2008 Internship Opportunities

ACF will fund 18 competitive internship positions for summer 2008. Twelve of these positions are open to the public, and for six of the positions, we will strive for an Alaska preference (description below). The following are a list of host organizations for 2008. Please click on the name of the organization or scroll down to read the position description and learn more about each organization.

Alaska Community Action on Toxics
Alaska Center for the Environment
Alaska Marine Conservation Council
Alaska Transportation Priorities Project
Anchorage Waterways Council
Cook Inletkeeper (Alaska Coal Working Group)
Cook Inletkeeper
Discovery Southeast
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
Kachemak Heritage Land Trust
Sitka Conservation Society
Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition

Alaska Preference Internships
Realizing the importance of providing meaningful employment opportunities for Alaskan youth, ACF is partnering with Alaska Youth for Environmental Action (AYEA), a program of the National Wildlife Federation, to recruit for the following six internship positions. Though these positions are open to applicants from across the nation, a preference will be given to qualified students in and from Alaska, including AYEA graduates, who meet the position requirements.

These positions will draw on an intern's understanding of Alaskan ecosystems, issues, and people where host organizations work collaboratively with Alaska's diverse constituencies, including tribes, fishermen, and business interests. A breadth of experience and range of knowledge in Alaska and Alaska conservation issues will best serve both the intern and the host organization.

Alaska Youth for Environmental Action
Center for Alaska Coastal Studies
Friends of Mat-Su
Juneau Watershed Partnership
Northern Alaska Environmental Center
Southeast Alaska Conservation Council

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Host Organization: Alaska Community Action on Toxics

Title: Environmental Health Researcher and Advocate

Location: Anchorage, AK (with possibility of travel to remote communities)

Description of Organization: ACAT is a statewide environmental health and justice organization founded in 1997 in response to requests from individuals, tribes, and other communities seeking technical assistance because of concerns related to toxic contaminants. ACAT works collaboratively to facilitate environmental justice by holding corporations, the military, and governments accountable for their environmental practices. ACAT helps communities implement effective strategies to limit their exposure to toxic substances and to protect and restore the ecosystems that sustain them and their ways of life. ACAT’s mission is to assure justice by advocating for environmental and community health. We believe everyone has the right to clean air, clean water, and toxic-free food.

Website: www.akaction.org

Intern Assignment: ACAT presents an opportunity to work with a diverse and highly skilled staff, scientists, and health professionals in addressing environmental health and justice issues in Alaska, including impacts from mining, military, and industrial contamination. The intern will work as a team member of a collaborative campaign involving tribes, conservation groups, health professionals, youth, and fishing groups to prevent toxic exposures resulting from industrial and military contamination. The intern will assist with planning and implementation of field research about the environmental and health effects of pesticides/contaminants in Northwest Alaska as part of a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) project.

Duties include:

Researching and preparing fact sheets and reports on environmental health issues
Researching the effects of pesticides and military contaminants on environmental and human health
Implementing community outreach/ educational projects
Writing newsletter articles and environmental health bulletins
Organizing community/ public educational events
Maintaining organic community garden and Anchorage Farmers Market project
Participating in community-based participatory field research program in remote Alaska villages under a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Environmental Justice project grant

Qualifications/Skills/Required Training:

Strong science background and experience with public and/or environmental health and justice issues
Graduate student preferred (with focus in environmental or public health) or advanced undergraduate
Coursework in environmental health, justice, and biological sciences desirable
Excellent research, writing and verbal skills to communicate effectively with the public
Interest in working with people of diverse cultures, conducting scientific investigations, field and environmental health research.

Duration: Twelve weeks, with the potential for an extension of four weeks. Start date between May 15 and June 15, 2008.

Financial Support: This is a paid internship with assistance in finding low-cost housing.

Host Organization: Alaska Center for the Environment

Title: Energy and Communications Coordinator

Location: Anchorage, AK

Description of Organization: Alaska Center for the Environment (ACE) works to enhance Alaskans' quality of life by protecting wild places, fostering sustainable communities, and promoting recreational opportunities. Founded in 1971, ACE works to influence public policy through public education and grassroots mobilization. ACE is supported by 7,000 members and has 12 year-round staff. ACE is a campaign-oriented organization whose programs tackle global warming, energy development and use, public land and marine conservation, and urban sustainability. Alaska Center for the Environment offers a dynamic, team-oriented work environment.

Website: www.akcenter.org

Assignment: The Energy and Communications Intern will work with both conservation program staff and communications staff to promote clean energy in Alaska and communicate to the ACE membership and the public. The intern will be given a primary project to deliver by the end of the internship, as well as several small and medium-scale tasks covering all aspects of conservation advocacy and nonprofit operation. This will include research, writing, grassroots organizing, and web and media development. For example, a past intern researched the scientific literature for evidence of the impacts of off-road vehicles on public lands, while also participating in public meetings, coalition strategy, and organizational events throughout the summer. The intern will learn many facets of conservation advocacy, including issue selection, campaign planning, research, and public education.

