Landscape Stewardship Corps
Join Us! LSC Open PositionsDo you have a passion for the environment, a love of history, and enjoy spending time in the great outdoors?
The Landscape Stewardship Corps, a program of the National Park Service and our partner, American Conservation Experience, places aspiring young conservationists at National Parks nationwide to help care for America's treasured places --cultural landscapes that reveal the diverse stories of our past.
Young people (to age 30 or 35 if a veteran) interested in landscape conservation--especially those interested in horticulture and historic preservation trades—have unique opportunities to work on real-life projects, build professional experience, earn a decent wage, and nurture life-long connections to America's national parks. Through the program, National Park Service gardeners, horticulturists, and arborists mentor and share their trade skills, helping ensure these remarkable places inspire future generations too.
Landscape Stewardship Corps
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Youth and military veterans are invited to join the Landscape Stewardship Corps of the National Park Service. Learn skills, work in amazing places, and preserve our country's historic landscapes.
NPS
Program Overview
Throughout a 26-week immersive experience, Landscape Stewardship Corps participants train and work alongside experienced NPS staff to preserve historic cultural landscapes. Participants learn the fundamentals of landscape preservation and hands-on skills in horticulture, arboriculture, urban forestry, and other landscaping trades. Landscape Stewardship Corps participants will:- Gain foundational skills for a career in landscape preservation and conservation
- Foster lifelong connections to the national parks
- Help care for our nation's treasured places
- Enrich the fields of historic preservation and horticulture with diverse views, experiences, and backgrounds
Who Can Apply
- Youth must be between 18 and 30 years of age.
- Veterans must be between 18 and 35 years of age and possess a DD214 with a discharge status of Honorable or General under Honorable Conditions.
- Participants must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent legal resident.
- No prior landscape or preservation experience is required to be eligible to participate.
How to Apply
LSC positions have varied start dates but typically begin between March and June, with a few positions starting in summer or fall.LSC positions currently accepting applications will be posted on our partner’s webpage.
Applicant's Frequently Asked Questions
No. While you will be mentored by National Park Service employee on National Park Service sites, you will be employed by one of our approved Corps Network partner organizations.
Participants will receive hands-on training opportunities in cultural landscape preservation and conservation while earning a base living allowance equivalent to $18 per hour. Additionally, interns will receive:
- $1,000 professional development funds
- Hands-on training in landscape preservation and historic preservation from NPS professionals
- NPS networking opportunities
- Professional development training
- Public Lands Corps Hiring Authority
Yes. Participants will work an average of 40 hours per week for the 26-week position. These may be five 8-hour days, or 10-hour four day weeks, depending on park staff schedules.
Under the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps initiative, young adults participating in LSC must be between the ages of 18 and 30 years to participate. Veterans qualify up to the age of 35 years of age and must possess a DD214 with a discharge status of Honorable or General under Honorable Conditions. The only other requirements are to have a strong interest in history, horticulture, public land management, historic preservation, and/or the environment, and have enthusiasm to both learn and work hard!
Participants must be comfortable working outside in varying weather conditions and sometimes at heights. Participants must have a willingness to work hard and get dirty. Given the nature of the work, it is important for participants to be realistic about their capabilities and ensure they understand the expectations of the position they apply for.
While there is no guarantee of employment when the program is completed, a program goal program is to support diverse youth in gaining marketable skills in the conservation field —skills that are sought after both private and public sectors, including the National Park Service. Young adults successfully completing the Landscape Stewardship Corps requirements are eligible for Public Lands Corps (PLC) Hiring Authority. This means that they are eligible to receive PLC noncompetitive hiring authority and use it to apply for eligible federal jobs within two years of completing the program.
Contact
Questions? Contact our team at hptc_learning@nps.govTTAP to NPS Success Stories
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Adobe, Ancestry, and the NPS: Learn more about William Chinana TTAP path.
- Locations: Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument, Petersburg National Battlefield
In 2024, Alex Crawford worked as a Traditional Trades Advancement Program (TTAP) Landscape Stewardship Corps (LSC) intern at Medgar & Myrlie Evers Home National Monument. This internship gave him essential skills that led to him becoming a gardener at Petersburg National Battlefield. We caught up with him to hear about his experience, his background, and his work now as an NPS employee.
- Locations: Home Of Franklin D Roosevelt National Historic Site, Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site
Sophie Millar recently worked as a Traditional Trades Advancement Program (TTAP) and TTAP Landscape Stewardship Corps (LSC) intern at the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site and the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site. This experience led her to a NPS position as a gardener at the White House and President's Park. We caught up with her to hear about her experience, her background, and her work now as an NPS employee.
- Offices: Historic Preservation Training Center, Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation, Park Cultural Landscapes Program, Youth Programs
The Traditional Trades Advancement Program-Landscape Stewardship Corps (TTAP-LSC) introduces young people to the trade of preservation maintenance in cultural landscapes. In addition to their hands-on work with parks and resources across the country, participants gathered for a workshop in Baltimore in summer of 2024 to expand their practical skills and strengthen their professional network.
- Locations: Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Hampton National Historic Site, Home Of Franklin D Roosevelt National Historic Site, Hot Springs National Park, Yosemite National Park
- Offices: Historic Preservation Training Center, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation, Youth Programs Division
The Landscape Stewardship Corps, supported by the Inflation Reduction Act and the American Conservation Experience, is composed of 35 interns at 19 National Park sites.
- Locations: El Morro National Monument
- Offices: Historic Preservation Training Center, Youth Programs, Youth Programs Division
Kendrick Nahohai participated in the Traditional Trades Advancement Program and is now an NPS employee. Learn more about his experience going from an internship to a full-time position.
- Locations: Manassas National Battlefield Park
- Offices: Historic Preservation Training Center, Youth Programs Division
Carolyn Currin participated in the Traditional Trades Advancement Program and is now an NPS employee. Learn more about her experience going from an internship to a full-time position.
- Locations: Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Hampton National Historic Site
- Offices: Historic Preservation Training Center
Ben Lammers successfully completed the Traditional Trades Advancement Program and is now an NPS employee. We caught up with him to hear about his experience in TTAP and his transition to the NPS.
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Last updated: January 22, 2025