Position Summary
Placements will assist Tongass National Forest staff with visitor services at Anan Wildlife Observation Area. This will include greeting outfitters and clients while checking their permits, providing mandatory safety briefings for all guests, and spending time at the bear observation deck to answer visitor questions, provide informal interpretation, and ensure the safety of both visitors and bears. Interns will also collect important visitor and bear data, learning to identify individual brown and black bears for research purposes.
Interns should be available to start on May 25th and able to stay until August 30th. There may be some flexibility with dates, but interns must be available at least through the end of the permit season on August 25th.
During permit season (July 5th to Aug 25th), the crew works eight 10-hour days followed by 6 days off. This is subject to change. A flexible work schedule will be required, which could involve work performed outside of normal work hours, including weekends and/or holidays.
Before and after the permit season, the crew generally works a regular five-day, 8-hour workweek, but this is also subject to change.
Schedule
May 25, 2025 – August 30, 2025
Key Duties and Responsibilities
Interns will ensure that visitors have a positive and meaningful experience by providing educational information, managing crowd flow, and preventing negative bear-human interactions. Other duties include collecting visitor and bear data, maintaining the cleanliness of the facilities, removing contained human waste from the deck outhouse and operating a small skiff boat daily. This position requires physical exertion, including walking long distances over wet and rough terrain while occasionally carrying up to 30 lbs, standing for extended periods, and working in adverse weather conditions.
Marginal Duties
Other duties include trail and campground maintenance, cleaning toilets, painting, and various tasks as needed by other Forest Service departments. Interns will also help by taking photos of bears to expand the bear identification book. For those interested, there may be opportunities to create social media posts or write short articles for the Forest Service public relations team and to answer viewers questions on the Explore.org livestream chat board. Additionally, interns might participate in community outreach and interpretation activities.
Required Qualifications
· This is a rifle/shotgun bearing position – therefore, candidates need to be comfortable handling federal firearms and working around both brown and black bears after receiving USFS bear safety training. Selected candidates will be subject to a drug test after hiring.
· Must be comfortable with public speaking in front of large crowds.
· Must be comfortable on boats. Travel to Anan is a 1.5-hour boat ride from Wrangell. At Anan, candidates will be trained to operate a small skiff boat for daily use.
· Able to handle stressful situations while remaining calm and able to prioritize responsibilities.
· Willing and able to represent the Forest Service in a professional and positive manner.
· Able to write legibly. Please provide a 1-2 page professional resume as an attachment to your SCA application.
This SCA Position is authorized under the Public Land Corps Authority. All participants must be between the ages of 16 and 30, inclusive, or veterans age 35 or younger. Participants must also be a citizen or national of the United States or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States. Hours served can be applied toward the Public Land Corps (PLC) hiring authority.
Preferred Qualifications
· Experience interacting with the public or working in a customer service setting.
· Experience working in outdoor settings under adverse weather conditions.
· Strong interpersonal, oral, listening, and written communication skills.
· Experience collecting data.
Hours
40 per week
Living Accommodations
Participants will spend a portion of their time living remotely in the Anan floathouse, which is a small cabin with 2 bedrooms, a kitchen, and a compost toilet. The remaining time will be spent living in the Forest Service bunkhouse in Wrangell, located adjacent to the ranger station. Both housing situations require sharing a room.
Compensation
$450/week living allowance
$1500 one-time roundtrip travel stipend
$2000 reimbursable duty-related expenses ($500 for personal protective equipment and $1500 for duty travel)
Eligible for AmeriCorps Award of $1,956.35 (Requires 450 hours)
All allowances are subject to applicable federal, state, and local taxes.
Personal Vehicle Information
Not needed
Additional Benefits
Bear Safety
Defensive Drive Training
First Aid/CPR
AmeriCorps: Eligible/Optional
Equal Opportunity Statement
SCA strives to cultivate a work environment that encourages fairness, teamwork, and respect among all staff members. SCA is committed to maintaining a work atmosphere in which people of diverse backgrounds and lifestyles may grow personally and professionally. The Student Conservation Association, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.
Physical requirements and working conditions specific to the position are available in the full job description.