Duties include:

Researching energy production issues in Alaska, including coal mining and combustion, and hydro, geothermal, and wind potential
Writing and editing articles, web pages, and action alerts
Web design and content management assistance
Grassroots organizing
Public speaking

Qualifications/Skills/Required Training:

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Writing competency
Computer and website experience
Organized and dependable
Ability to work as part of a team

Duration: Twelve weeks, start date between May 1 and June 15, 2008.

Financial Support: This is a paid internship with assistance in finding low-cost housing.

Host Organization: Alaska Marine Conservation Council

Title: Conservation Intern

Location: Anchorage, AK

Description of Organization: The Alaska Marine Conservation Council (AMCC) is a community-based organization of people working to protect the health and diversity of Alaska’s marine ecosystem. Our members are fishermen, subsistence harvesters, marine scientists, conservationists, small business owners, and families. AMCC is working to protect and restore our marine environment through sustainable fishing practices, habitat protection, and local stewardship. AMCC’s goals are to introduce an intern to locally focused advocacy for the marine environment and the importance of rural coastal communities to ocean stewardship as well as to benefit from the skills and work performed by the intern.

Website: www.akmarine.org

Intern Assignments: The Conservation Intern will work with AMCC staff to research and write background papers, fact sheets, PowerPoint presentations or news articles for coastal Alaska newspapers or assist with specific conservation initiatives on one or more topics: specific fisheries conservation issues; ecological consequences of climate change on marine systems and ocean acidification; application of indigenous knowledge; the impact of corporatization on community fishery economies; and impact of offshore oil and gas development. These articles and background papers will help AMCC's members, decision-makers, and the public better understand unique characteristics of different Alaska marine life and community perspectives as they relate to conservation. The intern will also assist with a community event (e.g., staff an AMCC booth/display and speak directly with the public).

Qualifications/Skills/Required Training:

Background in ecology/biology, economics, communications, or natural history
Excellent communication skills (writing, verbal)
GIS capability valuable, but not required
Self-starter
Academic research skills
Strong interest in marine conservation, community values, and multicultural perspectives

Duration: Three months, start date between May 1 and June 1, 2008

Financial Support: This is a paid internship with assistance in finding low-cost housing.

Host Organization: Alaska Transportation Priorities Project

Title: Online Communications Coordinator

Location: Anchorage, AK

Description of Organization: The Alaska Transportation Priorities Project (ATPP) is a three-year-old coalition of conservation organizations, businesses, and individuals that promotes sensible transportation systems and policies for Alaska. ATPP’s goal is to provide safe, economic, well-maintained, and environmentally appropriate transportation throughout the state. ATPP’s work, which has local, state, and national components, protects Alaska’s wildlands and biodiversity, and supports “smart growth” in urban areas as well as repairing and maintaining existing transportation infrastructure.

With a new state administration in office since December 2006, ATPP has the opportunity to move from a defensive posture to a proactive, more collaborative position to achieve its transportation objectives. ATPP’s current major focus is on preventing two environmentally destructive and fiscally irresponsible proposed projects: the Juneau Road/Ferry project and the Knik Arm Bridge (aka the famous Alaska “Bridge to Nowhere”); stopping these two costly projects is necessary to redirect state transportation decisions to more worthwhile ends.

Website: www.aktransportation.org

Intern Assignment: Interdisciplinary background student wanted with substantial new media capabilities and interest to assist in a transportation-related, public interest campaign. The intern will investigate and use the full-range of new media techniques (YouTube, blogs, social networking sites, etc.) to build national and statewide awareness of, and activism on, the Juneau Road/Ferry project and the Knik Arm “Bridge to Nowhere.” These activities will supplement advocacy work using traditional media outlets, and the work will be supervised by an experienced advocate with a technical background.

Duties include:

Research, writing, website development
Potentially, short video development

Qualifications/Skills/Required Training:

Strong analytical and writing skills
Facility with a wide range of interactive websites
Ability to work independently
Sense of humor
Interest in advocacy
Video capability (not essential, but desirable)
Strongly prefer a junior or senior undergrad or a graduate student

Duration: Twelve weeks, anytime from May through September, 2008

Financial Support: This is a paid internship with assistance in finding low-cost housing.

Host Organization: Alaska Youth for Environmental Action

Title: Green Jobs Intern (This is an Alaska Preference internship.)

Location: Anchorage, AK

Description of Organization: The Alaska Youth for Environmental Action (AYEA) program of the National Wildlife Federation empowers young people to impact vital environmental health and justice issues in Alaska through skills training, community action projects and campaigns, civic engagement opportunities, and career development/placement. Our mission is to inspire, educate and take action on environmental issues facing our communities. Six teenagers founded AYEA in 1998; today it is a statewide program with seven regional chapters and youth participation from hundreds of villages and cities throughout the state.

