SCA Alaska

Water in between two cliffs.

The SCA is a national non-profit changing lives through hands-on conservation work in the outdoors. Our program participants protect and restore national parks, marine sanctuaries, cultural landmarks and community green spaces at various locations across the country. After working with the SCA, program participants emerge with increased environmental awareness, social responsibility and leadership skills.

In Alaska, the SCA is working to ensure Alaska Native youth remain connected with their natural resources, culture and heritage by forging youth-focused networks of government agencies, Alaska Native corporations and local organizations.

With more than 325 million acres of public land – more than half of the nation’s wilderness – small populations and vast geographical spaces, collaboration with complementary organizations and programs is critical to creating meaningful opportunities for SCA members.

In recent years, this collaborative effort has achieved a four-fold increase in the number of Alaskan Native teens participating in habitat protection, trail construction, and historic restoration. And with their new-found skills and experience, many program participants go on to work in conservation careers, including with our agency partners particularly eager to bring on diverse, young employees reflective of the community at large.

Key Programs:

Current Opportunities

Ecologist Intern (PO-00735220)
The SCA is seeking an intern for the ecology and wildlife teams on the Chugach National Forest, Prince William Sound management Zone (PWSZ). This is a dynamic program that covers a large landscape with a wide variety of projects. This position will be based out of the Cordova Ranger District in Cordova, Alaska and will be working with the elodea monitoring project. The program includes aquatic plant identification, snorkeling in dry suits to complete transects and data management. Expected dates: May 15, 2023 – October 1, 2023.

Interpretation Ranger Participant (PO-00734236)
The SCA is seeking crew members to work at the Tongass National Forest’s Southeast Alaska Discovery Center. Duties include collecting admissions fees, selling America the Beautiful passes and Forest Service maps, presenting interpretive programs on a variety of Southeast Alaska topics, answering visitor questions, providing conservation education programs to youth, operating audio-visual equipment and assisting with center maintenance, cleaning and special events as necessary. Expected dates: June 5, 2023 – October 15, 2023.

SCA Alaska High School Conservation Crew Member
The SCA is seeking crew members (ages 16-18) for our Alaska High School Conservation Crew to work alongside National Park Service staff to clear the Portage Creek Trail, a historical migration route for the people who lived in the Kijik (Qizhjeh) village. The crew will also build a trailhead in Port Alsworth for the new access to the Tanalian Mountain trail. Members will be flown in from their regional villages to Port Alsworth. The team will camp for the duration of the program and eat meals together. Expected dates: June 12-24, 2023. When applying for the high school youth crew member position, please reference PO#00734838 on the application. Learn more about applying to the SCA’s youth programs here.

National Park Service Alaskans in Parks Internship Program (PO-00734843)
This Program consists of 12-Week Expense-Paid Summer Internships starting with orientation in Anchorage on May 17. These positions focus on opportunities available in such fields as Visitor Services/Interpretation, Wildlife Biology, Fisheries, Trail Work, Backcountry Ranger, Habitat Restoration, Museum Curatorial, Information Technology and more. Positions will have interns working in the field performing tasks that vary from stepping off a float plane to a backcountry field site to collect crucial salmon population data to researching and presenting interpretive programs to park visitors on topics of the intern’s interest.

Alaska Female Fire Corps Teams (PO-00734631)
This 14-week AmeriCorps program is focused on leadership development, completing critical fuels reduction and fire mitigation service projects while building a sense of community. Corps crew members live and work together for the duration of their program. This is considered an entry-level position in wildland fire fighting. Those who apply for this position should be interested in wildland fire fighting as a career. Previous experience is not necessary.

Alaska Corps Member (PO-00734632)
The SCA Alaska Corps is a 14-week AmeriCorps program focused on leadership development, completing trail work projects and building a sense of community.

Tongass-Wide Young Wildlife and Botany Field Research Crew Member (PO-00734050)
Crew members will work with the crew lead to collect field data for the Tongass-Wide Young Growth Studies project, a research-management partnership investigating forestry practices, plant communities, and wildlife habitat in the Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska.

Fisheries Management Intern (PO-00731595)
This intern will work on a project to suppress invasive northern pike (Esox lucius) populations in Hewitt and Whiskey lakes and the Hewitt-Whiskey Creek outlet that connects these lakes to the Yentna River. 

Fishery Technician Intern (PO-00734406)
This position is an immersive experience working in the field of fisheries in remote Alaska. The work and field conditions will be challenging at times, but there will be no shortage of wildlife, breathtaking scenery, and rich culture along the way. In this position, program participants will learn about salmon, freshwater ecology, remote fieldwork, fisheries data collection, boats, bears and Alaskans.

Interpretation Ranger Intern (PO-00734217)
This position integrated into our interpretive program explaining the array of wildlife at Mendenhall Glacier, which is part of the largest National Forest in the United States – the Tongass National Forest. Encompassing nearly 17 million acres, the Tongass makes up 90% of Southeast Alaska and is a land of glaciers, mountains, waterways and thousands of islands separated by straits and channels. 

Recreation Facilities Trails Intern (PO-00734245)
This position helps maintain recreation sites Tongass National Forest. Interns will work with U.S Forest Service staff on various projects throughout the forest. Interns should be prepared to either fly, boat, or travel by train and mostly hike to work sites on a regular basis. The position requires being outdoors in a cool, wet environment plus daily hiking, lifting and carrying heavy loads. 

Recreation Facilities Cabins Intern (PO-00734232)
This position helps maintain recreation sites Tongass National Forest. Interns will work with U.S. Forest Service staff on various projects throughout the forest. Interns should be prepared to either fly, boat, or travel by train and mostly hike to work sites on a regular basis. The position requires being outdoors in a cool, wet environment plus daily hiking, lifting and carrying heavy loads. 

Recreation Technician Intern (PO-00734285)
This position serves as a member of a trails and cabin maintenance team. Placement will assist with the maintenance and repair of system trails and recreation cabins to improve and promote recreational access to National Forest System lands. Interns perform routine maintenance at dispersed recreation sites, including site cleanup and naturalizing. Interns will also collect visitor use data using trail counters and public interviews. Several backcountry camping trips will be required, typically 3 to 4 nights per trip, with the potential of up to 10 consecutive nights. Transportation on boats and possibly small fixed-wing aircraft and/or helicopters will be required. 

Agency partners:

  • U.S. Forest Service 
  • National Park Service
  • Bureau of Land Management 
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  • Alaska State Parks

Leading supporters:

  • Bristol Bay Native Corporation 
  • Alaska Airlines Foundation
  • Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area
  • Chugach Alaska Corporation
  • Koniag, Inc.
  • Mat Su Trails and Parks Foundation
  • National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
  • Rasmuson Foundation

CONTACT INFO

SCA Alaska
725 Christensen Drive, Suite 6
Anchorage, AK 99501

Casandra Foster
Recruiter
(907) 268-5907

Student Conservation Association