Traditional Trades Advancement Program - Landscape Stewardship Corps - Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park

Traditional Trades Advancement Program - Landscape Stewardship Corps - Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park

Summary
American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the National Park Service, is seeking THREE members to contribute to landscape stewardship and historic preservation projects alongside Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park staff.

The Traditional Trades Advancement Program-Landscape Stewardship Corps 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) - Landscape Stewardship Corps, please visit our website.

For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

Start Date: May 18, 2026
Estimated End Date: November 14, 2026
*a 26-week minimum commitment is required*

Location Details/Description: Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park (Fredericksburg, VA)

Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness, and Spotsylvania, this is America's battleground, where the Civil War roared to its bloody climax. No place more vividly reflects the War's tragic cost in all its forms. A town bombarded and looted. Farms large and small ruined. Refugees by the thousands forced into the countryside. More than 85,000 men wounded; 15,000 killed--most in graves unknown.

For more information, please visit the NPS website. 

Position Overview:  

Members will play a vital role in historic preservation and landscape stewardship projects within the National Cemetery at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park. Working closely with dedicated National Park Service staff, ACE members will assist with repairs to the brick walkway at the cemetery’s main entrance, including rebuilding sections of the brick pathways and contributing to maintenance of the historic drainage system. ACE members will also support headstone cleaning and straightening efforts, address uneven ground throughout the cemetery, and assist with general cultural landscape preservation. Through this work, members will gain hands-on experience in historic landscape maintenance and preservation techniques. Throughout the summer, members will also have opportunities to explore other traditional trades and crafts and shadow NPS professionals in different work groups across the park.

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 through Friday, 7:30AM-4:00PM

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.

Public Land Corps Hiring Authority: Members serving under this agreement 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: Housing is the responsibility of the ACE member and not provided by ACE or the NPS.

Professional Development Stipend: $1,000 of professional development funds will be available to participants for pre-approved uses. 

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. Specific training includes OSHA-10 and Introduction to Preservation Horticulture. 

Qualifications 

Required:

• Members must be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident, 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 valid driver's license and an insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request).

• 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. 

• Members 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 preservation, horticulture, arboriculture, history, 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, including work in a cemetery setting. 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 members 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 Associate Director, Amy Rupp.

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 hired to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

EEO: Employment with ACE is based upon ability, qualifications, attitude, and job-related factors. Every qualified employee 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, creed, sex, gender, national origin, pregnancy, ancestry, citizenship status, genetic information (including of a family member), veteran or military status, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, 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.