Website: www.ayea.org

Intern Assignment: Anchorage is home to half our state’s population and—with over ninety-five languages spoken in our school district—the most diverse place in our state. Alaska is experiencing a time of change, moving from a “gray” economy of resource extraction to a “green” economy of renewable energy, tourism, and other sustainable industries. What’s in store for future generations who want to work in this sector and sustain Alaska? Our Green Jobs intern will research and develop an inventory of sustainable employment, career development, and training opportunities for Anchorage high school graduates, and identify additional civic engagement opportunities for diverse urban youth populations through strategic partnerships. The intern will pilot resources and training with young adults through existing projects like the Youth Employment in Parks (YEP) program and annual Summer Institute.

Duties include:

Developing training and career development resources for Alaskan youth
Interviewing and communicating with environmental/conservation organizations, agencies, unions, and businesses in Anchorage to assess green job opportunities/training
Creating written resources for AYEA to be published on our website
Spending time with diverse Anchorage teens/graduates piloting resources
Collaborating with a team of fun, energetic AYEA interns and staff all summer

Qualifications/Skills/Required Training:

Must be able to relate to diverse cultural/ethnic/racial backgrounds in our state; preference will be given to graduates of the AYEA program.
Currently enrolled in university/college/vocational program; HS diploma required
Interest in green business, union/trade apprenticeships, job training programs
Strong research and written/oral communication skills
Background/interest in environmental health, conservation, justice issues in Alaska
Background/experience working with teens

Duration: Twelve weeks, start date between May 5 and 15, 2008 and end date between August 5 and 15, 2008

Financial Support: This is a paid internship with assistance in finding low-cost housing.

Host Organization: Anchorage Waterways Council

Title: Watershed Scientist

Location: Anchorage, AK

Description of Organization: The Anchorage Waterways Council has been protecting, restoring, and enhancing the creeks and wetlands of Anchorage for the last twenty three years. We use solid science, community partnerships, and volunteer programs to accomplish our mission.

Website: www.AnchorageCreeks.org

Intern Assignment: The Little Campbell Creek Rescue Program of the AWC was begun in 2005 in response to several fish kill events on Little Campbell Creek. The program has included projects designed to educate the community about how to best protect their creeks, to create wetland habitat areas connected to the creek to serve as a refuge from poor water quality conditions, and to work with local city officials to enhance stormwater maintenance procedures and policies. The selected candidate will work with AWC scientists and volunteers to continue this program through these existing projects. Community outreach, water quality monitoring, and restoration efforts will all be involved in this assignment.

Duties include:

Preparation of outreach materials, including brochures
Direct communication with residents and businesses along the creek
Perform water quality monitoring
Organize volunteers
Compilation of data
Working with business partners to identify stormwater management solutions, Best Management Practices.

Qualifications/Skills/Required Training:

Strong communication and interpersonal skills
Computer competency
An interest in watershed science
Background in ecology, biology, watersheds, or natural history
Able to work both independently and as a part of a team
Ability to communicate effectively to diverse groups

Duration: Twelve weeks, start date between May 5, 2008 and August 29, 2008.

Financial Support: This is a paid internship with assistance in finding low-cost housing.

Host Organization: Center for Alaska Coastal Studies

Title: Naturalist (This is an Alaska Preference internship.)

Position Location: Homer, Alaska

Description of Organization: The Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies (CACS) is a community-based nonprofit organization with a mission of fostering responsible interactions with our natural surroundings and of generating knowledge of the marine and coastal systems of Kachemak Bay. CACS provides educational, research, and land stewardship programs at three locations: the Peterson Bay Field Station on the semi-remote south shore of Kachemak Bay, the Carl E. Wynn Nature Center (a 140-acre upland preserve outside of Homer), and the in-town Homer Headquarters facility.

Web Site: www.alaskacoastalstudies.org

Intern Assignment: CACS’s goals are to provide the intern with: 1) in-depth knowledge about Alaskan marine and forest ecosystem and local/regional environmental issues, and 2) training and experience in using environmental education skills to inspire and motivate people to preserve and protect Alaska’s and their own home environments.

Duties Include:

Receive training and mentorship in local and regional marine and forest ecology and in interpretive, instructional, and group management techniques.
Develop and lead interpretive and natural history hikes and hands-on environmental education activities based out of Peterson Bay Field Station, accessible only by boat.
Complete a research or education project in consultation with CACS staff. Examples of past intern projects include an octopus den survey, educational plant guides, and setting up an intertidal biodiversity invertebrate monitoring program.
Network with other Kachemak Bay environmental educators/naturalists, including CACS naturalists at the Wynn Nature Center, Pratt Museum, Kachemak Bay Research Reserve, and Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.

