{"id":60575,"date":"2026-08-12T19:59:19","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T02:59:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/mesweekly\/?p=60575"},"modified":"2026-08-12T19:59:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T02:59:19","slug":"internship-habitat-connectivity-internship-dept-of-transportation-olympia-wa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/mesweekly\/internship-habitat-connectivity-internship-dept-of-transportation-olympia-wa\/","title":{"rendered":"Internship: Habitat Connectivity Internship, Dept. of Transportation (Olympia, WA)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Habitat Connectivity Internship at the Washington State Department of Transportation<\/strong><\/p>\n

When<\/strong>: September 2026 \u2013 June 2027. Potential opportunity to extend for the duration of the intern\u2019s academic program.<\/p>\n

Where<\/strong>: Much of the work can be completed remotely. Field work is required, at a minimum, one day per week. Some training and meetings occur at WSDOT headquarters. WSDOT headquarters, 310 Maple Park Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98504<\/p>\n

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is seeking to hire one intern from the Master of Environmental Studies (MES) or undergraduate programs at The Evergreen State College to support the agency\u2019s habitat connectivity work. The primary duties involve managing a network of motion-triggered cameras at wildlife crossing structures along the state highway system, as well as at roadside and off highway locations; as well as maintaining the wildlife carcass removal and salvage databases.<\/p>\n

The intern will process data from the cameras and complete analyses that describe the seasonal and temporal relationships of wildlife and highways. Other duties, such as assisting with Endangered Species Act-related permitting work and preparing informational presentations and posters for internal and external audiences will be completed as time allows.<\/p>\n

Position Objective<\/strong>: The Habitat Connectivity Internship primarily involves servicing wildlife cameras distributed across the state and processing the data from them. This includes reviewing thousands of images weekly, identifying wildlife species and number of individuals, and entering this and other information into a database. Periodically, interns analyze wildlife use of bridges, culverts, and areas adjacent to the highway, producing summary statistics to further our understanding of wildlife activity patterns in the vicinity of highways. Other opportunities, such as assisting with WSDOT\u2019s Endangered Species Act policy, will be provided.<\/p>\n

Camera servicing involves regular visits to locations across the state to swap batteries and collect data. Since the intern helps maintain an active monitoring program, removing and installing cameras will also occur. The intern must be comfortable driving long distances in a state vehicle throughout all seasons. Camera servicing field days frequently involve hundreds of miles of driving, often in rural areas or over mountain passes.<\/p>\n

Over the past decade, WSDOT\u2019s reliance on MES interns to maintain, produce and analyze data has grown tremendously, and applicants should expect a challenging position with increasing responsibility earned throughout. Interns are encouraged to utilize WSDOT habitat connectivity data for their theses.<\/p>\n

Essential job knowledge, skills and abilities:<\/strong><\/p>\n