Pay Rate: $2,000
Full description at https://environment.uw.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/UpperWatershedIntership-CommunityEngagementFINAL.docx.pdf
Description
The focus of the 2021 River Guardians Program Internship at Willamette Riverkeeper is to enable college students and college age students with an interest in Environmental Sciences and related areas to gain a deeper understanding of both social and environmental issues affecting the upper Willamette watershed, while learning how to identify and catalyze resources in an effort to resolve them through public policy and community engagement. This internship will help students gain a basic knowledge of how social and environmental factors play an overarching role in the health of the watershed. Interns will complete a combination of active field work and active coordination of volunteer efforts, public communications and advocacy efforts addressing homelessness and the degradation of natural areas, recreation access and equitability, and riverfront development. Students will also learn how to foster stakeholder relationships in resolving these issues, and other collaborative efforts that celebrate and education others in the Willamette River’s history, culture, ecology, and safe recreation. The Internship will typically consist of: 3 days each week working with WR staff, Board, and/or volunteers related to WR’s work on river monitoring and cleanup efforts, habitat conservation/restoration, and river health advocacy as it relates to pollution, development and other human impacts. Students will also gain skills in river recreation, communications, logistical and strategic planning, and event oversight.
Internship Goals and Responsibilities
– Assist WR staff to gain knowledge in the field about the issues affecting Greenway development, public policy planning, river recreation access, and resulting human impacts, real and foreseen, in the upper Willamette River landscape.
– Assist WR staff to recruit and organize volunteers for both advocacy and on-the-ground restoration and cleanup efforts. This will include basic inventorying of supplies and gear to prepare for field days, serving as an on-water safety and paddling lead (with training provided), as well as developing partnerships with land managers and river constituency groups, coordinating logistics and volunteer communications. Watercraft will involve rafts, kayaks, and canoes.
– Assist WR staff and volunteers to survey and/or remove invasive plants (including the use of gas powered trimmers etc. – with training provided) at key Willamette Water Trail locations as needed. – Engage in and contribute to community and stakeholder meetings.
– Administer event registration (using Constant Contact) and basic volunteer communications, river monitoring documentation, and project tracking through spreadsheets.
– Research riverfront developments and planning documentation in the Eugene-Springfield area and assist WR staff in identifying gaps and solutions that could be developed as official position papers, public comment, or direct recommendations to stakeholders.
– Assist WR staff with Willamette River Festival coordination, which may include focusing on website content development and social media communications, video production, and sponsorship development.
Our intent is to keep the internship flexible, planning ahead a couple of weeks in advance from late June through mid-September to determine the schedule and work actions along the river.
This internship seeks to provide an opportunity to learn about Willamette Riverkeeper’s mission, work, and programs, gain a greater knowledge of the river and its ecosystems, and learn how to use the tools of the trade, from canoes to power tools to camp gear. Objectives of this internship and responsibilities outlined for interns may change due current and changing restriction due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
To Apply: Please send a resume and cover letter to Michelle Emmons, michelle@willametteriverkeeper.org