Qualifications/Skills/Required Training:

Academic background in botany and forest ecology and/or marine biology with field courses preferred
Experience with teaching or interpretation
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; must be comfortable speaking in front of groups of all ages
Good physical condition and willingness to live in a semi-remote location
Maturity to live in group situations and work as part of a team

Duration: Twelve weeks--preferred start date no later than June 1, 2008

Financial Support: This is a paid internship. Housing for the intern is provided at Peterson Bay Field Station and in Homer, as well as boat transportation between the two locations.

Host Organization: Cook Inletkeeper (Alaska Coal Working Group)

Title: Alaska Coal Research & Outreach Specialist

Position Location: Anchorage, Alaska

Description of Organization: Cook Inletkeeper is a community-based nonprofit founded in 1995 that is dedicated to protecting Alaska’s Cook Inlet watershed and the life it sustains. Inletkeeper focuses on research, education, organizing and advocacy to give citizens the tools they need to demand clean water and sustainable communities.

Web Site: www.inletkeeper.org

Intern Assignment: Alaska possesses roughly half the nation’s coal reserves, and as energy prices sky rocket, Outside investors and local utilities are increasingly eyeing coal for Alaska’s energy future. In a state feeling the disproportionate effects of rapid climate change, however, coal is the worst choice for Alaska, and from greenhouse gas emissions and mercury contamination in fish, to habitat destruction and asthma in our kids, there’s nothing clean about coal. Furthermore, coal development will preclude investments in Alaska’s world-class renewable power supplies, including wind, tidal and geothermal resources. The Alaska Coal Research & Outreach Specialist will support the work of Inletkeeper and its partners within the Alaska Coal Working Group to educate the public and key decisionmakers to ensure Alaska pursues a clean and sustainable energy future in the Last Frontier.

Duties include:

Research and write reports on the human health, socioeconomic, and environmental implications of coal use and development in Alaska;
Review and comment on proposed state and federal legislation, with recommendations to move proposed energy policies from coal to renewables;
Create engaging public outreach materials to educate Alaskans about the true costs of coal;
Support Alaska Coal Working Group (currently comprised of over a dozen nonprofit and Tribal entities) with meetings, planning and work plan implementation;
Attend energy and coal-related seminars, workshops and meeting to understand and communicate the complexities of coal extraction and combustion in Alaska and elsewhere.

Qualifications/Skills/Required Training:

Strong research skills, with ability to work unassisted on complex tasks
Strong written and verbal skills, with ability to communicate complex information to lay audience
Understanding of state/federal legal and policy construct, including roles of agencies, courts, and legislatures
Ability to work with diverse partners to develop attractive and engaging outreach materials for public consumption
Graduate student preferred, with focus on energy issues desired.

Duration: Twelve weeks, starting in May or June 2008.

Financial Support: This is a paid internship with assistance in finding low-cost housing.

Host Organization: Cook Inletkeeper

Title: Watershed Monitoring Coordinator

Position Location: Homer, Alaska

Description of Organization: Cook Inletkeeper is a citizen-based nonprofit organization located in Homer, Alaska and dedicated to protecting Alaska’s Cook Inlet watershed and the life it sustains. Founded in 1995, Cook Inletkeeper combines environmental research, education, and advocacy in a comprehensive watershed approach to protect Southcentral Alaska's water resources and fisheries habitats. Cook Inletkeeper works to guarantee clean water for abundant fish and wildlife, strong communities, lasting jobs, renewable energy, and public property rights.

Web Site: www.inletkeeper.org

Intern Assignment: The Watershed Monitoring Intern will work with Inletkeeper staff to support citizen-based water quality monitoring efforts, monitor and assess the health of local salmon streams, and conduct basic laboratory analyses. This is an ideal position for students interested in science who enjoy working in the field. River and bear safety, water quality monitoring, and other training provided.

Duties Include:

Assisting Stream Ecologist with salmon stream monitoring by deploying temperature loggers and stream gauges, taking discharge measurements and turbidity samples, performing technical-level bioassessment, and sorting macroinvertebrate samples.
Assisting Monitoring Coordinator with the Citizens’ Environmental Monitoring Project (CEMP) by going through the volunteer water quality monitoring training and sampling a local stream site twice a month; sorting and cataloging monitoring photos; coordinating volunteer level biological monitoring, including recruitment, training, field work; implementing a new Beach Monitoring Program in Kachemak Bay; and helping plan for the volunteer appreciation gathering in July.
Working independently analyzing turbidity and bacteria samples in the laboratory and developing a one day River Cleanup Event.
Interviewing CEMP volunteers and writing up volunteer spotlight pieces for Inletkeeper's newsletters.
Conducting an independent study of the effectiveness of integrating flow measurements into CEMP.

Qualifications/Skills/Required Training:

Reasonable level of comfort and experience with field and laboratory research work
Background in water chemistry, hydrology, or a related field required
Good organizational skills
Ability to work well in a team/with others
Solid written and oral communications skills
Valid driver's license
Familiarity with computers (Excel, Word)

Duration: Twelve weeks, starting between May 1 and June 1, 2008.

