Start/End Dates: November 3,  2023 – November 2024

Compensation: $475 per week + housing on park grounds

Application Due: October 8, 2023

The Golden Gate Internship Program seeks to engage ethnically and racially diverse young professionals in natural resource careers.

* A personal vehicle is required for this position.

Please Apply Here

Position Description: 

The aquatic ecology intern will be working in the Natural Resource Division of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area helping support staff with resource management actions and monitoring of our various freshwater and marine resources.  Primary activities for this internship include:

• Restoration project support (e.g., preconstruction surveys for wildlife, assistance with fish and wildlife translocation, winter 2024 wetland planting)
• Winter amphibian breeding surveys
• Western pond turtle monitoring (trapping, Spring 2024 nest surveys)
• Herp camera trap support (image processing, identification, and management)
• Salmonid monitoring and habitat mapping support
• Fisheries monitoring
• eDNA water sample collection 
• Streamflow and groundwater monitoring support (low flow WQ monitoring)
• Physical habitat survey support (e.g., topographic surveys of beaches, streams, and wetlands)
• Data and electronic file management
• Equipment maintenance
• Public outreach support (providing information about pertinent aquatic resource activities)

Intern activities would generally involve working with staff to conduct activities.  Other activities would involve independent work following training.  Part of the internship (approx. 10% of time) will be cross-disciplinary work on other Natural Resource Division projects. The intern would have opportunities to assist other interns or staff to gain experience in other resource management activities.  There will also be time to initiate and complete special projects depending upon the interests of the intern.

Work Products:

Key deliverables of the internship 

• Program summaries – Occasional written summaries with photos and graphics of aquatic resource activities
• Data collection – Recording, mapping, and updating work performed in databases and spreadsheets
• Program support – Tool cleaning and maintenance; coordinating schedules and events; attending relevant meetings and trainings regularly

Qualifications:

Required: 

Of most importance are the following:

• A love of nature, outdoor work, and getting your hands wet and dirty.  
• Interest in aquatic restoration and stewardship 
• Must be very comfortable working in water and with handling fish and wildlife
• Energetic, flexible, self-motivated, able to troubleshoot, and a sense of humor 
• Well-organized, self-motivated and ability to work independently 
• Ability to meet deadlines without constant oversight and reminders
• Good verbal and written communication skills 
• Good quantitative skills, basic computer literacy, Microsoft Word and Excel. 
• A valid driver’s license and clean driving record.  
• Must be in good physical condition (ability to carry up to 30 pounds) and enjoy working outside in various weather conditions.
• Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds

Also Desired: 

• The ideal candidate would be working toward a Natural Resource degree or a recent college graduate with same.  Coursework or experience in field data collection, GIS, hydrology/physical science, fisheries, and wildlife ecology would be a plus.  
• Strong commitment to the preservation and protection of native plant and wildlife communities on public lands
• Ability to work in groups and independently and is organized and self-motivated to complete tasks on time
• CPR/First Aid, Wilderness First Aid

Mentoring: The intern will work closely on a day- to- day basis a minimum of 2-3 days a week for the duration of the internship with park staff for mentoring.  On days where the mentor is not accompanying the intern, the mentor will be available via phone or other means of communication.

Learning Goals: 

• Gain natural resource management experience in aquatic resources 
• Increase skills in time management/planning
• Learn about field safety procedures and trip tracking
• Learn about quality assurance measures for data collection
• Learn how to use, diagnose and repair common aquatic resource equipment (e.g., water quality meters, nets)
• Learn about the Park natural resources including flora and fauna, threatened & endangered species, and more
• Participate in professional development opportunities through EFTA and various NPS and outside trainings such as CPR/First Aid, Wilderness First Aid, etc.

EEO StatementEnvironment for the Americas provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.