Summer Internships with CES and Partners

CES's new Sustainable Food Systems program is underway with the guidance of Dr. Luke Drake and Dr. Valerie Imbruce. While the full breadth of research and activities is still in the planning stages, work with the Kent County Food Council and Innovation Plant is moving forward.

The intern will research and document current activities in food recovery, food production, food distribution, and food security. The intern will specifically support several initiatives – 1) survey of farmer and business needs for more sustainable local food production; 2) research and planning for a business incubator kitchen for the Innovation Plant; and 3) a comparative study goals and outcomes of food council efforts around the nation to improve their regional food systems The intern will support other activities and research of the overall Sustainable Food Systems program.  

Responsibilities:

• Attend meetings with external partners in-person (off campus and virtual).
• Research and document current community activities in food recovery, food production, food distribution, and resolving access to food for under-served communities. Research should be both local and regional.
• Conduct qualitative interviews of farmers to understand their potential needs in marketing, shared distribution and storage, shared space for value-added production, gleaning excess food, and other potential outcomes for Food Council collaboration.
• Learning and using geographic information systems software to research food security in Maryland.
• Participate in planning for a new business incubator kitchen at the college's upcoming Innovation Plant.
• Contribute to a comparative study that is ongoing with collaborators at the University of Maryland and Binghamton University about the goals and outcomes of food council efforts around the nation to improve their regional food systems
• Assist the Sustainable Food Systems team as needed with farm activities and research.

Qualifications:

• Current full-time students are eligible to apply.
• Motivation to work independently and meet deadlines.
• Resourceful, self-motivated, enthusiastic team player.
• Strong interest in sustainability, food system management, food resilience, policy, and agriculture.
• Experience in GIS, social sciences, agriculture, communication, or business is preferred but not required.

Logistics:

Student will work at Semans-Griswold Environmental Hall. Salary: $15.00 an hour and requires approximately 35 hours of work per week over a 10 week period. On-campus housing will be available.

The Center for Environment and Society (CES) seeks a GIS intern to support several nonprofit organizations with GIS needs. To start, the intern will work with Adkins Arboretum and Eastern Shore Land Conservancy. Other possible partners include the Main Street Chestertown, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and Stories of the Chesapeake.

Adkins Arboretum

The Living Collections Database and web mapping platform contains the geographic location of various plant life at the Arboretum and links to extensive information about the plant habits, growing conditions, habitat, phenology, wildlife interactions, and ethnobotanical information of those plants. The intern will help make the database more robust by bringing in additional photos and data and building out individual plant profiles.  There is an opportunity for the intern to create a tutorial video on how to use the database and contribute to a Story Map that can help interpret information found within the database.

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy

The Maryland Eastern Shore Trails Network (MESTN) was formed out of a collective regional need that the Eastern Shore communities of Maryland identified as a priority for better access to multi-use trails throughout the region. The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy is one of the coordinating organizations for MESTN.

MESTN is seeking an intern to create a simple but inviting online platform to share trail maps and other resources. An effective design will showcase our partnerships, events, news content, and trail projects from around the Eastern Shore. Copywriting and photo research/acquisition will be completed by ESLC staff and the MESTN Steering Committee. Approved copy and photos/videos will be provided to the intern ahead of the development.

Qualifications:

• Must be self-motivated and self-directed with the ability to be flexible.
• Enthusiastic about conservation, land management, and community engagement.
• Degree in Biology, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, or related field encouraged.
• Experience with ArcGIS Online and various related programs is required.

Logistics:

Student will work at Geospatial Innovation Program at 210 S. Cross St., Suite 201; Chestertown, MD or Semans-Griswold Environmental Hall. Salary: Starts at $15.00 an hour, depending on experience. Intern will work approximately 35 hours of work per week over a 10 week period. On-campus housing will be available.

The GIS Student Analyst will report to the Washington College Geospatial Innovation Program (GIP) Director and work in the GIP office in Chestertown, Maryland.

Responsibilities:

• Data entry, database maintenance, and spatial analysis.
• Map creation and visualization using ESRI's ArcGIS software and web applications.
• Supporting client-centered projects by collaborating with clients, partners, and GIP staff.
• Adapting to various GIS and research tasks.
• Managing and updating diverse datasets.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will be detail-oriented, organized, and capable of maintaining project accessibility for others. They should demonstrate sound judgment, follow instructions, and maintain professionalism in the lab.

Logistics:Student will work at Geospatial Innovation Program at 210 S. Cross St., Suite 201; Chestertown, MD. Salary: Starts at $15.00 an hour, depending on experience. Intern will work approximately 35 hours of work per week over a 10 week period. On-campus housing will be available.

A 400-acre native garden and preserve, Adkins Arboretum's mission is to provide exceptional experiences in nature to promote environmental stewardship. The Arboretum's vision is to inspire environmental stewardship, provide respite and healing, and celebrate natural and cultural diversity through the joy and wonder of the natural world. Adkins Arboretum is the only arboretum or public garden focusing solely on plants native to the Mid-Atlantic coastal plain. Because of its location on the Delmarva Peninsula, at the junction of the Piedmont and the coastal plain where northern and southern plant life overlap, it includes diverse habitats that support more than 600 species of native shrubs, trees, wildflowers, grasses, and ferns.  With approximately five miles of trails winding throughout the natural areas and approximately one acre of cultivated gardens, maintaining, enhancing, and preventing the spread of invasive plants throughout those areas is key to providing an educational and enjoyable experience for our visitors.

