| SPONSORS/PARTNERS |
|---|
 GSA Foundation GeoCorps Fund |
 National Park Service Geologic Resources Division see participating parks |
 USDA Forest Service see participating forests |
 Bureau of Land Management see participating lands |
 The ENVIRON Foundation |
 American Geological Institute |
 American Institute of Professional Geologists |
 Help support GeoCorps America! Please donate to the GSA Foundation. |
GeoCorps™ America
About GeoCorps
GeoCorps Program Facts
- Temporary paid summer positions (3 months) working on National Parks, National Forests, & BLM lands .
- Geoscience professionals, retirees, and college students are eligible to apply .
- Positions are available in a wide variety of geoscience fields.
- GeoCorps participants receive a $2,500 living stipend, plus on-site housing or an additional housing allowance if housing is not provided.
- Positions are announced every December and applications are sent to GSA by February.
- Applicants MUST be a member of GSA to apply. Not a member? Join GSA Now!
- Participants are chosen through a competitive selection process.
- Finalists are interviewed by phone and selected by the supervisor who will manage position on site.
- Position offers are made by the Park/Forest/BLM in March.
- Click here to see a GeoCorps program calendar of annual events.
Example Positions
Examples of GeoCorps projects/positions:
- Excavate and prepare fossil specimens for museums
- Develop and present educational programs to park visitors
- Conduct stream surveys and watershed assessments
- Monitor glacier movement
- Assess soil compaction, trail conditions, erosion, and sedimentation
- Landslide mapping and hazards assessment
- Karst mapping
- Read Field Stories from past participants for more example projects, and pictures.
Program Description
Through the GeoCorps America Program, GSA places all levels of geoscientists — college students, professionals, and retirees — in temporary summer positions with the National Parks Service, BLM, and the USDA Forest Service. Land managers send position descriptions to GSA, GSA posts the positions and recruits applicants through the GSA web site, a committee screens applicants for those who qualify, and supervisors interview top candidates by phone and make the final selection. Participants receive a living stipend and on-site housing (or housing allowance) during their geoscience project assignment.
The GeoCorps program dates back to 1997 when, through a partnership with the National Parks Service’s Geologist-In-the-Parks Program, GSA placed two college-level students in summer internships in the national parks. By the year 2000, the program was redesigned and renamed the GeoCorps™ America Program. Since then, the number of geoscience projects has steadily increased across the US.
GeoCorps Program Goals
The goals of the GeoCorps program are to:
- Increase the number of geoscientists to conduct education, research, and resource management projects on America's public lands;
- Enhance resource managers' and policy makers' geoscience knowledge, so that better decisions will be made regarding the management of natural resources and mitigation of geological hazards;
- Provide hands-on geoscience experience and internships for students who are working toward careers in industry, academia, or land management;
- Offer seasoned geoscientists the opportunity to share their knowledge with land managers and assist with on-the-ground projects.
- Raise the public's knowledge and awareness of the value of geoscience resources on public lands;
- Instill a public land ethic in current and future generations of geoscientists by having the opportunity to learn and understand federal land management;
Importance of the GeoCorps Program
The need for geoscience expertise on America's National Parks, National Forests, and BLM lands is great. Geoscience is not adequately addressed in education, resource management, geological hazards mitigation, and research. The Geological Society of America, through the GeoCorps program, strives to increase the number of geoscientists on-the-ground assisting with public land management and protection of geologic resources.
List of Participants and Locations
Read Field Stories from geoscientists who have participated in the GeoCorps program in the past.
Note: There may be more than one position in a location listed below.
| Year | Total # of participants |
National Parks | National Forests | Geoscience Companies |
BLM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 38 | 24 | 12 | 2 | |
| 2004 | 23 | 12 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 38 | 20 | 15 | 3 | |
| 2002 | 34 | 20 | 14 | ||
| 2001 | 32 | 24 | 8 | ||
| 2000 | 16 | 12 | 4 | ||
| 1999 | 10 | 10 | |||
| 1998 | 6 | 6 | |||
| 1997 | 2 | 2 |