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​​​​​​Jobs

We regularly hire 9-month term biological technicians. Check back often for details, or go to the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet website and search for "Nature Preserves".​

Six or nine month full-time Natural Area​ Technician position

  • The Natural Areas Tech Intern assists the Regional Natural Areas Manager with the implementation of management plans on select natural areas owned or managed by the Kentucky Nature Preserves. Extensive statewide travel, including routine and extended overnight travel, may be required. Duties include, but are not limited to, exotic species control, herbicide application, brush/tree removal, trail maintenance and construction, boundary posting, firebreak construction and assisting with fire management as a member of the burn crew.​

    For a more information, qualifications and minimum requirements, please see the 2023 Natural Areas Interim  Announcement​​ .​

Volunteer Opportunities

Would you like to assist in the preservation of Kentucky's finest natural areas? The KNP is looking for volunteers to give us a hand in the field and in the office. Volunteer opportunities are scheduled throughout the year.
Follow us on Facebook FB.png Kentucky Nature Preserves to be informed of upcoming volunteer opportunities .

For more information on how you or your group can help please contact our volunteer coordinator at naturepreserves@ky.gov. Ask to join our volunteer mailing list and you will be contacted for volunteer opportunities across the state!

Preserve Stewards - Reliable volunteers are always needed to serve as our eyes and ears at nature preserves and natural areas across the Commonwealth. These individuals will be responsible for visiting their assigned preserve at least twice a month and filling out reports on the conditions of the preserve - not a bad job!  Additional training will be provided as needed.

Photographers - We are constantly sharing the beauty of our natural areas on our website, publications, reports, social media, and outreach material. We have volunteer opportunities available for photography enthusiasts to provide more material for us to share. This may require some travel, but we have locations all across the state and you can find one near you! The Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves will reserve the rights to all photos. Contact us to learn more.

Group Service Projects - We have areas in 72 counties that could use a lot of help with hiking trail improvement, invasive species removal, trash pick-up, and other large-scale projects. If your scout, church, school, or other civic group wants to spend a day lending a hand please let us know!

Volunteer Naturalist - We have opportunities available for individuals who are interested in learning more about Kentucky's rare plants.  In the field, we need assistants to help us continue to locate and monitor rare plant species. Volunteers should have some plant identification skills and be able to work independently.  At the Frankfort office, we need assistance scanning and organizing images of plants -- a great way to learn them.  Additionally there are many plant collections that need labels so they can be sent to larger herbaria. We also would like to computerize our small herbarium. Some low-level familiarity with computer use is needed for this work.

Data Entry Assistant - If you are interested in learning more about the KY-BAT database and have at least minimal computer skills, we need your help.  Volunteers are needed for a data management assistant at the Frankfort office. This position involves processing and reviewing data with our data management team using spreadsheets and databases. Time commitment would be at least three to four hours per week.


Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet
300 Sower Blvd
Frankfort, KY 40601

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