Traditional Trades Advancement Program – Flagstaff Area National Monuments

Traditional Trades Advancement Program – Flagstaff Area National Monuments

Summary

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the National Park Service, is seeking TWO members to contribute to historic preservation projects alongside Flagstaff Area National Monuments staff.

The Traditional Trades Advancement Program is intended for enthusiastic individuals who want to gain experience in the fields of historic preservation and horticulture. No education or experience in the field is necessary.

For more information about the National Park Service’s Traditional Trades Advancement Program (TTAP) please visit our website.

For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

Start Date: May/June 2026

Estimated End Date: November/December 2026

*a 26-week minimum commitment is required*

Location Details/Description: Flagstaff Area National Monuments

Wupatki, Sunset Crater Volcano, and Walnut Canyon National Monuments are managed collectively as the Flagstaff Area National Monuments. Together, they protect more than 40,000 acres and 3,000 archeological sites, in a landscape of expansive high deserts, canyons, mountains, mesas, and volcanic features. Look up at Sunset Crater’s cinder cone, down into Walnut Canyon, and out across the Wupatki grasslands to the Painted Desert. How are they connected? At all three monuments, the earth’s geologic past lies exposed, shaped by the violence of volcanic eruptions and by the slow erosion of older rock layers. Within canyon walls and in broad scenic vistas, catch glimpses of the distant past, of ancient seas and sand dunes, and of plants and animals that have adapted to live here today. When Sunset Crater Volcano erupted less than 1000 years ago, there were people here to see it. The event changed their lives and influenced settlement at Wupatki and throughout the region.

The pueblos of Wupatki and the cliff homes of Walnut Canyon contain information that fuels archeological theories and confirms the stories and traditions of present day American Indigenous peoples, who still have strong ties to these places. Visit these sites and experience something of the lives of people here before us-their migrations, living conditions, conflicts, cooperation, ingenuity, achievements, and failings. Preserving and protecting these landscapes, with their variety of natural and cultural components, saves information for future generations.

For more information about Flagstaff Area National Monuments, please visit the NPS website.

Position Overview:

Intern will split their 26 weeks of service between Culture Resources and Facility Maintenance Divisions, depending on work needs and special projects.

For Cultural Resources, interns will work on preserving 800-year-old pueblos and cliff dwellings within Wupatki and Walnut Canyon National Monuments. Work will include assessing structures for deterioration, mixing mortar, applying mortar to eroding joints, resetting loose stones, shaping stones, and contouring water away from masonry units. For the majority of this work, the interns will be working alongside an Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps crew, as well as several NPS Staff members and Interns. In addition to physically working on masonry units at archeological sites, interns will be responsible for documenting all of their work by annotating where they worked on the wall, calculating how much material they used, and writing observations about what could be causing the deterioration to occur. This will enhance mathematics, writing, and reasoning skills.

For Facility Maintenance, interns will work on finishing the reroute of the Lomaki Trail at Wupatki National Monument. Work will include rehabilitating stone curbing to the newly re-routed trail, maintaining 4,300 square feet of newly installed trail which when finished will meet Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) standards, and establishing a 90-foot connector trail between the historic and the newly constructed sections of trail. Additional work will include making improvements to the 45 linear foot Box Canyon Trail by adding 12 check-steps to mitigate ongoing erosion and replacing 45 feet of trail tread with new material. Revegetation work will be applied to 700 square feet of disturbed area after maintenance activities are complete.

This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with professionals. This could include gaining experience in different conservation fields and shadowing different work groups.

Schedule: Monday-Thursday, 6:30am – 5:00pm.

Position Benefits

Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $720/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.

This position is part of the Public Land Corps Hiring Authority: Members serving under this agreement must meet the PLC Eligibility Requirements to be considered for this position. Members may be eligible for a federal hiring authority upon completion of their term of service and 640 hours of service. If the duration of a PLC-eligible term is not long enough for Members to accrue 640 hours of service (~16 weeks), the total hours served at the completion of the term may be eligible to be combined with hours accrued from another PLC-eligible term to meet the 640 hours requirement. PLC projects also include specific eligibility requirements such as age (You must be between the ages of 16 and 30. Some agencies also interpret these guidelines to include veterans up to age 35) and citizenship. Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility, or view general eligibility information on our website.

