The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is seeking four college students to help the Urban Forestry’s division collect updated information on SDOT and privately maintained street trees, and report on inventory updates.  Interns will also work with iTree software to report on the social and economic benefits of Seattle’s street trees.  SDOT’s Urban Forestry’s mission is to provide integrated maintenance, emergency response, and stewardship of the engineered and natural systems within the right-of-way, to promote a safe, vibrant and interconnected city.

Interns will be given a hands-on orientation for street tree data collection using a proprietary ArcGIS collector application. iPads will be supplied for data collection, and a text chain will be set up with on staff arborists to allow interns to check tree species and location by checking in with staff.  We will also provide hands on training for our iTree and ArcGIS systems that are used to plan and track progress.

Educational Benefit to Student
The position will help the student understand how their coursework translates into the daily operations of a city’s urban forestry division, in particular, the collection of data and entry into the tree inventory, and analysis of GIS data to determine planting potential throughout the city. Accurate inventory data is essential for planning maintenance of SDOT assets, as well as providing support to citizens who need permits to maintain their trees.

An online tree map has been released, and accurate inventory data will provide better customer service to the public. The student will also be able to interact with iTree inventory analysis software and observe how data is used when making management decisions.

85%  Field data collection
10%  Data verification, analysis and reporting
5%  File/Data management

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education
Open to all undergraduate students enrolled in an accredited 2-year or 4-year educational program and graduate students, who are enrolled in an accredited educational program.

Preferred Areas of Study:  Forestry, Urban Forestry, Landscape Architecture, Arboriculture, Horticulture, Natural Resource Management.

Undergraduate students will need to maintain a 2.0 GPA or above throughout the internship.
Graduate students will need to maintain a 3.0 GPA or above throughout the internship.

EXPERIENCE

  Required

• Experience in or knowledge related to tree identification
• General knowledge of ArcGIS products
  Ability to perform ad-hoc research using the internet
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Access)
• Strong analytical, organizational and communication skills

Desired Qualifications

• Project management experience
• Familiarity with tree inventory applications

Start/End Dates:    Early July 2021 to September 15, 2021

Schedule:  Intern will work 20 hours/weeks while school is in session.  30-40 hours/week during school breaks.  Work hours can be scheduled between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm.

Salary:  Undergraduate students will be paid $18.36/hour. Graduate students will be paid $22.50/hour.

How to Apply:  complete an online application and include the following:

• Unofficial transcript including current classes and GPA
• Cover letter
• Resume

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Note:  The City has the expectation that interns will be readily available to report to onsite work in Seattle when operational needs require.