College Internship in Suburban Ecology
College Internship in Suburban Ecology at the Mianus River Gorge
Program Description: Mianus River Gorge, a conservation organization and 950-acre nature preserve in southern New York, offers 10-week summer internships for college students interested in the conservation of natural areas in urbanizing landscapes.
· Internships last for a period of 10 weeks. Internships typically run from early June to early August, but some flexibility is available.
· Each intern will work alongside Gorge staff and graduate students on a variety of projects including wildlife monitoring, non-native species management, and GIS applications.
· We work with our interns to provide a learning experience that fits their interests and long-term educational goals.
· Given the ongoing COVID-19 situation, the vast majority of this summer’s work will be outside, even more than the typically high amount of field work. Applicants should be physically fit and comfortable with spending most of their time in the field. Both staff and interns will comply with social distancing requirements and wear masks when indoors.
· Stipend: $25/day or combination of school credit and stipend (depending on university requirements).
Projects for 2021 include:
· Monitoring coyotes, bobcats, and other wildlife in Westchester, NYC, and Fairfield using camera traps, roadkill surveys, and other methods
· Vegetation sampling, monitoring, and restoration
· Invasive species control and other land management work
· Data management, GIS work, and analysis on several long-term projects – lab and other desk work may be limited this summer.
Applicant Eligibility
· All undergraduate students are eligible to apply. We do not require applicants to major in a particular discipline; however, exposure to the fields of ecology, environmental science, or geography is encouraged. We do accept interns that have graduated the academic year just prior to the internship (“rising seniors”).
· Interns must be self-motivated and work well in groups settings.
· Applicants should be prepared for strenuous work outdoors (e.g. field research and land management projects) as well as perform indoor work when necessary (e.g. data entry and GIS projects).
· This year the internship will run from June 1 to Aug 9 -- applicants should be available during this period, though some flexibility is possible.
We must give preference to local students or those that can commute daily to Bedford, NY, as summer housing is not available.