Housing: ACE members will be accommodated in provided housing at no cost for the duration of the term. Housing will be located at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, just outside of Flagstaff, AZ. Housing is a shared house- interns will have a private bedroom and shared bathroom. No pets or spouses are allowed.

Provided Training/Orientation: ACE members will receive position specific training and an orientation outlining ACE policies and procedures, clear guidance on prohibited activities, and networks for support.

Qualifications

Required:

• Must be a United States Citizen, United States National or Lawful Permanent Resident Alien of the United States as required by U.S. government contracts
• Members must have a High School Diploma or GED.
• Members must be ages 18-30 (up to 35 if a U.S. veteran).
• Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner.
• Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.
• A current and valid form of ID (will be required to provide copies of ID’s upon hiring)
• Members will need a personal vehicle/mode of transportation to get from housing at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument (SUCR) to their service location each day. Work will either be at SUCR or Walnut Canyon National Monument (WACA)
• Willing to undergo and must pass the required criminal history checks
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• ACE Members will need to complete bi-weekly timesheets, beginning of term feedback forms, end of term evaluations and for longer terms, a mid-term evaluation.
• Member may not participate in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service Agreement.
• To learn more about eligibility requirements, please visit our website located on our Indeed homepage.

Preferred:

• Ability and willingness to learn and work independently and collaboratively with a team.
• Deep interest in history, historic preservation, and/or the environment.

Physical Demands, Work Environment and Working Conditions:

• Physical Demands: Requires frequent sitting, standing, walking, hiking, carrying, using hands to handle or feel, reaching with hands and arms, talking and hearing. Manual dexterity required for use of various tools, computer keyboard/mouse and other office equipment. Required to stoop, kneel, climb stairs, and/or crouch.
• Vision Requirements: Requires close, distance, peripheral and depth perception vision as well as the ability to focus.
• Weight Lifted or Force Exerted: Frequently moves up to 15 lbs., ability to move up to 50 pounds.
• Environmental: Outdoor and indoor conditions. Work environment conditions can change frequently, working under adverse weather conditions and in various climates.
• Noise Environment: Moderate to high noise such gas-powered chainsaws, blowers, and other hand and power tools.
• Travel: This position may require domestic travel.

Environmental Conditions/Hazards: The ACE member(s) may encounter environmental conditions/hazards including extreme heat or cold, rocky terrain, swamp or wetland conditions, biting insects, and potentially dangerous wildlife. The member is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as not to endanger self, fellow staff/members or resources.

Vehicle and Equipment Use/Safety: If a vehicle is required for the accomplishment of the duties, one will be provided by the NPS or ACE. Any tools required for the accomplishment of the duties will be provided by the NPS. Use of personal protective equipment (PPE), typically provided by the NPS, will be mandatory for any activity that requires it. Strict adherence to NPS and ACE equipment training, certification and safety protocols is required.

To Apply: Please submit your resume, a cover letter demonstrating your interest and experience, and contact information for three professional/academic references to ACE’s online application page for this position on our website. Early consideration will be given as applications are received. This position may close at any time. If you have any questions regarding this position please feel free to contact ACE EPIC Member Manager, Sabrina Caruso.

If you meet at least 70 percent of the qualifications, we want to hear from you!

ACE participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information when you are enrolled in a program to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

EEO:  Employment or Service with ACE is based upon ability, qualifications, attitude, and job-related factors. Every qualified employee, member, or applicant has the same opportunity for recruitment, hire, training, transfer, promotion, compensation, demotion, termination, benefits, employee activities, and general treatment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, creed, national origin, pregnancy, ancestry, citizenship status, genetic information, veteran or military status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital or parental status, political affiliation, ethnicity, hair texture or style, arrest record, caste, hereditary status, endogamy, or any other classification protected by applicable local, state, or federal law.