘hitches’, returning to the same project until completion, and/or to other projects in motion. Flexibility is necessary for locations during days-off, as you will spend days-off in ACE housing locations or days-off 'on-site'
  
  Trainings may include a variety of technical project and outdoor skills such as trail hand tool usage, universal trail building principles such as tread and switchback construction, installing water bars, check dams and other erosion control devices, and GPS use. If technical rock-work projects exist: retaining wall construction, rock step construction, rock drilling, splitting and shaping, setting up rigging systems may be included.