| Public Land Name: | Mammoth Cave National Park | | Position Title: | Karst Geoscience Research Assistant | | Position ID Number: | 117 | | Location: | Mammoth Cave, KY | | Position Description: | The primary duty of the GeoCorps participant will be to assist the park in updating and expanding its inventory of caves and karst features in the park. Field work will include locating previously unknown caves, checking recorded locations to determine if caves are present, and recording vital data (GPS locations, hydrology, geologic data, etc.) on entrances to caves. It will also include placing permanent brass markers at cave locations. Office work will include combing records for caves that have not been field checked and entering data concerning caves into park databases and GIS. The selected individual will also have the opportunity to assist with other cave-related and karst hydrology research and education in the park, including water sampling and water quality projects. The exact nature of additional opportunities will depend on when the individual is available and what researchers will be in the field. Individual may also assist with Karst Field Studies, Geoscience-Teachers-in-the-Park and other geology education classes that occur in the park. The individual will work under the supervision of the park’s GIS Specialist and Director of the Mammoth Cave International Center for Science and Learning. Prior to starting this position a government security background clearance will be required. This position is offered through the Geological Society of America's GeoCorps America Program in partnership with the National Park Service’s Geoscientists-in-the-Parks Program. | | Qualifications: | Applicant must have completed at least two years toward an undergraduate degree in geology. Graduate students, graduates, and professionals are also welcome to apply. Coursework related to karst topography, geologic history, geomorphology, or hydrogeology is highly desirable. The applicant should be able to work independently with little supervision, in both the office and in the field. Basic topographic and geologic map reading and GPS orientation skills are required. The applicant must be comfortable hiking cross-country in a forested environment. Experience with caves and caving, while not essential, is preferred. Applicant must have a valid driver’s license and a good driving record. | | Position Dates: | May - November; 12 weeks; dates flexible | | Payment: | $2750; housing provided | | Housing Available: | The park will provide housing at no cost to the participant. Housing will most likely be at the Maple Springs Research Station. Maple Springs is a converted ranger station on the north side of the Green River. Housing will be in a house that will be shared with other interns and researchers. All linens/pillows are the responsibility of the tenant. A full kitchen with cooking supplies is available. The quarters are basic. A personal vehicle will be needed to drive the five miles from Maple Springs to the park offices and into town. | Physical/Natural
Environment: | Mammoth Cave National Park is home to the world’s longest cave. The park is located in the heart of the central Kentucky karst, one of the best studied karst areas in the world. The park contains approximately 53,000 acres of mixed hardwood forests, grasslands, and wetlands. It also houses 24 miles of the Green and Nolin Rivers. Summers in central Kentucky are typically hot and humid. The park is underlain by Mississippian and Pennsylvanian sedimentary rocks, with karst development occurring in several Mississippian Limestones. In addition to the world’s longest cave, the park contains over 400 other recorded caves, varying in size from a few tens of feet to several miles long. | | Work Environment: | The work will involve strenuous physical activity, hiking through forest and undergrowth, hot and humid weather, and working in and assessing caves. The participant will receive training in safe caving and back-country fieldwork. The nearest communities to the park are Cave City, Park City, and Brownsville. These communities have convenience stores, gasoline stations, restaurants, and (in the case of Brownsville and Cave City) groceries. The nearest larger city to the park is Bowling Green, Ky (~50,000 people). The nearest commercial airports are Louisville and Lexington, KY, and Nashville, TN; each is about 100 miles from the park. Participant will work out of the Science and Resource Management office of the park. A park vehicle will be available for field work, but a personal vehicle will be needed for getting town, etc. | | # of current Applicants: | 19 |
If you have questions about the application and selection process, please contact Anny Jones. If you have questions about any aspect of the position — description, qualifications, housing, dates — please contact the primary or secondary contact below:
| | PRIMARY CONTACT INFORMATION | | Contact Name: | Lillian Scoggins | | Title: | GIS Specialist, Mammoth Cave National Park | | Street Address: | P.O. Box 7 | | City/State/Zip: | Mammoth Cave, KY 42259 | | Phone: | 270-758-2149 | | Email: | lillian_scoggins@nps.gov | | Website: | http://www.nps.gov/maca |
| | SECONDARY CONTACT INFORMATION | | Contact Name: | Dr. Rickard Toomey | | Title: | Director, Mammoth Cave Int Ctr Science & Learning | | Street Address: | P.O. Box 7 | | City/State/Zip: | Mammoth Cave, KY 42259 | | Phone: | 270-758-2145 | | Email: | rick_toomey@contractor.nps.gov | | Website: | http://www.nps.gov/maca |
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