Forest Conservation Internship

Position Summary

Audubon Vermont seeks applicants pursuing, or having recently completed a degree in conservation, natural resources, forestry, ecology, ornithology, and related fields to serve as a Forest Conservation Intern. The person in this position will work, both independently/remotely and in-person, with Audubon’s Healthy Forests Program Senior Associate on a variety of forest-bird conservation projects.

Primary responsibilities will involve assisting with individualized technical support, education, and outreach to landowners and foresters through the Woods, Wildlife, and Warblers program and the Forester Training and Endorsement Program. Depending on interest and experience level, additional opportunities may include monitoring Vermont forest bird species of conservation concern, creating and managing databases, and developing maps in GIS. The internship is designed to provide a range of administrative and programmatic experiences with a focus on issues facing birds in Vermont and Northern New England.

The position will occur during the summer of 2025 (May-August) with a time frame that can be adapted to meet a variety of academic schedules. Applicants must commit to working 20 hours a week @ ($16/hr) over this time period. Travel between home office and field sites is reimbursed at the federal rate of 70 cents/mile.

This is a remote position, allowing for work from home for office-related tasks, and involving regular travel to field sites throughout the state of Vermont.

Compensation:

$16.00 / hour

Additional Job Description

Essential Functions

The primary responsibility of the position is:

• Assist with landowner and forester outreach, communications, and delivery of private lands assessments and resource management guidance to private landowners and/or their consulting forester. This includes communications and scheduling site visits with landowners and foresters, interacting 1:1 with landowners and foresters, collecting habitat information during site visits, and writing follow-up reports for landowners and foresters.

• Additional tasks and projects may include the following:

• Conduct bird monitoring at Foresters for the Birds demonstration sites.

• Participate in outreach activities, which may include bird walks, workshops and special events.

• Draft articles, factsheets, blogs, webpages and social media content and other outreach materials to support Audubon Vermont’s conservation programs.

• Attend meetings with public officials, environmental leaders, scientists and volunteers to support Audubon Vermont’s participation and contributions.

• Opportunities to participate in other Audubon Vermont conservation projects including the Green Mountain Audubon Center MAPS bird banding station, Common Tern Recovery Project, and Peregrine Falcon and Bald Eagle monitoring.

• Assist with Audubon staff to ensure that equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging principles are incorporated and followed in all aspects of our work.

Qualifications and Experience

• This position is best suited for those that take initiative and have a strong ability to stay on task and work independently, including operating in remote situations.

• Strong work ethic, attention to detail, and robust oral and written communication skills.

• Dedicated and excited about working in a dynamic, fast-paced nonprofit organization.

• Appetite for learning and growth.

• Aspire for a career in forest conservation.

• Currently pursuing or recently earned a bachelor’s or higher degree in conservation, forestry, ecology, natural resources, environmental studies, or a related field.

• Familiarity with or willingness to learn about the management of New England forests, including silvicultural systems.

• Commitment to the full spectrum of forest management strategies, from passive conservation to active management, including sustainable timber harvest.

• Experience with or willingness to learn natural resource inventory techniques.

• Basic identification skills of Vermont’s birds (by sight and sound), trees, and shrub species, including non-native plants.

• Familiarity with or willingness to learn ArcGIS for mapping and spatial analysis.

• Strong interest in environmental conservation, education, and the mission of the National Audubon Society, including social and environmental justice.

• Ability to work safely and independently in challenging outdoor conditions (e.g., bugs, rain, mud, steep or uneven terrain) and hike several miles in a day.

• Valid driver’s license and willingness to travel up to four or more hours round trip to field sites.

EEO Statement

The National Audubon Society is a federal contractor and an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. We are committed to a policy of nondiscrimination, inclusion and equal opportunity and actively seek a diverse pool of candidates in this search.

Accessibility Statement

The National Audubon Society endeavors to keep our careers site accessible to any and all users.  If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact Accommodations@audubon.org. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.