Financial Support: This is a paid internship with assistance in finding low-cost housing.

Host Organization: Discovery Southeast

Title: Natural Science Educator

Location: Juneau, AK

Description of organization: Discovery Southeast is an environmental education nonprofit organization that seeks to connect people to nature. Discovery Southeast is devoted to experience-based, inquiry-driven natural history and conservation education programs for children and adults, students and teachers of Southeast Alaska.

Website: www.discoverysoutheast.org

Intern Assignment: The intern will participate in Discovery Southeast’s Outdoor Explorers day-camp program by assisting with its coordination, administration, and field leadership. Each week-long session introduces youth ages 7-12 to Juneau’s wild side through outdoor exploration, education, and art activities. This internship is for the person seeking training and experience in hands-on conservation education through field leadership and program support. The intern will report to the executive director, and will also work closely with another field leader, the program director, and other program staff. Approximately 70% of total time will be spent in field leadership, 30% in support activities/preparation for the camp.

Responsibilities:

Help to plan, coordinate, and lead outdoor day-camps;
Prepare instruction and activities centered around outdoor skills, natural history, and connections with nature;
Demonstrate safe practices, good judgment, positive group interaction, and personal leadership; and
Assist with administrative tasks in support of Outdoor Explorers and other Discovery Southeast programs.

Qualifications:

Prior experience in environmental education, backcountry travel, and natural history interpretation.
Desire and proven ability to work with diverse youth between the ages of 7 and 12.
Creative teaching and supervisory skills.
Ability to provide safe and positive leadership, and to interact constructively with others.
Knowledge of Pacific Northwest/Southeast Alaska natural history preferred.
Ability to hike in difficult terrain/conditions.
Current First Aid/CPR essential; Wilderness First Responder a plus.
Good organizational, communication, and computer skills.
Valid driver's license.

Duration: Twelve weeks, June through August 2008

Financial Support: This is a paid internship with assistance in finding low-cost housing.

Host Organization: Friends of Mat-Su

Title: Watershed Education Coordinator

Location: Palmer, AK

Description of Organization: The Mat-Su borough, approximately the size of West Virginia, is one of the fastest growing regions in the United States. This rapidly growing area has valuable wetlands, fish habitat, farmland, trail systems, and a vast mountainous recreational area. However, this area also has a healthy population base and needs to develop residential, commercial, and industrial facilities to support the population and provide for economic growth. Consequently, wise planning and sound policy decisions designed to promote compatible land uses in this remarkable region are extremely important. Friends of Mat-Su (FoMS), formed nearly 10 years ago, provides land-use information, advocates for borough-wide planning, promotes citizen involvement, and offers tools and support to develop a healthy and vibrant community. FoMS strives to collaborate with businesses, with local governments, and also with residents for compatible land-use solutions.

Website: www.foms.net

Assignment: The Mat-Su Borough is home to numerous valuable watersheds; many of these are becoming polluted due to increased pressures from residential and commercial development. Most people who live along water bodies want to do the right thing; however, they lack needed information. Within the Mat-Su, the Big Lake area is one of the most heavily used summer recreational lakes and recently has been designated as impaired by the Department of Environmental Conservation. The Big Lake Watershed Education Coordinator will work with the projects coordinator to design and implement a strategy to encourage residents and visitors in the Big Lake area to improve the quality of water of this DEC-designated impaired water body.

Duties include:

Assist in the coordination of the Big Lake Watershed Education Project
Collaborate with other organizations and government in organizing, public outreach, education, and media relations
Organize, plan, and implement public/media events to raise awareness of water pollution in Big Lake
Plan, host, and present at public forums in the Big Lake area to inform residents about this issue
Work with youth in the area to provide education about lake ecology and to encourage best management practices for the next generation

Qualifications/Skills/Required Training:

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Knowledge of watershed ecosystems and the impacts of rapid growth
Proficiency with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other computer skills
Evidence of grassroots organizing and/or campaign related experience
Ability to work independently
Valid driver's license and use of a vehicle

Duration: Twelve weeks, start date between May 1 and June 1, 2008.

Financial Support: This is a paid internship with assistance in finding low-cost housing.

Host Organization: Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve

Title: Invasive Plants Program Intern

Location: Gustavus, AK

Description of Organization: Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve (GBNP) is one of the jewels of the National Park Service. Established as a National Monument in 1925, Glacier Bay was expanded to its current 3.3 million acres under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980.

Website: www.nps.gov/glba

Assignment: The intern will assist a park invasive plants specialist with exotic plant inventory and control activities, providing primary field support in both backcountry and frontcountry, serving as field assistant and data processing technician and helping with outreach activities. Depending on skills and interests, the intern will be assigned primary responsibility for one or more program elements, potentially including the following: invasive plant control activities; oversight and coordination of a short-term work crew with a focused exotic plant control task; community education/outreach activities; harvesting native seeds and application to disturbed areas to preclude establishment of invasive weeds.

