Fish and Feather Internship Program - ONSITE - Marsh Billings Rockefeller Nat Hist Park

Start/End Dates: May 11, 2024 - August 1, 2025
Compensation: $640 per week + housing
Application Due: February 9, 2025

Fish and Feathers Internship Program seeks to engage ethnically and racially diverse young professionals in natural resource careers.
You must be (additional requirement):

• A U.S. citizen or legal resident.

• Have a valid driver’s license and a good driving record.

* A personal vehicle is recommended for this position. 

Position Description: 

Fish and Feathers is a program funded by the National Park Service (NPS) and administered by Environment for the Americas. Our goal is to provide our national park partners with talented interns who are eager to learn and to engage with local communities. The intern will focus on supporting, implementing, and leading community outreach programs that focus on fishing and birding activities. The overall goal is to increase diverse community engagement with NPS partners during the program and in years to come.

Responsibilities:

• Reach out to local communities through outreach and educational activities to increase engagement in fishing and birdwatching
• Create new materials (i.e., social media, educational games/activities, signage, etc.) to provide visitors with information about fish and birds at the NPS site
• Understand regulations regarding fishing and ethical birding and communicate this information to participants
• Establish or build upon fishing and birding programs at the NPS site
• Manage and maintain program equipment
• Meet deadlines for Environment for the Americas program requirements 

Qualifications:

• Ability to hike and conduct field operations as part of a team and/or independently in an outdoor setting.
• Experience giving presentations and ability to learn new skills and transfer the knowledge to participants.
• Interest in learning fishing regulations and bird identification for program development and implementation.
• Ability to learn methods employed in fish and wildlife management.
• Strong interpersonal, oral, listening, and written communication skills.
• Interest in learning new skills such as rafting, canoeing, and kayaking.

Major studies relevant to this position: 

Successful candidates will have a background and/or coursework in the following areas or a strong interest in the outdoors with experience fishing and/or birdwatching.

• Biology
• Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences
• Ecology
• Aquaculture
• Communications/Marketing
• Environmental Science
• Recreation
• Interpretation/Education

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About this Site: 

Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park is located in Woodstock, Vermont—a region of great natural beauty along the Ottauquechee River in the foothills of the Green Mountains. The park opened to visitors in 1998 and is the first unit in the National Park System focused on the theme of conservation history and the evolving nature of land stewardship in America. It preserves and interprets the early 19th-century Billings/Rockefeller mansion and grounds, along with a 500-acre forest on the slopes of Mount Tom, where visitors enjoy hiking, nature study, and cross-country skiing.

A variety of local restaurants and grocery stores are located in Woodstock and within a few miles of the park. Woodstock, VT, is about 30 minutes from West Lebanon, NH, which has many chain restaurants and stores. The weather in Woodstock varies by season, with average summer temperatures around 70°F and winter temperatures around 30°F. The elevation of Woodstock is approximately 1,200 feet.

This position will involve a mix of office and field work. Office work will take place in the historic carriage barn visitor center, with occasional fieldwork and outdoor programming. The office space includes a large sit/stand desk within the natural resources and education team hubs. Saint-Gaudens NHP and Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park (MABI) share a natural resources team. This position will primarily involve projects at MABI but will also include work at Saint-Gaudens NHP.

The role may require lifting up to 25 pounds and spending extended periods outdoors in various weather conditions, including cold, hot, and humid environments. Duties may include hiking off-trail and uphill. The ideal intern will enjoy spending time outdoors, often alone in the forest. Job hazards include exposure to wildlife, ticks, and sun, as well as the risks associated with using tools such as saws, loppers, and pruners.

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 employmentand 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.