Point Reyes National Seashore Association (PRNSA) is seeking a summer intern for its joint programs with Point Reyes National Seashore on Coastal Dune Restoration and Rare Plant Monitoring. The position is a temporary seasonal position (June – August 2021).  Point Reyes National Seashore Association (PRNSA) is the primary nonprofit partner of the National Park Service at Point Reyes. We work in partnership with the National Park Service to create opportunities for all people to experience, enhance, and preserve Point Reyes National Seashore (Seashore) for present and future generations. The Coastal Dune and Rare Plant intern will be an employee of PRNSA, which will act as the direct supervisor, while Seashore staff will provide day-to-day technical guidance in the field.

The Coastal Dune and Rare Plant Intern will assist on a variety of rare plant, invasive removal, and coastal dune restoration monitoring activities at the Seashore. This intern will

(1) Assist with monitoring three endangered plant species and surveying for other rare plants;

(2) Assist with vegetation and photopoint monitoring in coastal dune restoration sites;

(3) Assist with assessing success of prior invasives removal treatments to determine the amount of re-treatment necessary in 2021;

(4) Assist with removal of invasives in dunes, including European beachgrass, iceplant, European searocket, New Zealand spinach, and European black nightshade, and bush lupine using both herbicide treatment and manual removal;

(5) Assist with entry of collected monitoring data into established databases and with data validation; and

(6) Navigating to and mapping sites using GPS equipment; and

(7) creating maps showing collected information using ArcGIS software.

The applicant should have:

(1) Knowledge of plant species, with knowledge of California species, particularly coastal species preferred;

(2) Experience using GPS to navigate to sites and map;

(3) Experience conducting manual removal of invasive plants;

(4) Experience conducting herbicide treatment of invasive plants; Experience using computer software used in resource management (specifically Microsoft Excel);

(5) Possession of valid Driver’s License required; and

(6) Experience using GIS a plus.  The applicant should have a Demonstrated interest in vegetation management; Demonstrated ability to conduct fieldwork safely in challenging site conditions (e.g., carrying a pack up to 50 pounds in deep sand); Demonstrated ability to conduct manual labor for full days; and Demonstrated experience working both in a collaborative team and independently.  The work environment is primarily outdoors, often in physically challenging site conditions including steep slopes, various types of inclement weather, hiking through dense vegetation or in open sand, and with frequent exposure to hazards such as poison oak, stinging plants, or stinging/biting insects.

The Seashore is located in a rural area with limited public transportation. A personal vehicle may be necessary to commute to and from work. Cost of living in Marin County is significantly higher than the national average. Shared government housing may be available, but is not guaranteed due to Covid-19 restrictions. Private rental housing may be available within a 30-minute drive of the office.