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.

Position Description: 

The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) is seeking a motivated intern to support natural resource management projects in San Mateo County, located in the San Francisco Bay Area. GGNRA is a destination for both local and international visitors with its sweeping vistas, immense biological diversity, and unique cultural resources. The intern will work with National Park Service staff, partners, and volunteers in a variety of habitats, from coastal prairies to redwood forests, to support the conservation of federally protected plants, animals, and sensitive ecosystems. Primary activities for this internship include:

• Assist with planning and implementation of habitat restoration and revegetation fieldwork.

• Control invasive plant species using hand tools, power tools, and herbicide if qualified.

• Perform volunteer or contractor oversight during vegetation management work.

• Map vegetation and rare or invasive plant populations using GPS data recorders; analyze and display mapped features using GIS technology.

• Monitor threatened and endangered wildlife, including the California red-legged frog, San Bruno elfin butterfly, and mission blue butterfly.

• Monitor rare and endangered plant populations and butterfly host plants.

• Monitor a large wildlife camera grid.

• Assist with the mission blue butterfly translocation project.

• Collect and enter data and perform quality control for monitoring and work performed.

• Assist with reporting of monitoring, restoration actions, and experiments performed.

• Drive a truck to/from work sites.

• Maintain tools and equipment.

Work Products: Key deliverables of the internship 

• Stewardship: Seeding and container planting to restore coastal prairie and wetland habitats, installation of erosion control measures, installation of experimental planting plots, control of a variety of invasive plants.

• Data Collection and Management: Recording, mapping, and updating of monitoring and work performed in GPS/GIS, databases, and spreadsheets.

• Program Support: Tool cleaning and maintenance; coordinating schedules and events; attending relevant meetings and training regularly.

• Capstone Independent Project: Developed with the supervisor according to the intern’s skills and interests, e.g. GIS, citizen science, research, etc.

Qualifications:

Required: 

• A love of nature and physical outdoor work in a wide variety of environmental conditions (inclement weather, off-trail, steep slopes, dense vegetation, etc.).

• Interest in resource management, ecological restoration, endangered species stewardship, and plant identification.

• Basic computer literacy, including Microsoft Word and Excel.

• Ability to work independently and take on a leadership role as needed.

• Desire to work in a small team and to work with a diversity of people with different backgrounds, ethnicity, races, genders, sexualities, ages, and viewpoints.

• Good verbal and written communication skills.

• Must be in good physical condition (ability to carry up to 30 pounds).

• A valid driver’s license and good driving record.

Desired: 

• Education and/or experience in environmental science, ecology, biology, botany, GIS, data science, or photography.

• Experience in technical writing.

• CPR/First Aid, Wilderness First Aid.

Mentoring: 

The intern will work closely with the primary and secondary supervisors on a daily basis for the duration of the internship. On days when the mentor is not accompanying the intern, the mentor will be available via phone or other means of communication.

Learning Goals: 

• Gain natural resource management experience in habitat restoration, vegetation and wildlife monitoring, and invasive plant control.

• Learn about the ecology, flora, and fauna of coastal California.

• Gain experience in digital field data collection, GIS, and databases.

• Participate in professional development and networking through park trainings and work with other park programs.

• Increase skills in time management/planning.

• Learn about field safety procedures.

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.