This opportunity is curated through the UF TESI Environmental Leaders Network. Opportunities posted through the Network may not be affiliated with the Florida Museum or TESI, but are shared with UF undergraduate students who want to learn more about environmental research, education and outreach, and civic engagement.
Host Organization
Type of Position
- 25 hours/week
- $16.75/hour
- A shared apartment (two bedrooms, one bathroom) is provided free of charge in Au Sable Forks, NY
Description
This year’s lead project will be a broad scan of wildland trails with universal accessibility to help the Adirondack Land Trust identify opportunities where land protection and the potential to enhance community recreational access may intersect. Our intern will work with the director of communications, conservation staff, and partners to research sites with universal access wildland trails that provide outdoor recreation opportunities for people with disabilities and other historically underserved or marginalized populations. The information collected will provide a baseline of knowledge that can help guide land protection by identifying gaps and opportunities.
Our intern will learn about each facet of our organization including stewardship, land protection, communications, philanthropy, event planning and finance. They will serve as an active member of the land trust’s conservation and communication teams. They will have the opportunity to meet with and/or shadow each staff member to gain an understanding of the scope of land trust work, and to further hone their interest in the conservation profession.
Learning Outcomes
- Gain a deep awareness of on-the-ground conservation work, which can be applied to environmental career or graduate school search in the future
- Understand the variety of professional roles within the field of conservation
- Gain insight into working with a board of directors and other advisors
- Learn how a nonprofit organization functions
Responsibilities
- Research listings of accessible wildland trails in our service area using online resources, partner collaboration, visits to community centers, and town halls, etc.
- Assist staff in developing a checklist of conditions to guide data collection across sites.
- Travel to field sites to collect information using a standardized checklist.
- Develop a white paper or dataset that can be shared with partner organizations and serve as a reference to integrate the presence/absence of universally accessible nature trails into the Adirondack Land Trust’s land protection selection criteria.
Eligibility
- Minimum of two years of college completed
- Interest and experience in conservation, outdoor recreation, and expanding access to the outdoors
- Proficiency in research skills and data organization
- Strong writing skills
- Comfortable being outdoors in all kinds of weather, sometimes in backcountry
- Ability to travel throughout the Adirondack Park – A reliable source of transportation is necessary to travel the vast geography of the Adirondack Park.
- Comfortable working and traveling alone, or without an accompanying staff member
- Public interaction skills
Helpful Personal Traits
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Enthusiastic, positive, well-organized and flexible
- Motivated self-starter, able to work independently with minimal direction
- Efficient time management
- Interest in access to nature for people with varying physical abilities
Deadline to Apply
January 17th
Apply
To apply: Please send resume, cover letter, and three references to Kathy Woughter, Adirondack Land Trust, at Kathy.woughter@adirondacklandtrust.org