{"id":55006,"date":"2025-01-09T14:15:35","date_gmt":"2025-01-09T22:15:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/mesweekly\/?p=55006"},"modified":"2025-01-09T14:15:35","modified_gmt":"2025-01-09T22:15:35","slug":"internship-community-agriculture-localized-foods-and-improved-access-the-center-for-climate-action-and-sustainability-at-evergreen-with-mason-conservation-district-mason-county-wa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/mesweekly\/internship-community-agriculture-localized-foods-and-improved-access-the-center-for-climate-action-and-sustainability-at-evergreen-with-mason-conservation-district-mason-county-wa\/","title":{"rendered":"Internship: Community Agriculture, Localized Foods, and Improved Access, The Center for Climate Action and Sustainability at Evergreen with Mason Conservation District (Mason County, WA)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<img src=\"https:\/\/www.masoncd.org\/uploads\/3\/1\/5\/9\/31598011\/mcd-logo-v3.png\" alt=\"MASON CONSERVATION DISTRICT\" \/><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center\">CCAS: Community Agriculture, Localized Foods, and Improved Access. <br \/>The Evergreen State College<\/h2>\n<p><br \/>The Center for Climate Action and Sustainability (CCAS) at The Evergreen State College is excited to announce a joint-internship opportunity with Mason Conservation District. CCAS offers external internships (externships) to give students additional opportunities\/real-world experiences in their fields of interest. All CCAS intern\/externs must be admitted\/enrolled Evergreen students during the time they are working. This position is for Spring &#8211; Summer Quarter. Mason Conservation District is seeking applicants to assist and expand upon efforts to address local food needs.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Mason Conservation District seeks assistance to support the Farms in Translation \u2013 Urban and Community Food Systems Grant Program, with the goal to address food insecurity, climate &amp; environmental justice concerns, and mitigate natural resource concerns. Interns will steward community food spaces and assist district staff in rehabilitating community garden spaces to make them more accessible to underserved communities. Sites include but are not limited to Callanan Park Community Garden, Civic Center Pollinator Food Forest, and Shelton Veterans Village Garden. The Evergreen Intern will help facilitate the Farms to Food Pantry grant program which provides payments to farms for produce destined for food pantries, with a special emphasis on foods of cultural significance. MCD Gleaning Program and assist in connecting local agricultural producers to food banks, assist district staff in workshops and educational programs.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Mason County, Washington&#8217;s only incorporated city, Shelton, as well as its residents, are served by the Mason Conservation District. The agricultural and natural resource sectors have historically dominated the economies of Mason County and the City of Shelton. However, those industries are no longer the main local employment sectors; instead, it is now the government, retail sales, hospitality, and service sectors. These jobs typically come with lower salaries. The community as a whole is currently experiencing economic stress, and for more than 20 years, Shelton&#8217;s population has had a higher percentage of families living in poverty than the average for the state. Despite these challenges, the county has kept up a consistent farming tradition for more than 160 years, even though the farmers and their crops have changed over time. The number of farmers between 25 and 34 has increased by more than 100% over the last 20 years, indicating that the agricultural community in Mason County is growing.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Other opportunities for directing outreach and educational activities are available, as well as <br \/>additional learning opportunities for environmental conservation.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><br \/>Interns with Mason CD will gain experience in building and planning community agricultural<br \/>spaces, implementing engagement strategies, assessing community needs, and stewardship <br \/>of natural resources. These activities include:<br \/>\u2022 Farms in Translation \u2013 Assist in implementing micro-grant funding to connect local <br \/>producers to community partners engaged in improving access to fresh and local foods. <br \/>Participating farms will invoice for produce deliveries with an emphasis on Culturally <br \/>Relevant Foods. Assist staff in producing educational materials for local producers on <br \/>production of niche CRF crops.<br \/>\u2022 Sustainable Urban Agriculture \u2013 Engage with community members and project partners to <br \/>steward and manage urban garden spaces. Encourage community ownership and <br \/>participation in local food production. Coordinate and cooperate with project partners that <br \/>include municipalities, local tribes, and non-profits.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Additional opportunities will be offered based upon individual interests. These include:<\/strong><br \/>\u2022 Natural resources conservation activities<br \/>\u2022 Potential participation in pollinator habitat projects in urban and rural settings.<br \/>\u2022 Participation in riparian restoration or other conservation district activities.