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 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 2025 summer season, the Field Ranger Program will be comprised of two (2) Crew Leads and eight (8) 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 4, 2025, and culminates on August 10, 2025. Their program is 10 weeks long.

For Crew Leads, this program begins on May 7, 2025, and culminates on August 24, 2025. 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 2025 will be Wednesday through Sunday. Start times will vary depending on tasks and duties. We will hire eight (8) Crew Members and (2) Crew Leads. See table below for more information:

Position	Salary	Timeline
Crew Member	$20/hour	June 4, 2025 – August 10, 2025
Responsibilities (including, but not limited to...)
Ten 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 including a capstone project. Assist in the organization of visitor information delivery, focusing on improving communications to diverse communities visiting the national forest. Deliver educational messages 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 National Forest Week, collaborate with fellow Crew Members to develop at least one event in the national forest open to the public. Provide outreach in outdoor safety, Recreate Responsibly, and Leave No Trace principles to the local public during weekends and create educational activities to communicate messages. Learn and work alongside USDA Forest Service frontline staff and volunteers to build interpretation and recreation messages. Develop professional relationships, networking with local communities, schools, organizations, public agencies, interest groups, and visitors to help deliver the agency's mission to the public.
Position	Salary	Timeline
Crew Lead	$25/hour	May 07, 2025 – August 24, 2025
Responsibilities (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 5-person crew. Crew Leads will: Assist in building interpretive activities to engage the public in topics related to the natural and cultural resources of the Angeles National Forest. Deliver interpretation services at high use recreation areas including visitor 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 guidelines, and Leave No Trace principles to the local public during weekends and create activities to communicate messages. Learn and work alongside USDA Forest Service frontline staff and volunteers to build interpretation and recreation messages. Add outreach and accomplishment information and images into the N.I.C.E. (NatureWatch, Interpretation, and Conservation Education) Database every week. Co-Lead in organizing programs and activities for National Forest 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 event(s). Facilitate weekly meetings between USDA Forest Service, National Forest Foundation, and Hispanic Access Foundation supervisors 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-in's with Crew Members by developing a morning journal topic and round-robin discussion to build a positive work environment for entire crew. Lead tailgate safety sessions each morning before beginning the workday. Close out the day by organizing a check-out process. Drive crew in government vehicle to various locations across the national forest and LA County; driving may be 25% of the entire workday. Monitor Crew Member attendance, ensuring crew is showing up on time and ready to accomplish work, responsible in communicating any issues to program Supervisors.

How to apply:

Applications and hiring is managed by our partners, the Hispanic Access Foundation through the MANO Project.

You can review the job postings and submit an application through the links below.

For Crew Leads: CLICK HERE. The application deadline is March 16, 2025.

For Crew Members: CLICK HERE. The application deadline is April 1, 2025.

This program is a collaborative effort in partnership with:

The National Forest Foundation is an equal opportunity employer – meaning, we provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable law. Further, we prohibit discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, promotion, compensation, benefits, training, and termination. We strive to foster a work environment where every individual is respected, valued, and treated fairly. This statement reflects our unwavering dedication to fairness, respect and equality in employment practices and sets the foundation for a positive work environment.

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].