Environment for the Americas

Start/End Dates: May 11, 2026 - July 31, 2026
Compensation: $640 per week stipend; assistance with round-trip travel to the site and the purchase of field supplies
Application Due: February 1, 2026

Environment for the Americas seeks to engage young professionals in natural resource careers. For the Let's Go Birding Internship Program, we also welcome applicants with experience managing visual, hearing, or mobility challenges, or who are neurodivergent.

To be eligible for the position, you must be:

• Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident. 
• Be between the ages of 18 - 30 years or up to 35 years if a veteran.
• Be willing to undergo a background check upon hiring.
• Must be available for on-site work.

*No personal vehicle is required for this position.

Position Description: 

Let’s Go Birding is a program funded by the National Park Service (NPS) and administered by Environment for the Americas in partnership with Birdability. Our goal is to improve accessibility  in birding and bird conservation for individuals with mobility challenges, blindness or low vision, chronic illnesses, neurodivergence, and hearing impairments. The intern will focus on implementing and leading community outreach programs focused on birds. 

Responsibilities:

• Regularly facilitate birding and bird education programs.

• Review park facilities and programming to identify opportunities for accessible programming.

• Develop activities tailored to specific accessibility challenges.

• Establish or build upon bird programs.

• Coordinate and host World Migratory Bird Day activities.

• Assist with coordinating activities for at least two (2) accessible birding events to coincide with Juneteenth and Mr. Medgar's 101st birthday in July 2026.

• Assist with outreach programs at the Jackson Public Library, the Mississippi School for the Deaf and the Blind, and the Jackson Audubon Society birding summer camps.

• Work with the park's gardener on an “easy plants to grow to attract birds” brochure.

• Meet deadlines for Environment for the Americas program requirements .

Qualifications:

• Passion for wildlife conservation.

• Interest in birds, conservation, and environmental education and interpretation.

• Prior experience with training or addressing accessibility challenges is a plus.

• Knowledge of birds and birding, including the use of binoculars, is desirable.

• Strong commitment to communication and learning.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and abilities. Candidates with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

About this site: 

The park consists of the home where Medgar and Myrlie Evers lived and raised their three children and an area called "Myrlie's Garden." The garden, developed by the Trust for Public Land, has oak and pecan trees, a concrete accessible walking path, benches, a pavilion, and raised beds filled with fruits and vegetables. A stream divides the property from the houses on the other side of the fence.

Jackson has a subtropical climate. It is hot and humid during the summer, both day and night. The park's office is roughly 15 minutes away from the park. There are three park vehicles available so that staff do not have to use their own vehicles for work. Interns will be driven by park staff if they don’t have a driver’s license. Jackson is at or below sea level and is the center of medical care in the state. There are UMMC, Baptist, and St. Dominic hospitals. Kroger is the dominant grocery store with a Whole Foods and some local chains. Most people drive to the suburbs to watch films. However, there is a movie theatre in the Fondren neighborhood and another in Belhaven. Jackson is a foodie town. You can find just about any cuisine you like. The music scene is largely downtown at places like Martin's and Hal & Mal's. 

Housing

There is no park housing on-site. Local candidates will be preferred. Alternatively, Environment for the Americas will secure shared housing for the two interns.

Application Process

We are committed to providing a fully accessible application process. If you require accommodations during the application, interview, or selection process, please contact accessiblebirding@environmentamericas.org to schedule an interview via voice or video relay. Alternative application materials, such as video applications or other preferred formats, are welcome.

Support and Accommodations

We understand that individuals with disabilities have diverse access needs. We are committed to offering:

• Flexible work arrangements

• Necessary accommodations to help you perform your tasks effectively and comfortably.
  We aim to create an inclusive and supportive work environment tailored to your needs.

Interns in this program will receive 480 hours towards Public Land Corps (PLC) Hiring Authority. See below on information about:

Public Land Corps Non-Competitive Hiring Authority (PLC)
The Public Land Corps Non-Competitive Hiring Authority is a special hiring authority available to qualifying interns. The intern must be between the ages of 18 and 30 years old, inclusive, or a veteran up to age 35 and complete 640 hours of work on an appropriate conservation project to be eligible for this hiring authority. Upon successful completion of the PLC project(s), the intern is eligible for two years to be hired non-competitively into a federal seasonal, term, or permanent position. The applicant must apply to a PLC-eligible position advertised on USAJobs.gov and selected off a non-competitive certificate of eligibility. For more information, see DOI Personnel Bulletins 11-02, 12-13, and 17-03.

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.