Duties include:

Control of invasive plants (manual pulling, digging, cutting);
Identification of non-native and native plants;
Operating Trimble GPS receivers and processing data;
Developing and giving outreach/education programs;
Operating and maintaining outboard skiffs (to 18’ LOA) and sea kayaks;
Maintaining and repairing field gear; backcountry camp cleanup, cooking, and maintenance;
Other duties as required.

Qualifications/Skills/Required Training:

Background in biological sciences or related field;
Computer literacy, including word processing, spreadsheet, graphics, and web/email applications;
A positive, enthusiastic attitude and a strong work ethic;
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; ability to work effectively as a member of a close-knit team;
Ability to live and work in a remote setting among bears (bear safety training will be provided);
Watercraft experience and swimming skills;
Willingness to work and camp for multiple days in challenging outdoor conditions, such as inclement weather and biting insects;
Must be enrolled in a degree program at least half time for the following semester;

Training will be provided in motorboat operation, kayak operation, first Aid/CPR/AED, aviation safety, bear safety, GPS use, and plant identification.

Duration: Twelve weeks, start date May 12, 2008 (required for boat training).

Financial Support: This is a paid internship with NPS providing housing at no cost. While in the backcountry, the intern will be supplemented with a modest stipend to assist with basic food costs.

Host Organization: Juneau Watershed Partnership

Title: Community Outreach Specialist

Location: Juneau, AK

Description of Organization: The mission of the Juneau Watershed Partnership (JWP) is to promote watershed integrity in the City and Borough of Juneau through education, research, and communication while encouraging sustainable use and development.

Website: www.juneauwatersheds.org

Assignment: JWP seeks a dynamic individual to help increase our capacity to conduct community education and outreach activities in Juneau. Along with various local outreach activities, thanks to funding from the Alaska Committee for Noxious and Invasive Plants Management, the intern will have the opportunity to travel to several locations in Southeast Alaska to conduct outreach focused on educating the local community on identifying and treatment methods of invasive weeds and noxious plants.

Duties include:

Creating and/or updating outreach materials (such as fact sheets, newsletter articles, brochures, coloring pages, and web pages) for various watershed issues in Juneau.
Participating and/or leading watershed hikes and stream clean-up events for the local Juneau community
Coordinating with local nurseries and plant retailers to distribute “What to Plant in Alaska” brochures to their customers.
Tabling at local community events on invasive weeds and noxious plants.

Qualifications/Skills/Required Training:

Background in ecology, biology, watersheds, or natural history and knowledge of environmental and conservation issues.
Excellent creative writing and organizational skills.
Experience with the following programs is desired: Microsoft Word, Excel, and Publisher.
Able to work both independently and as a part of a team
Interest in working on issues relating to invasive plants/ noxious weeds
Ability to communicate effectively to diverse groups
Willing to communicate to the local media
Available to work occasionally on weekends and evenings
Must be willing to travel

Duration: Twelve weeks, start date May 2008 depending on school schedule.

Financial Support: This is a paid internship with assistance in finding low-cost housing.

Host Organization: Kachemak Heritage Land Trust

Title: Conservation Assistant

Location: Homer, AK

Description of Organization: Kachemak Heritage Land Trust (KHLT) preserves, for public benefit, land on the Kenai Peninsula with significant natural, recreational, or cultural values by working with willing landowners.

Website: www.kachemaklandtrust.org

Assignment: The 2008 KHLT summer intern will assist in monitoring roughly 1,040 acres of land owned in fee by KHLT and over 1,600 acres held under conservation easement. Additional tasks include drafting one management plan, trail maintenance, planning, and construction. The intern may also assist with administrative work.

Duties include:

Use of ArcView/ArcGIS to create maps and establish points to which future monitors will later navigate on properties owned by KHLT. Photos will be taken and field observations will be recorded concerning vegetation, wildlife, and condition of the property.
Familiarity with KHLT’s conservation easements to assist in monitoring the terms of the easements through fieldwork, report preparation, and communication with landowners.
Drafting a management plan for at least one fee-owned property. Management plans contain baseline biological inventories and managerial goals for lands held in fee by KHLT.
Assistance in trail maintenance and other stewardship-related activities, including the establishment of interpretive materials such as signage, maps, and trail guides.
The intern will participate in administrative tasks when needed.

Qualifications/Skills/Required Training: Academic Requirements: The intern should be enrolled in a graduate-level natural resources management or conservation program with the following:

A general understanding of surveying concepts and/or expertise in land navigation using maps, compass and GPS. Intermediate skills in GIS using ESRI’s ArcView 9.2, including an understanding of coordinate systems, layouts/maps, general shapefile structure and management and transfer of data back and forth from GIS to GPS
Experience in observing and identifying vegetation and vegetative communities as well as wildlife and general topological features
Technical writing skills

Other Requirements:

Experience and willingness to work in remote areas.
Vehicle. The intern must have a vehicle and valid driver’s license in order to complete the field component of the summer work plan. Work-related mileage will be reimbursed at the IRS standard of $0.485 per mile.

