American Conservation Experience: Grand Canyon Vegetation Management Internship
ACE is a 501 (c)(3) Non-Profit Organization. To learn more, please visit www.usaconservation.org. Start Date: February 7, 2010 End Date: May 8, 2010 Project Description: In partnership with Grand Canyon National Park, ACE will have four 3-month vegetation management internship opportunities available. The internships will provide a wonderful opportunity to explore the field of vegetation management and to experience Grand Canyon’s various ecosystems. The ACE interns will assist Grand Canyon vegetation staff with early season vegetation management activities on the South Rim, at Desert View, and at Lees Ferry, and will help lead volunteer groups during the spring break period. Work will be primarily in the field. Although all interns will have opportunities for some experience in all the various portions of the vegetation program, each individual will work primarily in one area. The Horticulture/Nursery Intern will support the horticulturist and nursery manager, concentrating on nursery work including processing, cleaning and treating seed, propagating native plants, and maintaining the native plant nursery in the park. They will work with nursery staff and supervise volunteers on a regular basis. The Hazard Tree Intern will support the Hazard Tree Coordinator systematically surveying the developed areas of the South Rim and North Rim for potential hazardous trees, pruning tree branches of designated trees for trail and road clearance, and trimming of shrubs from edge of sidewalks and walkways. The Restoration Intern will work with the Restoration Biologist and the Crew Coordinator completing restoration activities including native plant installation, restoration site maintenance, native plant salvage, invasive plant control, field crew data collection and organization, and supervising volunteers. The Invasive Plant Intern will assist the Invasive Biologist with invasive plant control work. This includes co-leading several volunteer group trips that will be camping and working at Lees Ferry and at Indian Gardens, where lower elevation makes for warmer temperatures and an earlier start to the field season. Plants will controlled by removal with hand tools and control work is documented and mapped using GPS units. Project Location: Work and living locations are at high elevation (South Rim 6860 ft., Desert View 7340 ft., and Lees Ferry 3200 ft.) and temperatures will be cold in the early part of the work period with occasional snow and frequent ice. Work Schedule: Interns will typically work five 9-hour days one week, and four 9-hour days the next. Occasionally there will be weekend assignments leading volunteers. Each position will be slightly different so flexibility is required for those shifts. Room and Board: ACE interns will be accommodated in park housing in Grand Canyon Village, South Rim. Housing is in a shared cabin, with up to two interns per bedroom. There is a common kitchen and living room. Internet access is available nearby. On extremely cold days the nearby Recreation Center is a fun place to spend your time. ACE intern will be provided with a $70/week stipend to cover the cost of food and incidental expenses. Requirements: Anyone physically fit, capable of hard work, and between the ages of 18 and 35 may apply. Preference will be given to applicants with an educational background or field experience in Botany, Biology, Forestry, Environmental Science or other natural resource fields. ACE is appropriate for hard working, positive minded people who want to improve their career opportunities through hard work. To Apply: Please email resume and cover letter to American Conservation Experience at i...@usaconservation.org with “Grand Canyon Vegetation Management Internship – ECOLOG referred” in the subject heading. Your application will be considered for all four positions. Please include a simple list, with intern titles only, numbered 1-4 at the top of your cover letter indicating your interest in/order of preference for each position.
