American Conser­va­tion Experi­ence

American Conservation Experience (ACE), founded in Flagstaff/Arizona in 2004, is a non-profit organisation offering opportunities for both American and international corps members, interns and volunteers to gain hands-on conservation work experience as part of different outdoor projects in some of the most beautiful US American national parks, national forests, wildlife refuges and wilderness areas.

Originally formed under the conservation corps model, which is still a central part of the organisation, ACE now provides a range of conservation volunteer programmes and (paid) internships for participants from all over the world who would like to gain environmental service experience and help restore public lands across the United States.

Last but not least, ACE offers various job opportunities that are intended for young professionals with an interest in advancing their career, reaching from ACE summer jobs to long-term job positions with the American Conservation Experience company. American conservation jobs at ACE are an excellent opportunity to gain professional experience in the conservation sector in different parts of the USA, to meet people from all over the world and to see some of the nation's most beautiful places.

American Conservation Experience is grounded in the philosophy that cooperative labour on meaningful conservation and environmental projects fosters cross-cultural understanding and operates on the belief that challenging conservation corps commitment, internships and volunteer service unites people of all backgrounds in common cause.

In the following, you can learn more about ACE’s internship, conservation corps and volunteer programme.

ACE EPIC – Internships in the USA

Interested in outstanding nature reserve and national park internships? ACE EPIC Internships and Fellowships Programme provides recent graduates with hands-on conservation experience opportunities to work alongside and under the guidance of agency mentors and to apply their previously gained knowledge of resource management on actual projects and programmes. ACE EPIC operates in coalition with partners such as the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and others to place interns within the operating structure of these organisations. ACE EPIC programme areas span the spectrum of land management disciplines, including botany, ecology, wildlife and marine biology, archaeology, paleontology, forestry, outreach and education, wilderness monitoring, recreation resource management, etc.
Many ACE EPIC Internship and Fellowship positions have an education award opportunity through the AmeriCorps programme.

ACE Conservation Corps – Conservation Corps in the USA

The ACE conservation corps programme is for US American nationals between the age of 18 and 35, considering land management as a career path or potential course of study. As corps members they serve in professionally supervised teams as they explore future outdoor careers, learn practical field skills, and develop confidence as emerging leaders in the field of conservation. They are given the unique opportunity to work alongside staff from the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the US Forest Service, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and many other stewards of the USA’s public lands. During their 3- to 6-month service terms, corps members are supported with cost of living stipends, food on projects, and free shared housing on off days.
Since 2009, ACE has proudly been involved with the AmeriCorps programme which provides countless opportunities for Americans of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to serve their communities. ACE AmeriCorps programmes take place in Arizona, California, North Carolina, Utah and other states and provide American youth with hands-on job skills training necessary for advancement in outdoor careers.
To become an AmeriCorps member, you need to get registered under My.AmericaCorps.gov.

ACE Conservation Volunteers – Conservation Volunteering in the USA

ACE has emerged as a national leader in recruiting, coordinating, and training national and international volunteers to undertake practical environmental restoration projects in US American national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and other public lands. ACE conservation volunteers come to the USA for a minimum of 6 weeks to serve in small teams on direct service projects for different public and private land management agencies in exchange for food, shared housing, and the chance to gain valuable conservation work experience in some of the USA’s most stunning national parks and wilderness areas – such as the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon or the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

American Conservation Experience Jobs – Frequently Asked Questions

What is a conservation corps?

Do I need any previous conservation experience?

Is there an age limit for working with ACE?

Are there any physical requirements for the ACE jobs?

What are the accommodations during the conservation programme?