Position Details: 

Stewards Individual Placements, a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. The Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) Program combines the strength of a national leader in conservation service with the National Park Service to train a diverse group of emerging leaders to assist park units in building lasting connections to communities. 

Mammoth Cave National Park’s Volunteers-In-Park’s program has been established for some time and benefits greatly from the work of recurring and event volunteers that have contributed thousands of volunteer hours to the park over the years.  However, the park has additional needs that exceed the park’s current volunteer program capacity. The CVA’s priority will serve under the supervision of the Volunteer Program Coordinator to develop a long-term program management plan to increase capacity and diversify the volunteer base to better represent our underserved communities and to reflect our diverse visitor population. 

The CVA will also assist the Volunteer Program Coordinator in preparing recruitment documents (position descriptions and job hazard analysis forms) for volunteer positions to be advertised via Volunteers.gov, responding to position inquiries, available volunteer opportunities,  assist volunteer supervisors in interviewing and selection of volunteers, and help modernize the program’s recordkeeping strategy, assist with training supervisors and volunteers on the local policy, conduct needs assessment, and recruit for volunteer positions and National Service Day events. 

Site Description: 

Mammoth Cave was established as a national park in 1941. It was later designated a World Heritage Site in 1981 and an International Biosphere Reserve in 1990.  In 2021 the park was certified as a Dark Sky Park by the International Dark Sky Association.  

Mammoth Cave National Park is a park on two levels – 52,830 acres of reclaimed hardwood forest and winding riverways, and below it, the longest known cave system in the world, surveyed at 412 miles to date.  Located within a day’s drive of major population centers, it offers camping, hiking, horseback riding, bicycling, canoeing, picnicking, and cave tours.   

The mission of the Mammoth Cave National Park Service is to preserve, protect, interpret, and study the internationally recognized biological and geologic features and processes associated with the longest known cave system in the world, the park’s diverse forested, karst landscape, the Green and Nolin rivers, and extensive evidence of human history; and to provide and promote public enjoyment, recreation, and understanding. 

The Mammoth Cave area offers dozens of attractions, plentiful accommodations, and ample dining opportunities.  There is a wide variety of recreational and cultural activities in the local communities and a major tourist attraction located just 23 miles away at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY. 

Volunteer Program Overview 

Hundreds of volunteers contribute tens of thousands of hours to Mammoth Cave National Park each year!  

Volunteer opportunities in the park are as diverse and abundant as the natural and cultural resources we protect. From trail building to campground hosting to helping visitors at the visitor center, our volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds and are essential in helping us to complete some of the park's most important projects. 

Volunteers can perform a wide variety of duties that may include conservation and preservation of the cave and cemeteries, building and maintaining trails, monitoring resources, and assisting with administrative tasks.  The time commitment for volunteer work varies from one-day projects to full-time work extending over weeks, months, or years. Both individuals and organized groups are welcome to volunteer.  

The volunteer program at Mammoth Cave National Park will engage volunteers in the preservation, protection, and enhancement of the park’s resources and visitor experience through meaningful experiences across all program areas. 

Position Responsibilities: 

Assist Volunteer Program Coordinator with: 

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• Develop a 5-year volunteer program management strategy that will include identifying park staff to serve as volunteer supervisors, 
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• Assist Volunteer Program Coordinator with training volunteer supervisors and volunteers related to the local volunteer management plan 
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• Conducting a park wide volunteer needs assessment 
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• Creating a modernized/user-friendly volunteer time tracking system 
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• Transition hard-copy records management to cloud-based system 
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• Assist Volunteer Supervisors with: 
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• Updating and creating new position descriptions 
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• Developing volunteer performance evaluation tools  
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• Coordinate, Recruit, and Lead Monthly Volunteer Opportunities/Events” 
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• Coordinate logistics for volunteer projects/events/opportunities through Volunteer.gov  
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• Create narratives for social media accounts. 
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• Learn skills needed for leading trail monitoring/maintenance, litter/tornado debris cleanup, and resource management projects. 
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• Create, recruit, and lead monthly volunteer opportunities. 
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CVA Minimum Requirements: 

The CVA must be friendly, well-mannered, and represent the federal government and the NPS in a favorable manner and will be required to:  

