Internship-Wildlife Surveyor
- Intern may start earlier, as early as April 8. End date would remain the same.
The Student Conservation Association (SCA) is the largest provider of hands-on environmental conservation programs for youth and young adults. Program participants protect and restore national parks, marine sanctuaries, cultural landmarks, and community green spaces across the country.
Position Description:
This SCA position will be part of the wildlife team on the Chugach National Forest, Prince William Sound management Zone (PWSZ). This is a dynamic program that covers a large landscape with a wide variety of projects. The PWSZ totals 4.1 million acres and includes the wildlife rich areas of both Prince William Sound and The Copper River Delta. This position will have an opportunity to work on projects throughout the zone but will be based out of the Cordova Ranger District in Cordova, Alaska. The PWSZ wildlife program is diverse and includes outreach and planning and participation in ongoing projects such as the shorebird festival, bird surveys, invasive plant work, vegetation monitoring, as well as interdisciplinary projects. The incumbent will collaborate with biologists in completing projects and will contribute to field logistics and outreach within the community. This position will also be responsible for collecting data, data entry, GIS, data analysis, and writing articles for a variety of projects.
The main focus for this position will be working with the dusky Canada goose nest island program. This program includes monitoring and maintaining nesting platforms (nest islands) that assist in the nest success of the dusky Canada goose on the Copper River Delta. To accomplish the annual nest island assessment, this position will be part of a field crew in a remote field camp, only accessible by boat, in the heart of the Copper River Delta.
Additional projects may include: migratory songbird monitoring (auditory and visual), Black Oystercatcher monitoring, dusky Canada goose nest searches, shorebird surveys, moose habitat assessment and enhancement, invasive species monitoring, dusky Canada goose banding, and assessment and removal of invasive species.
This position will work in a variety of landscapes including but not limited to wetlands, forests, intertidal zones, and streams. Much of the field work is conducted from remote field camps and boats and planes are common modes of transportation. Much of the work can be physically demanding and may require long days carrying packs weighing up to 30 lbs and walking through wetlands and other challenging terrain. Coastal Alaska weather may be inclement and field crews can expect multiple day rain events in the middle of summer. Although challenging, this position will be the adventure of a lifetime!
Member Benefits:- $1,500- one time RT travel allowance
- $475- weekly living allowance
- $300 - monthly housing allowance (to be used for USFS housing)
- Forest Service bunkhouse. Shared living space. Up to two per bedroom.
- AmeriCorps Education Award ($3,447.50 Education Award; requires 900 hours)
- Hours count toward Public Land Corps (PLC) hiring authority
- All allowances subject to applicable federal, state, and local taxes
Member Qualifications:
- Driver's license not required
- Applicants having outdoor experience and a background in biology or wildlife management is preferred but not required.
It is SCA's policy that all AmeriCorps-required background checks must return cleared prior to the position's start; this includes being fingerprinted for the FBI check. Otherwise, the AmeriCorps award will be removed or the position's start date will be delayed due to non-compliance.
- For SCA's COVID-19 guidance, please refer towww.thesca.org/covid