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Duties and Responsibilities:<\/strong><br \/>\u2022 Assist district planners in facilitating garden programs and creation. <br \/>\u2022 Assist with development of outreach and community engagement strategies. <br \/>\u2022 Engage with diverse communities, some of which may be of limited or non-English<br \/>languages.<br \/>\u2022 Coordinate with community partners such as CIELO, Salish Roots Farm, and HOPE Garden <br \/>Project.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Additional CCAS related duties:<\/strong><br \/>\u2022 Attend virtual or in-person meetings and trainings with host internship organization (CCAS) <br \/>as available<br \/>\u2022 Track and log worked hours<br \/>\u2022 Submit reflections of the internship experience<br \/>\u2022 Meet regularly with Internship supervisor for check-ins<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Qualifications:<\/strong><br \/>\u2022 Passionate about connecting with diverse communities<br \/>\u2022 Knowledgeable about market gardening and local food production.<br \/>\u2022 Basic understanding of major natural resource concerns (soil health, water quality, etc.).<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Basic experience using Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Gmail, Google Calendar, <br \/>Google Drive)<br \/>\u2022 Listening and understanding Cooperator\u2019s goals and objectives.<br \/>\u2022 Strong communication skills (written, oral, and interpersonal)<br \/>\u2022 Able to prioritize multiple tasks and be adaptable<br \/>\u2022 Able to work effectively with others as part of a small team<br \/>\u2022 Effective time management<br \/>\u2022 Critical thinking<br \/>\u2022 Reliable personal transportation<br \/>\u2022 Willing and able to perform heavy physical labor including digging, bending, handling plants. <br \/>Knowledgeable about market gardening and local food production.<br \/>\u2022 Willing and able to perform internship duties in a variety of outdoor settings, on uneven <br \/>terrain and in a variety of weather.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pay and Other Benefits<\/strong><br \/>\u2022 Pay is $17.00 hourly <br \/>\u2022 Up to 19 hours per week\/variable schedule<br \/>\u2022 During holiday breaks (Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring Breaks) and summer sessions, one <br \/>may work up to 40-hours per week with the permission of CCAS directors. <br \/>\u2022 In addition to pay, opportunities for academic credit with the CCAS Director, Dr. Anthony <br \/>Levenda, are available with an Internship Learning Contract (ILC). ILCs are academically due <br \/>1 week before the end of the prior quarter. Expression of interest is required in advance, <br \/>usually at the time of application, or 2 weeks before the end of the quarter.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>How to Apply? <\/strong><br \/>Please submit the following:<\/p>\n<p><br \/>1. A letter of interest that includes the following: <br \/>o How do you meet the above-mentioned qualifications? <br \/>o How many hours per week are you available, and when are those generally?<br \/>o What would you like to gain from this experience?<br \/>o How does this internship fit with your career goals?<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>2. A resume\/CV <\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>3. Submit either via Handshake, or via email with the subject line \u201cCCAS Internship Application\u201d<br \/>o If via email, send to Director Anthony Levenda <br \/>(Anthony.Levenda@evergreen.edu) and CC\u2019 Assistant Director Michael Joseph <br \/>(JosephM@evergreen.edu). <\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Applications submitted by Saturday February 17th, 2024 at midnight will receive priority review (with interviews in Eval Week). Applications received later than this date will be reviewed if the position has not been filled.<br \/>*Additional External Organization Information: <br \/>Mason Conservation District\u2019s mission is the promoting of the sustainable use, conservation, <br \/>and restoration of natural resources for future generations. Established in Mason County in 1956, as a product of national legislation as a result of Dust Bowl era soil erosion concerns. <br \/>Conservation Districts are special purposed, non-regulatory governmental districts. Staff <br \/>currently engage in river restoration activities, salmon recovery, forestry, native plant <br \/>restoration.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":10410,"featured_media":34096,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_s2mail":"yes"},"categories":[18],"tags":[8015,8017,36,8016,281,7,9],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/mesweekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55006"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/mesweekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/mesweekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/mesweekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10410"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/mesweekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55006"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/mesweekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55006\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55007,"href":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/mesweekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55006\/revisions\/55007"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/mesweekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/mesweekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/mesweekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/mesweekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}