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• Must be available to work on weekends and evenings during volunteer events and special programs. 
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• Be a college graduate or have completed some college coursework. 
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• Must be able to prioritize projects and tasks. 
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• Must be proficient in use of Microsoft Office Applications: Calendars, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Word (creating service descriptions) and Excel (creating, manipulating, and analyzing data), PowerPoint (creating presentations and posters) 
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• Have experience working with the public or volunteers. 
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• Be comfortable working in a variety of environments including office-based and outdoor/field-based work. Project work sites/events may be in the field (trails or forest areas) in a variety of weather conditions.  Some of our projects will require access to the cave system which is dark and can be confining.  
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• Dress appropriately in accordance with the youth agency uniform polices/regulations and be well-groomed. 
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• Conduct themselves in professional and courteous manner, have the capacity to effectively deal with stressful situations, be a team player, and enjoy interaction with the public.  
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• Be able to pass government defensive driver training and motor vehicle history check 
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• Must be over 21 years old or have had license for at least 3 years to be insured in this position. 
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• Drive a government owned vehicle to and from work site locations as well as community and recruiting events.  
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• Successfully pass a federal background investigation to gain access to use of government computers and serve as an AmeriCorps member. 
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• Participate in the CVA National Early Service Training in late March/early April 2024 (date TBD) 
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• Participate in park employee safety training sessions. 
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• Must be comfortable living in a remote area if living in park provided housing. Grocery stores, internet access, and restaurants are on average 30-miles away or more. Wi-Fi connections that appear on devices are slow and very unreliable. Local libraries and businesses provide free Wi-Fi but are around 30 minutes away. 
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• Be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident  
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• Be 18-30 years old at time of service (veterans up to 35 years old) 
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Preferred Qualifications: 

In addition to the requirements, the CVA should be: 

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• Comfortable with frequent interactions and speaking with the public in various situations (one-on-one and with small/large groups) and potentially during media interviews. 
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• Possess a desire to learn about the park and its resources. 
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• Be willing to educate a diverse audience about the park. 
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• Ability to work in indoor, outdoor, and underground (cave) settings for extended periods of time. 
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Additional Information: 

The CVA will participate in CVA Program orientation and may participate in any webinars and/or other courses when available. The CVA may enroll in courses offered through DOI Talent, the Eppley Institute, and other online NPS educational courses.  

The CVA will be provided with opportunities to learn about cultural and historic resources in the park, including: the management, study and stewardship of archaeological sites and historic resources, rotations in GIS, curation, archaeological field work, project assessment, and digitizing historical and cultural documents. 

Opportunities may also be available to participate in training related to caving, paddling (canoe/kayak), rope work (rappelling), and navigation via use of maps, compass, and GIS units. The CVA will be given the opportunity to register for any courses offered to park staff such as: Basic First Aid and Safety, CPR, AED Certifications, Introduction to Swift Water Rescue and Technical Support, Preventative Search and Rescue, and Sawyer when available. Additional training may include USCG approved motorboat operator and utility vehicle training if offered at the park. Any other training that the CVA is interested in and can be useful for their position will be considered if supported by Stewards and Conservation Legacy policy.  

The primary supervisor will also arrange for opportunities to work with or shadowing staff from the Interpretation and Environmental Education Division, Facilities Management, Administration, Science and Resources Management Division, the Cumberland Piedmont Inventory and Monitoring Network, Friends of Mammoth Cave, as well as community partners to expand their knowledge and understanding of the resources. 

The CVA may also work with staff during citizen science projects, alternative spring breaks for colleges and universities, shadowing visiting researchers and various researchers and partners working in the park. 

The CVA will be required to travel within the park to volunteer activities/events/service project sites. Additional activities will include travelling outside the park to local community engagement and recruiting opportunities. The CVA will be required to drive a government owned vehicle for official duties.  

Housing  

The Park will provide housing to the intern at no cost to the intern. Housing assignments are made based on the timing of the housing request and current park housing pandemic plan.  Occupants could be housed in a co-ed/mixed gender housing unit. Occupants will be asked their preference prior to arrival and will be considered when the final housing assignment is made provided there is adequate availability. The Park cannot guarantee all preferences can be accommodated. 

The housing units are multi-occupancy houses and apartments. Capacity limitations will be set based on the current housing covid plan. Occupancy restrictions are subject to change in accordance with CDC guidelines. Any updates to the housing covid policy will be communicated in a timely fashion.  

All housing units are well ventilated with a central heat and air conditioning system.  The water supply in each house unit is from the local water treatment plant and is safe for drinking, cooking, and showering. ***No internet or Wi-Fi is available in park housing. 

Distance needed to travel between park housing and primary work site 

The park’s housing units are located within 10 minutes from administrative offices, the Visitors Center, and several front-country surface trails. These areas can be reached by biking in 3-5 minutes, walking in 5-7 minutes, or by driving in 2-3 minutes.  

A bicycle and helmet can be issued to the CVA to travel back and forth from housing to the office as well as for recreational use if desired. 

This position is not strictly an office-based position, and the CVA may work in various locations around the park and beyond.  Tasks include job shadowing, training, coordinating and leading volunteer events and projects in the field. Locations for duty may range from 3 minutes to 2-hours from housing and can be located on the surface (multi-use trails, Visitors Center, or day-use areas) or underground (along cave trails).  

