Environment for the Americas

Start/End Dates: November 6th, 2024 - October 31st, 2025

Compensation: $520 per week + housing on park grounds 

Medical Insurance provided on request

Application Due: October 8, 2024

The Golden Gate Internship Program seeks to engage ethnically and racially diverse young professionals in natural resource careers. A personal vehicle is not required for this position. Applicants must have a valid driver's license to drive a government vehicle.

• U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident (“green-card-holder”).

• Between the ages of 18 and 30 years old. Veterans may be up to 35 years old.

• Selected applicants must meet the qualifications for the position, and be able to pass a federal background check.

• Two Positions Available 

Position Description: 

This position is located within the Division of Natural Resource (NR) Management and Science with the main goal of providing critical natural resources support for managing, monitoring, and synthesizing natural resources data in the GGNRA. The internship works closely with park staff and park partners and is roughly 80% field-based (though some weeks may have more office time) with a focus on wildlife monitoring, data collection, data QA/QC, and volunteer coordination and outreach. The intern will work in a wide variety of habitats and locations ranging from wetlands, coastal scrub, grassland, old-growth redwood and oak/bay laurel woodland, and rocky intertidal shoreline. Survey and monitoring tasks will be defined seasonally and collaboratively with NR Division Staff.

Work Products: Key deliverables of the internship 

Wildlife management: Conducting various wildlife surveys of threatened and endangered native wildlife, including the western snowy plover, bank swallows, Mission blue butterfly, and California red-legged frog. Assisting in project-related monitoring duties of various wildlife populations and their habitats, including the Marin Headlands coyote monitoring project, a large wildlife camera project, Alcatraz waterbird management, and resource monitoring and protection during special events. By the end of the internship, the intern should be proficient in the various monitoring techniques utilized and will be leading some field data collection efforts. The intern will be responsible for writing a data summary for at least one of the monitoring efforts or an agreed-upon independent project.

• Data collection: Recording, performing QA/QC, mapping, and updating work collected in databases using MS Access, MS Excel, GPS/GIS; managing equipment and supplies. The intern should become proficient with MS Access database use and ArcGIS computer mapping by the end of the internship.

• Volunteer coordination: Assisting in various outreach efforts with volunteers, planning and leading volunteer events, field safety, and volunteer support.

• NR Program support: Equipment maintenance and cleaning, including disinfecting shared equipment; coordinating schedules for field work; attending relevant meetings; participating in training sessions.

Qualifications:

Required: 

• An interest in natural resource management, particularly conservation of wildlife and habitat, or a relevant field.

• Ability to work well in a team or independently; contributes to achieving wildlife management goals; supports the efforts of the team.

• Experience working outdoors, occasionally in inclement weather, able to carry up to 30 lbs.

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

• Fluency with basic computer programs (Microsoft Suite) and experience with data collection/analysis using GIS applications.

• Daily driving of government fleet vehicles with equipment – valid driver's license and good driving record.

Desired: 

• Education and/or experience in biological sciences, particularly in wildlife biology, entomology, ornithology, mammalogy, herpetology, field techniques, environmental studies, or ecology.

• Natural resource management experience.

• Some fluency or willingness to learn data collecting and analyzing programs (GIS, GPS, Avenza, Survey123). These may be learned on the job.

• Ability to work with staff and volunteers from diverse backgrounds who share a common interest in preserving and protecting natural resources, and engage in outreach and education with park visitors and community members.

• Good communication skills.

• CPR/First Aid, Wilderness First Aid training.

Mentoring: 

The NR intern will work closely on a day-to-day basis with various team members of the NR and Wildlife teams for at least three days a week for the duration of the internship with exposure to various wildlife management needs and experiences. We will pre-schedule meetings early in the internship: initially, to determine key areas where the intern has an interest in gaining experience; and then to have regular check-ins on how the internship is progressing.

Learning Goals: 

• The primary goal is to provide the experience to qualify and be competitive for a biological technician-level job.

• Gain natural resource management experience with a range of native wildlife, including threatened and endangered species.

• Learn various sampling and field techniques, project development, and implementation. Be proficient enough to lead field surveys for one or two projects by the end of the internship.

• Monitoring, data collection, and organization. The intern will write a summary report for one of the monitoring projects.

• Gain understanding of the unique management situations of wildlife within an urban interface.

• Participate in professional development opportunities through Park Academy Classes and various training such as CPR/First Aid, Wilderness First Aid, GIS/GPS, and data analysis tools.

EEO Statement

Environment for the Americas provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training

About Golden Gate National Recreation Area 

Golden Gate National Recreation Area is one of the largest urban parks in the world. The recreation area stretches across three counties in California’s San Francisco Bay Area: Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo. In total, the legislative boundary of the park comprises more than 80,000 acres of land and ocean waters, with 18,500 acres directly managed by GOGA.

The park is part of the California floristic province, recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot. It is also home to many different habitat types and a large diversity of plant and animal species. Many rare species are found within Golden Gate National Recreation Area, including 37 federally threatened or endangered species such as the mission blue butterfly, northern spotted owl, and California red-legged frog. The park also preserves 91 miles of shoreline along the outer coast and in Tomales and San Francisco Bays, including the nearshore waters within ¼ mile of the coast.

Weather is Mediterranean and ranges from dry summers (with occasional fog) to wet and cold winters. The dorm and field office are located within the park. There are no stores or other conveniences within the park, but they are located nearby in the town of Sausalito and the City of San Francisco.