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Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) River Stewards of Tomorrow Environmental Internship

Housatonic Valley Association

River Stewards of Tomorrow

2018 Internship Positions Available

 

The Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) is seeking applications for our River Stewards of Tomorrow Environmental Internship positions, available for summer 2018. The River Stewards will work on a variety of projects related to water quality and habitat conservation. River Stewards will either be assigned to our Berkshire field office in Stockbridge, MA and work primarily in the Massachusetts portion of the watershed; or in our office in Cornwall Bridge, CT and work primarily in the Connecticut and New York. Each River Steward will be expected to complete at least 280 hours of work from June – August (at least 35 hours/week over 8 weeks).

Internship Overview: While working out of the Berkshire Office, River Stewards will be supervised by HVA’s Berkshire Director, and in the Cornwall Bridge office, by HVA Watershed Conservation Director. They will also be asked to work with other HVA staff as needed. Work will include a mix of office and field-based activities. Projects that the intern may be involved with include:

  • Environmental Monitoring: The River Stewards will assist HVA staff in the field with water quality monitoring and habitat assessment activities including collecting water samples for chemical analysis, macroinvertebrate sampling and conducting visual surveys along riverways to document river conditions, threats and identify restoration opportunities.
  • Restoration project monitoring and maintenance: River Stewards will monitor the success of past restoration plantings and conduct maintenance activities as needed.
  • Data Compilation, Document Analysis and Mapping: River Stewards will assist with gathering and summarizing environmental data and planning documents from a variety of local, state and federal sources. This work will support a number of ongoing HVA efforts, including watershed-based planning.
  • Road/Stream Crossing Assessment: River Stewards will visit and assess bridges and culverts throughout the Housatonic watershed to identify barriers to fish and wildlife passage, and assist with post-assessment data processing and report writing.
  • Websites and Social Media: The intern will be involved in producing materials for the HVA website and Facebook pages when appropriate. Related tasks might include identifying and summarizing relevant news items, sharing photos of HVA events and field work, and writing project updates.
  • Opportunities may be available for the intern to assist with other organization work including GIS analysis of land and water resources, and outreach activities such as guided paddle trips, community events, and school field trips.

Qualifications: Candidates must be highly-motivated, passionate about watershed conservation, and work both independently and as part of a team. In addition, the candidate must possess:

  • Enthusiasm for outdoor field work, including working in remote areas under potentially inclement environmental conditions;
  • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to represent HVA in a professional manner;
  • Excellent writing skills;
  • Familiarity with basic website administration and social media;
  • Experience using GPS and GIS;
  • Willingness to work the occasional evening or weekend.

 

 

 

 

Requirements: Daily access to a personal vehicle is a requirement of the position. The intern must also be physically able to participate in potentially strenuous field work (i.e. physically active work outside for several hours at a time during the summer).

Compensation: The intern will be provided with a $2,400 stipend for the course of the internship. Work related travel will be compensated at a rate of $0.48/mile.

 

Application Procedure: Interested candidates should submit the following materials via email:

 

  1. COVER LETTER explaining your interest and qualifications
  2. RESUME
  3. TWO (2) PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES
  4. (Optional but encouraged) Examples of past projects relevant to HVA’s mission (please limit to 1-2 pages/project, max of three projects)

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

 

Deadline:  April 20th.  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

 


Questions and applications should be directed to:

                For Massachusetts:

Dennis Regan, Berkshire Director

Housatonic Valley Association
Mail: PO Box 496, Stockbridge, MA 01262
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 413/ 298-7024

                For Connecticut:
                                                                Michael S. Jastremski, Watershed Conservation Director

Housatonic Valley Association
Mail: PO Box 28, Cornwall Bridge, CT 06754
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (860) 672-6678

If a candidate would work in either Massachusetts or Connecticut, just send in one application to   either site and note your interest of internship location.