Duration: Twelve weeks, start date is negotiable, between May and August 2008.

Financial Support: This is a paid internship. KHLT can provide housing in a rustic Alaskan cabin.

Host Organization: Northern Alaska Environmental Center

Title: Arctic Intern (This is an Alaska Preference internship.)

Location: Fairbanks, AK

Description of Organization: Founded in 1971, the Northern Alaska Environmental Center (NAEC) is North America’s farthest-north regional conservation group. The NAEC’s mission is to promote conservation of the environment and sustainable resource stewardship in interior and Arctic Alaska through advocacy and education. The NAEC has over 1,400 members committed to protecting Alaska’s great wilderness landscapes like the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, critical habitat areas like Teshekpuk Lake in the western Arctic and other public lands in the northern region. NAEC has a staff of seven.

Website: www.northern.org

Intern Assignment: The Arctic Intern will 1) research arctic global warming issues relevant to the Arctic Refuge and Western Arctic and 2) organize our annual Run for the Refuge (August 17) and Golden Days Parade float to raise awareness of global warming and the Arctic Refuge to Alaska residents and tourists. They will work closely with the Arctic coordinator to provide up-to-date information on protecting wilderness, wildlife, and cultural resources and climate change in the arctic and how Alaskans and other citizens can help fight global warming. The intern’s focus in the first month will be research and writing about global warming and then will shift to grassroots organizing and planning events.

Duties include:

Researches and writes fact sheets, web pages, and alerts on Arctic issues including fight to protect Arctic Refuge from oil drilling, renewable energy, and reducing global warming pollution.
Writes a brochure of NAEC summer events and an article for quarterly newsletter.
Coordinates logistics for Run for Refuge race event, including design and manufacture of T-shirts and other merchandise, getting prize donations, and design of parade float.
Recruits volunteers to co-organize, publicize, and participate in Run for Refuge and parade events and other grassroots organizing.
Writes press releases, ads, flyers, and mailers to encourage turn-out at events.

Qualifications/Skills/Required Training:

Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; must be comfortable speaking in front of groups of all ages.
Strong organizational skills.
Energetic, outgoing personality with positive, can-do attitude and ability to ask people to pitch in.
Commitment to environmental protection.
Preferred background in rural development, Alaska Native studies, natural resource management, environmental studies, biology, geography, journalism, or communications.

Duration: Twelve weeks with potential for an extension. Candidate must be available to stay through August 18, 2008.

Financial Support: This is a paid internship with assistance in finding low-cost housing.

Host Organization: Sitka Conservation Society

Title: Sitka Community and Environment Organizer

Location: Sitka, AK

Description of organization: The Sitka Conservation Society (SCS) is a grassroots, membership-based organization dedicated to the conservation of the Tongass Temperate Rainforest and the protection of Sitka’s quality of life. We have been active in Sitka, Alaska for over 40 years as a dynamic and concerned group of citizens who have a vested interest in their surrounding natural environment and the future well-being of our community. We are based in the small coastal town of Sitka, Alaska, located on the rugged outer west coast of Baranof Island. Surrounded by the towering trees of the Tongass National Rainforest, the community has successfully transformed from an industrial past and the closure of a local pulp mill to a new economy featuring a diversity of employers and small businesses.

Website: www.sitkawild.org

Intern Assignment: Sitkans are dependent on the spectacular surrounding natural environment for our unique community identity; quality of life amenities; our commercial fishery fleets; our subsistence hunting, fishing, and gathering opportunities; and our visitor industry that showcases and highlights the Tongass. SCS works to chart a course for a sustainable relationship with our surrounding natural environment in our Sitka Community Use Area (SCUA). That area is almost wholely managed by the federal government through the Forest Service and political motives have dictated management in the past. We work as community members to define how we use and depend on the area around Sitka and how the community wants to see these areas appropriately managed and protected for the future. The Sitka Community Use Area Outreach Intern will work with SCS staff to develop and promote this vision for a sustainable community use area.

Duties include:

Outreach and organizing with specific groups who use and depend on natural resources to find common-ground management solutions to current management issues, including:

Communicate with and understand how specific groups interact with the surrounding natural environment and engage them to define their vision on how they would like to see the SCUA managed and protected,
Work to unify diverse interest groups towards consensus on management of the environment and sustainability; work toward commitments from new allies for action on permanent protection of critical habitat in Southeast Alaska.
Preparation of educational and outreach materials, preparing comments and letters of support, and other environmental advocacy projects as they arise.

