HVA River Steward Internship


Housatonic Valley Association

River Stewards of Tomorrow

2013 Internship Position Available

Deadline: Applications will be accepted until May 24th or position is filled.

The Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) is offering a summer 2013 River Steward of Tomorrow

Environmental Internship position. The internship is a paid position open to recent high school graduates and current undergraduate students. The River Steward (Intern) will work out of HVA’s main office, located in Cornwall Bridge in the northwest corner of Connecticut. Occasional travel to HVA’s Berkshire field office (South Lee, Massachusetts) and Tenmile River field office (Wassaic, New York) may also be required. The intern will be expected to work 20 hours per week, from early June through early August (approximately 8 weeks).

Internship Overview: The 2013 River Steward will be supervised by the HVA Water Protection Manager, but may also be asked to work with other staff as needed. 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 intern will assist HVA staff with field-based water quality monitoring activities including collecting water quality samples, conducting rapid bioassessments, and documenting riparian habitat conditions along the river’s tributaries. In addition, the intern will assist with compiling and summarizing water chemistry data from a variety of local, state and federal sources.

Aquatic Invasive Species Outreach. The intern will help staff develop new aquatic invasive species education and outreach materials for residents of and visitors to the Housatonic River valley. The intern will be trained to assist with local efforts to educate public boat ramp users about zebra mussels and other aquatic invasive species.

Land Stewardship: HVA holds conservation easements over a number of properties that must be monitored on an annual basis. The intern will be involved with preparation of baseline documentation, determining the current ownership for each property, and preparation of field reports.

Facebook and Website. HVA maintains several internet-based media including a website 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 intern 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:

 Enjoy performing outdoor field work (e.g., water quality sampling, habitat surveys), including

navigating along potentially unmarked terrain in a variety of weather conditions;

 Be comfortable interacting with the public as a representative of HVA;

 Possess strong writing skills;

 Be familiar with the Internet and related social media (e.g., Facebook, YouTube, Twitter);

 Have some familiarity with GPS and GIS technologies, including related online tools such asGoogle 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 $1,600 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:

1. A COVER LETTER outlining the reason(s) that you are applying, including how this position will further your academic or career goals and what you hope to gain from this experience;

2. A RESUME outlining your qualifications, including education, past work and volunteer experience, and any relevant extracurricular activities; and

3. Contact information for TWO (2) PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES (e.g. current/past employers, academic advisors, professors, coaches, etc.). College transcripts are accepted but not required. 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:

Lynn Werner, Executive Director

Housatonic Valley Association

Mail: PO Box 28, Cornwall Bridge, CT 06754

E-mail: lynnhva@hotmail.com

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 NewYork, 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.

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