Housatonic Valley Association River Stewards of Tomorrow 2014 Internship Position Available- NY
Organization: Housatonic Valley Association (HVA)
Position Title: Housatonic Valley Association River Stewards of Tomorrow 2014 Internship
Location: New York
Hours and Compensation: The intern will be provided with a $2,400 stipend for the course of the internship.
Application Deadline: May 25th or the position is filled
Internship Description:
The Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) is seeking applications for two River Steward of Tomorrow Environmental Internshippositions, available for summer 2014. The River Stewards will work throughout the Housatonic Watershed on a variety of projects related to water quality and habitat conservation. River Stewards will split their time between HVA’s main office (located in Cornwall Bridge in the northwest corner of Connecticut) and our Berkshire field office (located in South Lee, Massachusetts). Each River Steward will be expected to complete approximately 240 hours of work from June – August (roughly 30 hours per week over 8 weeks).
Internship Overview: While working out of the Cornwall Bridge office, the 2014 River Stewards will be supervised by the HVA Water Protection Director, but may also be asked to work with other staff as needed. In the Berkshire Office, River Stewards will be supervised by HVA’s Berkshire Director. Work will include a mix of office and field-based activities. Projects that the intern will be expected to participate in include:
- Water Quality Monitoring. The River Stewards will assist HVA staff with field-based water quality monitoring activities including collecting water quality samples, conducting rapid bioassessments, and conducting visual surveys along important stream reaches to document uses and conditions.
- Water Quality Data Compilation and Mapping: River Stewards will assist with compiling and summarizing water chemistry data from a variety of local, state and federal sources in MA, NY, and CT.
- Road/Stream Crossing Assessment. The River Stewards will visit and assess bridges and culverts in Northwest CT to identify barriers to fish and wildlife passage, and assist with post-assessment data processing.
- Websites and Social Media. HVA maintains a website for the organization as well as a website focused on the Naugatuck River, an important tributary of the Housatonic in CT. and a Facebook page. The intern will be involved in the production of materials for HVA’s website and Facebook page. Related tasks might include identifying and summarizing relevant news items, developing project updates, and creating educational or training videos.
- Additional opportunities may be available for the intern to assist with other organization work including assisting with land conservation easement monitoring, GIS analysis of land and water resources and membership outreach activities such as guided paddle trips.
Qualifications: The River Stewards will work alongside the industry’s best professionals in one of the oldest watershed organizations in the nation. Candidates must be highly-motivated, interested in pursuing an environmental career, and able to work both independently and as part of a team.
In addition, the ideal candidate will possess:
- Enthusiasm for outdoor field work (e.g., water quality sampling, habitat surveys), including navigating along potentially unmarked terrain in a variety of weather conditions;
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to represent HVA in a professional manner;
- Excellent writing skills;
- Familiarity with basic website administration and social media;
- Experience using GPS and GIS technologies, including related online tools such as Google Earth and Google Maps.
Requirements: Daily access to a personal vehicle is a requirement of the position. The intern must also be physically able to participate in potentially strenuous field work (i.e. physically active work outside for several hours during hot and/or rainy weather).
Compensation: The intern will be provided with a $2,400 stipend for the course of the internship. Work related travel will be compensated at a rate of $0.48/mile.
Application Procedure: Interested candidates should e-mail or mail the following application materials to the Internship Coordinator:
- COVER LETTER
- RESUME
- TWO (2) PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES
- (Optional) Examples of past projects relevant to HVA’s mission (please limit to 1-2 pages/project, max of three projects)
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Deadline: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until May 25th or the position is filled.
Questions and applications should be directed to:
Michael S. Jastremski, Water Protection Director
Housatonic Valley Association
Mail: PO Box 28, Cornwall Bridge, CT 06754
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (860) 672-6678
About the Housatonic Valley Association (HVA): The Housatonic Valley Association, founded in 1941, works to conserve the natural character and environmental health of our communities by protecting and restoring the lands and waters of the Housatonic Watershed for this and future generations. We are one of the oldest watershed-based conservation groups in the country and have a proven track record of success.
Since 2011, we have protected water resources in the watershed by assessing 100+ miles of streams and identifying more than 800 road culvert crossings for replacement to improve fish habitat connectivity. We helped organize the first river-wide gathering to discuss the merging economic and environmental interests along the Naugatuck. We physically removed many tons of garbage from the rivers of the watershed, completed the first scientific study of the Swamp River in New York, and worked with the state of Massachusetts to complete the Columbia Mill Dam sediment study – the first step towards the dam’s removal. We collaborated with partners to construct multiple new boating access sites and published a Berkshire Paddle Guide for the headwaters of the Housatonic. We also developed an environmental curriculum guide and brought hundreds of students outside to study and experience their local streams and rivers. We were among the leaders negotiating both stream flow protection regulations in Connecticut and pushing for common-sense PCB cleanup in Massachusetts. We conserved 20 acres of undeveloped riverfront, facilitated funding to design the extension of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail in New York, worked with recreationalists to create a multi-town bike trail in Connecticut, and continued our role as a leader of the Litchfield Hills Greenprint program, a partnership of 23 land trusts in northwest Connecticut.
Learn more about our work and find how you can help by visiting www.hvatoday.org.
