About Friends of the Great Swamp

Friends of the Great Swamp or “FrOGS” is a non-profit conservation organization founded in 1990 to preserve and protect the health of New York’s Great Swamp ecosystem. The Great Swamp is one of the largest and most vulnerable freshwater wetlands in the state, covering over 6,700 acres of riparian corridor in eastern Dutchess and Putnam counties. This vast wetland system has long been recognized as an ecological treasure and conservation priority by government agencies and national NGOs alike. In addition to its vital role in water purification, flood control, and aquifer recharge, the Great Swamp provides habitat for a remarkable diversity of plants and animals, including many critically imperiled species. FrOGS works to preserve the wetland’s rich biodiversity through ecological field surveys and monitoring, habitat management, and invasive species control.

About the Position

 FrOGS is seeking two (2) summer Interns to assist with invasive species control and habitat management efforts at one of our wetland preserves in Dover, New York. Here, you will work on projects that address the following invasive plants:

• Narrowleaf cattail (Typha angustifolia)
• A hybrid form of cattail (Typha x glauca)
• Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
• Common reed (Phragmites australis)

This work will be conducted within the site’s critically imperiled rich sloping fen and rich graminoid fen communities. Common tasks include: (1) the cutting of invasive plant stems using hand shears or similar tools, (2) collecting and bagging the cut material, and (3) transporting these bags to pre-determined staging areas. Collectively, these projects aim to reduce the competitive advantage that invasives have over native fen vegetation by reestablishing an open canopy, depleting energy and nutrient reserves in the rhizome, and minimizing future population growth by reducing seed production and dispersal.    

While the invasive species control work highlighted above will likely fill most of the position’s allotted time, there may be opportunities to contribute to some of our other field projects and gain valuable technical skills while doing so!  Depending on the Intern’s interests, this could include one or more of the following:

• Habitat management for an Endangered plant
• Pilot restoration project, including seed collection, propagation, and planting
• Installing, sampling, and photographing permanent vegetation monitoring plots
• Mapping wetland communities and habitats using GPS and ArcGIS Pro
• Collecting and analyzing soil and water samples
• Rare turtle monitoring using radio-telemetry

Required Qualifications

• Current enrollment in a Bachelors degree program in Natural Resources, Ecology, Plant Science or a related field
• A combination of practical experience and a passion for invasive species or habitat management will also be considered in lieu of academic training
• Interest in applied conservation biology and ecological field work
• High tolerance for mundane and repetitive tasks (e.g., cutting and weeding invasives)
• Ability to follow directions and work without direct supervision
• Valid drivers license and access to reliable transportation for travel to the project site

‘Nice-to-have’ Qualifications

• Prior experience conducting ecological surveys or field research is a plus
• Ability to correctly identify common wetland invasive plants is a plus
• Coursework in wetland ecology, field biology, or botany is a plus

Physical Requirements

• Comfortable working under challenging field conditions (e.g., mucky wetland soils, knee-deep water, heat, humidity, rain, stinging and biting insects, etc.)
• Ability to walk, stand, bend, and kneel for long periods of time and in uneven terrain
• Comfortable working with simple hand and power tools including hand shears and battery-powered hedge trimmer
• Ability to lift and carry bulky items weighing up to 25 lbs for half a mile (e.g., large contractor bags filled with cut plant material)

Hours:  up to 40 hours per week    (some flexibility on days & hours worked per week)

Start / End Dates:  June 1 to July 31, 2026  (some flexibility on start and end dates.  There is also the possibility of an extension into early August based on funding)

Supervisor:  John Sullivan, Wetland Ecologist (Consultant to FrOGS)