Individual Placement- Groundwater Species Survey and Identification

Position Summary 

The individual placement is based at the San Marcos Aquatic Resources Center, with the individual primarily working with the Joint Base San Antonio Groundwater Assessment Team. This specific project is investigating groundwater health and species biodiversity through a three-pronged approach: physical organismal surveys, water quality/chemistry assessments, and species detection using environmental DNA. Wells located on the San Antonio Joint Bases are sampled for all three assessments on a seasonal basis. This internship is focused on collecting water samples, rain fall and well depth data and organismal samples from traps set in the wells. The intern will also sort through samples separate species collected in the physical surveys.

Location 

San Marcos, TX

Schedule 

May 18, 2026 - April 2, 2027

Key Duties and Responsibilities 

• Sort and identify groundwater dwelling invertebrates;
• Use a dissecting scope and imaging software to take pictures of these invertebrates;
• Subsample the invertebrate tissue for downstream analyses;
• Catalog what species were identified, from what location, their collection date, and how many were observed;
• The Individual Placement would have the opportunity to get field experience working on drilled water wells to collect invertebrates;
• Set traps by lowering small containers down a wells and retrieving them a few days later;
• Retrieve set traps and preserve the collected samples;
• Retrieve data from rain gauges and well depth HOBO loggers;
• Gain experience with field data collection;
• There is an opportunity to collect environmental DNA samples from wells.

Marginal Duties 

• The individual will be expected to assist USFWS staff with general station upkeep such as mowing, power washing and picking up trash;
• The individual will have the opportunity to assist with other projects on station including animal husbandry and aquatic field collections.

Required Qualifications 

Drivers license is a requirement. The internship requires using Government provided 4-wheel drive vehicles to access well sites on military lands in San Antonio, Texas.

This SCA Position is authorized under the Public Land Corps Authority. All participants must be between the ages of 16 and 30, inclusive, or veterans age 35 or younger. Participants must also be a citizen or national of the United States or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States. Hours served can be applied toward the Public Land Corps (PLC) hiring authority.

Preferred Qualifications 

Experience collecting data from HOBO loggers and rain gauges is preferred, but not required.

Hours 

40 per week

Living Accommodations 

Housing is not provided.

Compensation  

Living allowance - $600 per week; up to $300 in reimbursable expenses for safety gear and protective clothing

All allowances are subject to applicable federal, state, and local taxes. 

Personal Vehicle Information

Recommended

Additional Benefits 

Defensive Driving Training
AmeriCorps: Not Eligible

Equal Opportunity Statement 

The Student Conservation Association, Inc., is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The SCA strives to cultivate a work environment that encourages fairness, teamwork, and respect among all staff members and is committed to maintaining a work atmosphere where lifestyles may grow personally and professionally.