Job Type: Paid Internship
Salary Details: $19.00 per hour

About Point Reyes National Seashore Association (PRNSA)
We partner with the National Park Service to create opportunities for all people to experience, enhance, and preserve Point Reyes National Seashore for present and future generations. As a national leader in coastal conservation and environmental education, we transform park visitors into park stewards.

Job Summary
This internship is an opportunity to gain exposure to and experience working in Natural Resources Management within the National Park Service (NPS). Specifically, the Vegetation Management Intern will work under the technical guidance of the Range Management program of the Natural Resources Division at Point Reyes National Seashore. The intern is expected to benefit from on-the-job training in a diversity of tasks including plant identification, monitoring, and ecology, invasive plant management, residual dry matter monitoring, use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and data management.

The Vegetation Management Intern will assist with the treatment of invasive plant species, vegetation monitoring and mapping, water quality monitoring, and rangeland monitoring. The intern will be an employee of PRSNA, and PRNSA staff will act as the direct supervisor while NPS staff will provide day-to-day technical guidance in the field. 

Reports To: Sam Chiriboga (PRNSA Associate Director) and works alongside NPS Technical Lead, Dylan Voeller (Range Program Manager/Ecologist)

Essential Duties and Functions

  • Assist with invasive non-native plant treatment including manual removal and the use of herbicides following proper safety and application techniques
  • Assist with mapping and monitoring of invasive non-native plant infestations, including treatment tracking
  • Assist with spring vegetation and rare plant monitoring
  • Assist with ongoing water quality monitoring
  • Assist with fall residual dry matter monitoring on ranchlands
  • Assist with monitoring of ranch operation compliance with permits
  • Assist with native plant seed collection and nursery maintenance
  • Assist with data management including entry, validation, and clean-up of monitoring data in ArcGIS, Excel, Access, and organization and cataloging of monitoring photos
  • Other duties as assigned

Desired Skills and Experience

  • Demonstrated interest in vegetation management
  • Demonstrated ability to conduct fieldwork safely in challenging site conditions
  • Demonstrated ability to conduct manual labor for full days
  • Demonstrated experience working both in a collaborative team and independently
  • Experience with plant identification
  • Experience with GPS and GIS
  • Experience with data collection and data management
  • Familiarity with water quality monitoring
  • Familiarity with the management of livestock grazing activities
  • Possession of a valid Driver’s License required
  • Willing to be fingerprinted and undergo a criminal background check through Livescan.

Personal Qualifications

  • Commitment to PRNSA’s mission and DEI work
  • Strong attention to detail and ability to carefully follow monitoring protocols (vegetation, residual dry matter, etc.) and directions from staff
  • Strong work ethic, including enthusiasm for long field days and repetitive tasks 
  • Very reliable and punctual
  • Able to work cooperatively on a team as well as working independently 
  • Demonstrated commitment to field safety

PHYSICAL DEMAND
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee is frequently required to use their hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, and climb or balance. The employee will spend a good proportion of time in the field, completing tasks that include hiking through vegetation, on steep slopes, and uneven terrain, including off-trail hiking, wading in streams with flowing or stagnant water, driving on unimproved dirt roads, and will sometimes be required to conduct work that requires significant physical exertion. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK SCHEDULE
Most work will be Monday through Friday, 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week, but due to the flexible nature of the work the candidate may occasionally be asked to work some longer or weekend hours. The position is temporary for approximately 6 months. 

SALARY & BENEFITS
The position is temporary, $19 per hour, 40 hours per week, non-exempt, and includes sick leave and paid holiday time off. No-cost dormitory-style shared housing is available at a location approximately 11 miles by road from the work reporting location at Point Reyes National Seashore park headquarters.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. The work environment is frequently outdoors, often in physically challenging site conditions including steep slopes, uneven terrain, various types of inclement weather, hiking through vegetation, wading in flowing streams, rangelands with cattle, and with frequent exposure to hazards such as poison oak, stinging plants, or stinging/biting insects. Appropriate personal protective equipment will be provided to assist the employee in working safely under demanding physical conditions. A proportion of time is spent driving government vehicles to work locations within Point Reyes National Seashore including rural ranch roads and occasional off-road travel. Some work will occur in an open office setting, occasionally with prolonged sitting and computer use. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Point Reyes National Seashore is located in a rural area with limited public transportation. A personal vehicle may be necessary to commute to and from work. 

INTERVIEW PROCESS:

  • Position open until filled, applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis
  • Successful candidates will be contacted to schedule an interview
  • Suggested first day is no later than May 1, 2023, for an approximately 6-month contract

HOW TO APPLY
Submit a resume that includes names and contact information for three references through the Point Reyes National Seashore Association job announcement page: https://theapplicantmanager.com/jobs?pos=P4129

Send any inquiries to jobs@ptreyes.org