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 valid driver’s license is required for this role.

* Two positions available with the Wildlife Team

Please Apply Here

Position Description: 

This position is located within the Division of Natural Resource (NR) Management and Science with the main goal of providing critical natural resources support for managing, monitoring, and synthesizing natural resources data in the GGNRA.  The internship works closely with park staff and park partners and is roughly 80% field-based (though some weeks may have more office time) with a focus on wildlife monitoring, data collection, data quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC), and volunteer coordination and outreach. The intern will work in a wide variety of habitats and locations ranging from wetlands, coastal scrub, grassland, old-growth redwood and oak/bay laurel woodland, and rocky intertidal shoreline. Survey and monitoring tasks will be defined seasonally and collaboratively with NR Division Staff.

Work Products: Key deliverables of the internship 

• Wildlife management – Conducting various wildlife surveys of threatened and endangered and native wildlife including Western snowy plover, bank swallows, Mission blue butterfly, and California red-legged frog. Assisting in project-related monitoring duties of various wildlife populations and their habitats, including the Marin Headlands coyote monitoring project, a large wildlife camera project, Alcatraz waterbird management and resource monitoring and protection during special -events. By the end of the internship, the intern should be proficient in the various monitoring techniques utilized and will be leading some field- data collection efforts. Intern will be responsible for writing up a data summary for at least one of the monitoring efforts.  
• Data collection – Recording, performing QA/QC, mapping, and updating work collected in databases using MS Access, MS Excel, GPS/GIS; managing equipment and supplies. Intern should become proficient with MS Access database use and ArcGIS computer mapping by the end of the internship.
• Volunteer coordination – Assisting in various outreach efforts with volunteers, planning and leading volunteer events, field safety, and volunteer support. 
• NR Program support – Equipment maintenance and cleaning, including disinfecting of shared equipment; coordinating schedules for field work; attending relevant meetings; and participating in trainings.

Qualifications:

Required: 

• An interest in natural resource management or relevant field.
• Ability to work well in a team or independently; contributes to achieving wildlife management goals; supports efforts of the team. 
• Experience working outdoors, occasionally in inclement weather, able to carry up to 30 lbs. 
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Fluency with basic computer programs (Microsoft Suite) and experience with data collecting/analyzing using GIS applications. 
• Daily driving government fleet vehicles with equipment – valid driver’s license and good driving record.

Desired: 

• Education and/or experience in biological sciences, particularly in wildlife biology, entomology, ornithology, mammalogy, herpetology, field technique, environmental studies, or ecology. 

• Some natural resource management experience.

• Some fluency or willingness to learn data collecting and analyzing programs (GIS, GPS, Avenza, Survey123). May be learned on the job. 

• Work with staff and volunteers from diverse backgrounds who share a common interest in preserving and protecting natural resources and engage in outreach and education with park visitors and community members.

• Good communication skills.

• CPR/First Aid, Wilderness First Aid training.

Mentoring: 

The NR intern will work closely on a day-to-day basis with various team members of the NR and Wildlife teams for at least 3 days a week for the duration of the internship with exposure to various wildlife management needs and experiences. We will pre-schedule meetings early in the internship: initially, to determine key areas where the intern has an interest in gaining experience; and have regular check-ins on how the internship is going.

Learning Goals: 

• Primary goal would be to provide the experience to qualify and be competitive for a biological technician level job.
• Gain natural resource management experience with a range of native wildlife, including threatened and endangered species.
• Learn various sampling and field techniques, project development and implementation. Be proficient enough to lead field surveys for one or two projects by end of internship.

• Monitoring, data collection and organization, and intern will write a summary report for one of the monitoring projects.
• Gain understanding for the unique management situations of wildlife within an urban interface.  

Participate in professional development opportunities through Park Academy Classes and various trainings such as CPR/First Aid, Wilderness First Aid, GIS/GPS, and data analysis tools.

EEO Statement

Environment 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.