Job Type: Paid Internship
Salary Details: $19/hr
Deadline: Jul 14, 2023
REPORTS TO: Riparian Restoration Manager and Conservation Program Director
LOCATION: Bend, Oregon or other Central Oregon location
CLASSIFICATION: Limited duration part-time paid internship
DURATION: 12 weeks in summer 2023

DESCRIPTION
Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA) is a conservation organization with a mission to protect, defend and restore Oregon’s high desert. With offices in Bend and Portland, Oregon, we represent more than 14,000 members and supporters in the state and across the country. ONDA’s Hillis Internship was launched in 2021 to honor one of those members, Harv Hillis, and his passion for desert conservation and stewardship. The Hillis Internship Program provides early career individuals with valuable learning and professional growth opportunities while contributing to the conservation and restoration of Oregon’s desert landscapes.

ONDA is pleased to offer an internship in summer 2023 for an aspiring conservation advocate to compile and synthesize data from existing published research that will inform ONDA’s campaign to add Beaver Managed Floodplains (BMFs) as a “Strategy Habitat” to the revised Oregon Conservation Strategy (OCS).  The OCS is Oregon’s federally approved conservation plan for conserving and recovering sensitive and imperiled plant and animal “Strategy Species” across the state.

The intern would use literature search tools such as Google Scholar, ResearchGate, or academic portals to compile peer-reviewed work and write a report summarizing current scientific research documenting the benefits of BMFs for approximately 152 Strategy Species across the state, including a bibliography that also annotates key cited documents.  Additionally, the intern will work collaboratively with ONDA staff to draft an advocacy letter for the report outlining the case for adding BMFs as an OCS Strategy Habitat and, if time allows, produce an advocacy tool kit for ONDA to use in future outreach, including social media posts, a blog post and a short project summary that could potentially be used in other ONDA publications.

This is a part-time internship of 15 to 20 hours per week for twelve weeks beginning in July 2023. A Bend, Oregon, work location is preferred, but a self-motivated candidate could also complete the work remotely.

SKILLS GAINED
This internship will involve delving into the latest scientific literature on one of the most interesting and promising frontiers in conservation science today, and working alongside ONDA staff to interpret, summarize and deploy that information in conservation advocacy. Working closely with ONDA’s Riparian Restoration Manager, who is an expert in beaver ecology and BMFs, the intern will gather insights into the techniques, process and benefits of beaver restoration to riparian systems and learn about the trajectory and potential career opportunities in this field. The intern will be exposed to all facets of conservation in this position – restoration, policy and management – and experience firsthand how ONDA leverages these components to protect, defend and restore desert lands, waters and wildlife. Finally, they will make new friends and important contacts with knowledgeable and passionate ONDA staff, members and supporters dedicated to conservation of Oregon’s high desert and restoration of beaver managed ecosystems.

ELIGIBILITY & DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
The Hillis Internship is open to early career individuals with a demonstrated interest in ONDA’s conservation mission. Early career individuals are defined as:

  • Students currently enrolled in a post-secondary educational institution (e.g., undergraduate, graduate, 4-year university, 2-year college, trade school, etc.);
  • Recent graduates who have completed a post-secondary degree or certificate within the past 12 months, or
  • Independent students who are pursuing an education or experience – formal or informal, within or without the bounds of a traditional educational institution – in a subject area related to ONDA’s mission and the internship.

Ideal candidates are those with a familiarity with beavers and their ecosystem roles, history as well as the opportunities and obstacles facing beaver restoration.

COMPENSATION
This internship is 15 to 20 hours per week paid at $19/hour. It includes pro-rated paid holidays.

TO APPLY
ONDA uses an anonymous applicant screening process to ensure fair and objective applicant evaluation. To help facilitate this review, please submit your application via email, with your email including two separate attachments as follows:

  • Attachment #1: A single page that includes your name, address, email and telephone number. Do not include this identifying information anywhere else in your attachments.
  • Attachment #2: A cover letter (without your name, address, email or telephone number) describing your qualifications and interest in the internship, resume (without your name, address, email or telephone number), and the contact information for two references. This information should be combined into a single .doc or .pdf file.

Please submit these application materials to hillisintern@onda.org  no later than 5:00PM (Pacific Time), July 14, 2023. Applications will be reviewed and considered as they are received.