Qualifications/Skills/Required Training:

Strong work ethic, outgoing and enthusiastic personality, and an ability to approach and interact with a diversity of community residents (including groups that could be defined as nontraditional environmentalists)
Ability to work as part of a team as well as well as the ability to personally take initiative to independently develop projects and work plans
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Highly motivated, quick learner

Duration: Twelve weeks, starting in May 2008. Specific start and end dates to be determined by intern and SCS.

Financial Support: This is a paid internship with assistance in finding low-cost housing.

Host Organization: Southeast Alaska Conservation Council

Title: Tongass Grassroots Organizer (This is an Alaska Preference internship.)

Location: Juneau, AK

Description of organization: The Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (SEACC), one of America’s premiere grassroots environmental organizations, has worked since 1969 to safeguard magnificent wild lands in Southeast Alaska's Tongass National Forest, while encouraging the sustainable use of our region's resources. The Tongass is the largest intact ancient temperate rainforest remaining on our planet, and is still graced with healthy populations of wild salmon, brown and black bears, moose, Sitka black-tailed deer, and bald eagles. We are a grassroots coalition of 16 community member groups in 13 communities stretching across the remote coastal terrain of Southeast Alaska. SEACC coordinates grassroots efforts, and works tirelessly with public officials and resource management agencies to protect valuable Tongass natural resources.

Website: www.seacc.org

Intern Assignment: The intern will focus on SEACC’s new campaign to permanently protect valuable wild Tongass watersheds, while fostering sustainable communities’ economics.

Duties include:

Outreach to visitors and Southeast Alaskans to garner their support for protecting valuable Tongass watersheds, with a significant amount of time carrying out organizing strategies with SEACC dedicated staff members. Activities may include:
Educating guides, outfitters, and naturalists and providing them with appropriate information to share with their clients;
Distributing educational materials to guest houses, hostels, visitor centers, ferries, airports, and other tourist hotspots;
Organizing outreach opportunities such as “tabling” during summer events and/or in high-visitor areas.
Other duties may include media outreach, preparation of educational materials to ensure informed public involvement, data analysis, preparing comments, helping to track relevant media reports, and other projects as they arise.

Qualifications/Skills/Required Training:

Undergraduate student, graduate student, or recent grad
Enjoy organizing and reaching out to new people
Highly motivated, quick learner
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Strong analytical skills, great writing skills
Ability to work as part of a team
Being flexible and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done
Committed to protecting the Tongass

Duration:
Twelve weeks with potential of extension through host organization. Start and end dates to be determined by intern and SEACC.

Financial Support:
This is a paid internship with assistance in finding free or low-cost housing.

Host Organization: Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition

Title:Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition Coordinator

Location: Based in Haines, Alaska with travel coalition partners in Juneau, Yakutat, and Skagway

Description of Organization: The Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition (SAWC) was formed to unite rural Southeast Alaska communities and provide a common voice for sustainability, protection, and management of our watersheds. SAWC is a coalition of four watershed councils: Juneau Watershed Partnership, Takshanuk Watershed Council in Haines, Taiya Inlet Watershed Council in Skagway, and Yakutat Salmon Board. We seek a balance of human and wildlife use within the watersheds in order to benefit the communities, their resource-based economies, and our quality of life. The mission of the Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition is to act as a regional network that promotes watershed stewardship throughout Southeast Alaska, while supporting each council’s individual efforts.

Website: www.takshanuk.org / www.yakutatsalmon.org / www.taiya.org / www.juneauwatersheds.org

Intern Assignment: As a part of the SAWC network, the intern will complete tasks specific to the coalition’s development, including: gathering and disseminating information for the four councils regarding organization of the coalition, production of outreach materials including printed materials and website, and composition of project needs statements. This position is best suited for a highly organized, creative, community-minded individual. The organization is relatively new and the intern should be ready to assimilate new ideas from all four councils on behalf of the coalition. Through the program the intern will gain an understanding of coalition building, Alaska fisheries management, and rural community, watershed, and tourism issues in Southeast Alaska.

Duties include:

Gather information from member councils through site visits regarding projects, needs, and future plans
Integrate needs, project ideas, and plans from all councils into SAWC projects
Develop needs statements for SAWC projects
Inventory coalition equipment and skills
Develop outreach materials including printed materials, logo design, website, press releases, and public service announcements
Use grant research and creative writing skills to develop project needs statements
Research coalition funding in Alaska

Qualifications / Skills / Required Training:

Experience in coalition building, facilitating, and community and strategic planning
Excellent creative writing and organizational skills
Experience with the following programs is desired: MS Word, Publisher, Excel and Access, Dreamweaver MX
Able to work both independently and as a part of a team
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; intern should be comfortable speaking in front of groups of all ages
Must be able to work outdoors in all conditions

Duration: Twelve weeks, start date between May 1 and June 1, 2008.

Financial Support: This is a paid internship with assistance in finding low-cost housing