Field Leader - Rock Creek Summer Youth DDOT Trail Crew

This program at Rock Creek Park offers crew members hands-on training in conservation skills and workforce development. In partnership with the SCA and National Park Service staff, participants will complete key conservation projects in various sections of Rock Creek Park, which might include Montrose Park, Piney Branch, Battery Kemble, U.S. Reservation 339, and more. Projects may include trail rehabilitation, erosion control, and invasive species removal. Daily safety briefings will prepare crew members to work confidently in outdoor settings. Benefits include compensation, professional development, green job exploration, SCA gear, and alumni support upon program completion, providing a strong foundation for careers in conservation.

Rock Creek Park

Washington, DC

• This position is primarily in an urban setting where emergency services, public transportation, and cell phone reception are available within 30 minutes . Interactions with members of the public are regular and frequent.
• This position may conduct work in a front country setting where emergency services are accessible, but may be delayed by 1-2 hours. Access to public transportation at work site is limited or not possible. Cell phone reception is limited, spotty, or not available.

June 14, 2027 - August 20, 2027

Scheduled work dates are subject to change.

The Field Leader will guide a team of six DC metro area high school students in a workforce development program focused on natural resource conservation and recreation accessibility. Crew projects include trail building, invasive plant removal, erosion control projects, and conservation-focused activities promoting stewardship, green jobs, and environmental justice. This program also provides environmental education and hands-on experience in topics like forest health, tree biology, citizen science, and natural resource preservation. The Crew Leader will serve as a supervisor, fostering teamwork and managing field tasks, as an advisor, training members in conservation skills and environmental stewardship, as a project manager, coordinating with park partners to ensure project completion, and as an administrator, handling logistics, budgeting, and communication. Additionally, the Crew Leader will transport the crew daily using an SCA rental van after passing required safety checks.

Crew leaders should expect to complete ~3-5 hours/weekly to complete crew leader administration tasks. These tasks may include coding expense receipts, uploading photos from the field, writing incident reports, attending weekly staff check-in meetings, or reviewing member time logs, among other things.

• Must be a college or graduate student enrolled in a U.S.-based institution
• Ability to perform manual, physical labor for up to 8 hours per day, exposed to the elements, and must occasionally lift and/or move 40 pounds or more
• Must be able to attend paid 2 week overnight Crew Leader training
• Must be a minimum of 21 years of age
• US Work Authorization
• Must have a valid driver’s license for 3+ years and pass SCA Motor Vehicle Report standards
• Must be able to meet SCA’s criminal background check standards 

• Experience working with youth or young adults, teaching or environmental education preferred
• Leaders will work in new outdoor environments, being excited and open to new experiences is strongly desired
• Experience working in a team
• Open to learning new skills, more about conservation, and environmental education

40 per week

NO HOUSING PROVIDED - Leader must live local to the DC metro area

Not needed

Driving an SCA motor vehicle is a requirement for this position.

To be able to drive a motor vehicle for the SCA, you must:

• Possess a current and valid driver’s license for the type of vehicle which they are operating.
• Have a minimum of three years of state permitted and licensed driving experience.
• Be a minimum of 21 years old.
• Complete and pass a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) check upon hire (or re-hire) and annually, thereafter.
• Able to complete and pass SCA’s driver training, including both online and behind-the-wheel assessment (commentary) components.

The SCA is an equal opportunity employer. Selection decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and performance, without unlawful discrimination.