Field Ranger Program

Regional Programs Southern California Program

All about the Field Ranger Program

The Field Ranger Program is an education and skills training program focused on providing diverse Los Angeles County youth with hands-on, employment experience in the Angeles National Forest (ANF). Participants will receive an introduction to a wide range of disciplines and federal careers with the US Forest Service (USFS).

Career exploration will include, but is not limited to, recreation management, engineering, environmental education, habitat restoration, hydrology, public affairs, and wildlife biology. For the 2024 summer season, the Field Ranger Program will be comprised of two (2) crew leads and six (6) Crew Members.

Who can apply?

Youth between the ages of 18-25 are eligible to apply. No previous related work experience is required. Candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

What do Field Rangers do?

Field Rangers will engage in experiential, hands-on learning while working alongside USFS staff. Work tasks may include learning about local ecology, environmental education and interpretation, community outreach and tabling, supporting native habitat restoration efforts, and assisting with recreation management. All participants will build transferable career skills while also supporting the capacity of the USFS workforce across the ANF. To support the growth of all Field Rangers, there will be numerous professional development opportunities such as enrollment in a California Naturalist Course through University of California Extension, and a federal resume building workshop led by USFS staff.

When does this program start?

For Crew Members, the program begins on June 5, 2024, and culminates on August 11, 2024. Their program is 10 weeks long.

For Crew Leads, this program begins on May 8, 2024, and culminates on August 25, 2024. Their program is 16 weeks long.

Each participant is expected to complete the program, from start to finish.

Where does this program take place?

Most work will take place on the Angeles National Forest. Work assignments will vary across multiple locations in the ANF. Participants should have access to reliable transportation and expect to report daily to the Supervisor’s Office (SO) located in Arcadia, CA. The SO is half a mile away (about a 10-minute walk) from the Metro L Line (Gold) Arcadia Station.

Program details

The Field Rangers’ work schedule will be 8 hours a day for 5 days a week. The work week for 2024 will be Wednesday through Sunday. Start times will vary depending on tasks and duties. We will hire six (6) Crew Members and (2) Crew Leads. See table below for more information:

Position	Salary	Timeline
Crew Member	$20/hour	June 5, 2024 – August 11, 2024
Duties (including, but not limited to...)
Six Crew Members will be assigned into two different teams. Crew Members will: Participate in all Field Ranger activities as planned, including educational and field work activities, complete the California Naturalist course which includes a capstone project. Assist in the organization of visitor information delivery and scientific field work, focusing on improving communications to diverse communities visiting the national forest. Provide messaging to the public at high use areas including visitor and educational centers, trail heads, camp sites, day-use areas, OHV areas, and several other locations in the national forest, help with minor site maintenance and report site conditions to Recreation staff. Assist in organizing programs and activities for Latino Conservation Week, developing at least one event in the national forest that will be open to the public. Responsible for creating an event budget and management plan with enough time to promote events. Provide outreach in outdoor safety, Recreate Responsibly, and Leave No Trace principles to the local public during weekends and create activities to communicate messaging. Develop professional relationships with local communities, schools, organizations, public agencies, interest groups, and visitors to help deliver the agency's mission to the public. Support Forest Service staff in all program areas and opportunities to network and learn about various roles within the agency.
Position	Salary	Timeline
Crew Lead	$25/hour	May 08, 2024 – August 25, 2024
Duties (including, but not limited to...)
Two Crew Leads will be responsible for all activities and programs for the entire crew. Each Crew Lead will supervise a 3-person crew. Crew Leads will: Assist in building interpretive programs and create activities to engage the public in topics related to the Angeles National Forest and provide interpretation services at high use areas including visitor and education centers, trail heads, camp sites, day-use areas, OHV areas, and several other locations in the national forest. Provide outreach in outdoor safety, Recreate Responsibly and Leave No Trace principles to the local public during weekends and create activities to communicate messages. Learn and work alongside Forest Service frontline staff and volunteers to build interpretation and recreation messages. Build interpretation materials to communicate topics about local wildlife, native plants, and resources. Co-Lead in organizing programs and activities for Latino Conservation Week, developing at least one event in the national forest open to the public. Responsible for creating an event budget and management plan with enough time to promote events. Facilitate weekly meetings between Forest Service, National Forest Foundation, and Hispanic Access Foundation supervisors and Crew Members to review accomplishments, provide program updates, coordinate transportation, and other project preparations. Collaborate and work closely alongside fellow Crew Lead throughout the duration of the program to provide consistent, organized work schedules, assignments, and projects for the Crew Members. Lead the crew in the participation in all scheduled Field Ranger activities. Morning check-ins with Crew Members by developing a morning journal topic and round-robin discussion to build a positive work environment for the entire crew. Lead tailgate safety sessions each morning before beginning the workday. Close out the day by organizing a check-out process. Monitor Crew Member attendance, ensuring crew is showing up on time and ready to accomplish work duties, responsible in communicating any issues to program Supervisors. Participants will work and communicate with a Hispanic Access Program Associate during the program. They will be expected to participate in scheduled conference calls, webinars, and meetings throughout their term. Participants will capture photos and/or videos for reporting purposes and submit 3-5 blog posts highlighting their experience and development.

How to apply:

Applications and hiring are managed by our partners, the Hispanic Access Foundation.

At this time, we are not accepting applications. Recruitment for the next Field Ranger season will begin in early 2025. Please check back later for more information.

This program is a collaborative effort in partnership with:

Interested in hearing directly from the participants? Check out this blog written by the 2023 Field Ranger cohort!

Contact

For additional information, please contact:

Felipe Lepe, Southern California Program Coordinator, at [email protected].