The housing area is located between 15 - 35 minutes from local communities where limited groceries and household items can be purchased. There are major department stores and grocery stores located approximately 40 minutes away in larger cities with a wider range of options.  

All local communities have at least one restaurant available for daytime and evening dining opportunities, with diverse and international cuisine options. There are multiple recreational opportunities in the local communities and bigger cities as well. 

Due to the remote location of the park, it is required that the CVA have their own vehicle. The CVA will need their own vehicle to travel to purchase groceries and other personal items. Additionally, there are numerous recreational activities located outside of the park that would require driving their personal vehicle to them.  

There has been a strong sense of community among other interns and seasonal staff living in park housing, however, there may be times when occupancy in park housing occupancy is very low.  

Communication: WIFI and Phone Service 

Wi-Fi is not available in housing units. There are public WIFI access locations at the Visitors Center, Headquarters Campground, and Mammoth Lodge as well in the local communities. 

Please note that bandwidth is very limited where Wi-Fi is available. If high speed internet is required for personal use, occupants may drive to a local community to access the computer lab or wireless internet at a public library.  The Edmonson County Public Library is the closest library and is located 9 miles west of the park in Brownsville, Kentucky.  

Cell phone service is limited and varies depending upon location as well as carrier.  Verizon Wireless users typically have the best coverage and service in the park with AT&T being the worst, although all wireless service is spotty and unreliable in many locations within the park. Locations nearest to Insterstate-65 are better, with locations near cave entrances and the river being the worst. A two-way park radio can be checked out when the CVA is working in the field leading volunteer activities/events to radio for help if cell phones are unable to contact emergencies service. 

Landline telephones cable/satellite, and televisions are not provided in housing.  

A landline office phone and laptop with network access will be provided for official duties once the Background Investigation is complete and a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card has been issued.  

Access to Cultural, recreational, educational activities 

Mammoth Cave National Park is a 53,820-acre unit managed by the National Park Service.  Located in the tri-county area of Barren, Edmonson, and Hart Counties, the park is situated among rural farming, forestry, and light industrial communities.  

There are boundless opportunities for the interns in the park and surrounding areas. Within the park, there are numerous front-country and backcountry hiking trails, a multi-use trail for biking, walking, or jogging, a mountain bike trail, campgrounds, and canoeing and kayaking on the Green and Nolin Rivers. The intern will be able to participate in guided cave tours and other interpretive programs in the park that cover a variety of cultural and natural resource topics. 

The intern will be encouraged to join biologists, archaeologists, physical scientists, and others during work activities throughout the park that will include water quality sampling, air quality monitoring, cave historic and archaeological evaluation, bat mist netting, rare plant monitoring, and more. Over several decades, the park’s interpretive rangers have assembled an impressive reference library covering all aspects of the park that will be available to the intern for self-guided learning and research. Outside the park, south-central Kentucky offers a rich heritage of food, drink, music and more. 

Each summer the park’s housing units are occupied by a variety of seasonal employees working in interpretation and maintenance, as well as interns from all park teams. This is a dynamic community that often socializes in the evening. The CVA will be a member of a broader community of interns in the park. These will include interns monitoring bat populations in the park, interns in the interpretation program, and an intern in the park’s volunteer program. 

Benefits: 

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• CVA will receive a weekly stipend of $600  
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• Housing is provided 
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• Limited health care/childcare benefits 
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• The position is eligible for an AmeriCorps Education Award $6,895.00 (pre-tax) upon successful completion of the program 
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• $1,200 in professional development funds for training, networking, conferences, and/or travel.  
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• Networking opportunities within the National Park Service and partnering organizations 
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• Public Land Corps Hiring Authority 
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• Week-long in-person training at NPS site with travel/meal expenses covered. 
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How to Apply 

Please visit Community Volunteer Ambassador (cvainternships.org) to review “Member Positions” by region and find instructions on how to apply.  

The CVA position will start on Monday, January 22nd, 2024, and run for 48 weeks until Friday, December 20th, 2024. Applicants will need to apply here: https://form.jotform.com/StewardsIPP/cva-member-application-winter-2024. Application form requires a resume, cover letter, professional references. 

Please ensure your cover letter addresses how your experience aligns with the CVA program, your experience working with diverse populations, and position details for this park/position. You may submit one application for multiple positions by selecting all sites you are interested in. 

Applications Deadline 

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. First review will occur in early November. Final deadline is Sunday, December 10th, 2023. 

For Application Questions: 

Please contact Geoff Elliot, Program Director at gelliot@conservationlegacy.org 

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, political affiliation, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.