| Description |
| | | Position located in Glyndon, Minnesota and will involve travel throughout the state to different field locations. | | ABOUT US | | The Nature Conservancy is the world’s leading conservation organization, working in all 50 states and more than 33 countries. Founded in 1951, the mission of The Nature Conservancy is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. | | ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS | | The intern will be responsible for assisting with field season preparations and coordinating logistics for field season trainings for TNC staff and partners. The project is a collaborative effort in which multiple agencies and organizations have overlapping goals (TNC, Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, etc.). Partners in this work have opted to coordinate sampling approaches in order to compare data across ownerships throughout the tallgrass prairie region. A rapid belt transect method has been selected to characterize the vegetation structure and composition, and has been implemented across 7,000 acres for a total of 65 sites. Over the course of two to three months, it is expected that the intern will have completed over 400 vegetation surveys for the project covering a total of 4,000 acres within three key conservation areas: (e.g., the Sheyenne Delta, Agassiz Beach Ridges, Ordway Glacial Lakes, Cheyenne River Canyon, etc.). Depending on interest and ability, we can offer the opportunity for data analysis and summaries at the end of the field season. Data entry will not be necessary, as all data are collected on the fly using an IPAQ. However, the intern will be responsible for managing data safely, including regular downloads to a hard drive, creating backups, etc.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:
- Strong field botanical skills and experience conducting field sampling are preferred
- Experience working in grasslands or other terrestrial ecosystems of the upper Midwest is a plus
- Willing and able to learn to operate an ATV to access some survey locations and to travel to different properties within the work area
- Although some previous experience in the use of a global positioning system and handheld databases would be a plus, this is not required and training will be provided.
COMMUNICATIONS/INTERPERSONAL CONTACTS:
- Communicate effectively with multiple agency and academic partners working on the same project.
- Work closely every day with the Grassland Monitoring Lead Technician as part of TNC’s grassland team (all transects will be sampled as a team)
- Communicate with Director of Conservation Science on a weekly basis
WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL EFFORT:
- Terrain is often rugged, and other field conditions may also be challenging (e.g., heat, mosquitoes, etc.)
- The intern must be willing to work at several different sites over the course of the study period, and stay in accommodations provided by TNC. These will include field crew houses with few amenities. | | BASIC QUALIFICATIONS | | - B.A. or B.S. in biology, natural resources, environmental studies, or related scientific field or completion of at least three years of undergraduate work in one of these fields. | | ADDITIONAL JOB INFORMATION | | This position requires a valid driver's license and compliance with the Conservancy's Auto Safety Program. Employees may not drive Conservancy-owned/leased vehicles, rental cars, or personal vehicles on behalf of the Conservancy if considered "high risk drivers." Please see further details in the Auto Safety Program document available at www.nature.org/careers.
Employment in this position will be contingent upon completion of a Vehicle Use Agreement, which may include a review of the prospective employee's motor vehicle record. | | BENEFITS | | The Nature Conservancy offers competitive compensation, excellent benefits, flexible work policies and a collaborative work environment. We also provide professional development opportunities and promote from within. As a result, you will find a culture that supports and inspires conservation achievement and personal development, both within the workplace and beyond. | | SALARY INFORMATION | | $10 - 12/ hour. This is a 40 hour per week position.
Rustic housing also included. | | HOW TO APPLY | | To apply for the Minnesota Grassland Monitoring Intern position, job ID 10933, you must apply online. Please submit resume and cover letter as one document.
All sections of online application must be completed (e.g. work experience and education, even if information is included in resume) to be considered for a position. If you have no prior work experience, enter today’s date as both a start and end date and “not applicable” as both the employer and job title.
Application deadline: March 20, 2009 at 5 p.m. EST |
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