Brief description:

The Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation is responsible for the preservation and maintenance of 18,000 acres of parklands, trails and open spaces that host a variety of habitats and a diverse array of species. As new wildlife and plant populations emerge and established populations change, land managers and researchers monitor impacts and use adaptive management strategies to promote conservation.

The Natural Resources Conservation interns support the Curator of Natural Resources in implementing and adapting conservation management plans, studying wildlife, monitoring target species and habitats, promoting forest health, and managing invasive species.

Responsibilities:

• Assist in the implementation of a large scale vernal pool monitoring project
  • Perform water quality sampling at 10 vernal pool sites around Westchester County
  • Check and maintain acoustic monitoring equipment for frog calls
  • Assist with field verification of pool locations based on remote mapping
  • Collect other data around pools as needed
• Assist with on-going turtle conservation projects
  • Check aquatic turtle traps
  • Track turtles via radio telemetry
  • Perform turtle searches in meadow areas
• Assist in the implementation of several wildlife monitoring projects
  • Bluebird box monitoring
  • Bat monitoring via acoustic detection
  • Wildlife camera projects
• Assist with management of invasive species populations
• Use GIS to map trails and habitat features and to collect data
• Assist with forest health and restoration related projects including the maintenance of deer exclosures for regeneration and data collection through rapid site assessments
• May be asked to perform some environmental education tasks including a weekend public program, leading occasional activities with summer campers, and assisting with mentorship of high school science-research students

Required Qualifications:

• Majors in Biology, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, or related field
• Valid driver’s license (interns will report to multiple work locations around the County throughout the internship)
• Ability to work in potentially adverse field conditions including heat, humidity, rain, dense/thorny vegetation, and around biting/stinging insects
• Ability to navigate off trail and work independently in remote locations
• Ability to hike several miles and transport equipment
• Ability to follow a detailed procedure

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with local plant and animal species
• Course work in GIS

Start and end dates:

June 1st – August 7th

Hours per week:

32.5 (9am-4pm with 30-minute lunch break)

May occasionally be asked to stagger shifts to cover morning or evening data collection.