Adkins Arboretum is looking for a positive and energetic individual to join our team this summer as the Cultivated Gardens and Natural Areas intern.  This individual will play an active role in the conservation and enhancement of the Arboretum's native flora and plant communities in natural areas while helping maintain attractive demonstration gardens that inspire visitors to plant their own conservation landscapes, including pollinator and rain gardens.  The internship includes active, hands-on work pruning, weeding, planting, and watering. The intern will also support the Arboretum staff with general operations, including setups for on-site programming.  The intern will be required to attend brief daily staff check-in meetings.  Throughout the internship, the student will document the daily locations and type of work underway to provide accurate details for our Stewardship Log and inform future land management.

Responsibilities:

• Assist staff with garden, trail maintenance, and invasive plant removal efforts. This will include group and independent work to mobilize daily and tackle projects in various locations on-site.  The physical nature of this position will require much standing, walking, bending, and lifting.
• Specific responsibilities will include identifying plant material to save or remove, weeding, pruning, planting, and occasionally watering new plantings.
• Most days will be spent outdoors, so the intern must come prepared to work outdoors with appropriate clothing, footwear, sunscreen, and insect repellent.
• Complete program setups for public programs and events such as lectures and art classes.
• Stay in communication with Arboretum staff through on-site, e-mail, or video check-ins.
• Document areas and specifics of garden and natural areas maintenance completed, including optional use of a GPS device to capture locations for us to document areas that have been managed.

Qualifications:

• Passionate about conservation, land management, and community engagement.
• Working towards a degree in Biology, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, or related field and having completed two years of study is encouraged.
• Competency in plant identification is helpful but not required.
• Experience with gardening, invasive plant removal, and driving a golf cart is preferred but not required.

Logistics:

The student intern will work remotely at Adkins Arboretum approximately 32 hours per week over 8 weeks. Requires using a personal vehicle to travel to Adkins Arboretum 4-5 days a week. On-campus housing will be available if desired. The ideal date of service is May 19th-July 11th. 

In cooperation with Washington College, the Coastal Delaware National Wildlife Refuge Complex is seeking one (1) intern to work as part of the biology staff team at the Coastal Delaware National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Complex. This includes both Bombay Hook NWR near Smyrna, Delaware, and Prime Hook NWR near Milton, Delaware. The Tidal Marsh Monitoring Technician Internship will focus primarily on several projects related to tidal marsh restoration and monitoring.

Responsibilities:

• Assisting with tidal marsh vegetation surveys in a restored salt marsh.
• Assist with water, vegetation, and elevation monitoring in a marsh migration zone.
• Assist the Delaware Bay Coastal Program with tidal marsh field work off-refuge, invasive plant mapping, and other duties

Qualifications:

• In good physical shape and comfortable walking on uneven terrain
• Able to tolerate excessive heat, humidity, and biting insects
• Able to lift and carry 50 pounds
• Applicants who have a strong interest in wildlife management and species conservation.
• Preferred: Have a valid U.S. driver's license and are able to commute to the job site.
• Preferred: Can commit to 10-12 weeks of employment. 
• Preferred: Some prior wildlife management or biological field work experience (or exposure).

Logistics:

Bunk-house style housing will be provided at no cost at St. Jones Reserve in Kitts Hummock, DE. Most work activities will take place outdoors without access to amenities. A $5,000 stipend will be provided. 

Interns will be expected to work a standard 40-hour week with 5 days on and 2 days off, consistent with other biological program staff. A small amount of holiday and/or weekend work may be required due to program needs. 

Founded in 1966, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is the largest independent conservation organization dedicated solely to saving the Bay. Serving as a watchdog, we fight for effective, science-based solutions to the pollution degrading the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams. Our motto, "Save the Bay," is a regional rallying cry for pollution reduction throughout the Chesapeake's six-state, 64,000-square-mile watershed, which is home to more than 18 million people and 3,000 species of plants and animals.

The Oyster Restoration Intern will help CBF staff with the planning and execution of our Maryland Oyster Restoration Program.  Intern will be responsible for helping with operations of CBF's Oyster Gardening Program, a community-based program that teaches hundreds of people how to grow and care for oysters to use in restoration projects throughout Maryland. Intern will also work with the Oyster Team to perform restoration work.  The majority of the work will take place in Anne Arundel County but travel to other areas within the state such as Baltimore, the Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland is required. The role will consist of both administrative aspects of the program, such volunteer engagement and event planning, as well as a great deal of emphasis on field work. The Oyster Restoration Intern must be prepared to attend all events, which may include evenings and weekends. 

Responsibilities:

• Help CBF Oyster Team staff manage the oyster gardening program, including inventory management, engagement with volunteers, and assisting with program delivery
• Assist with other hands-on restoration activities including spat-on-shell production, oyster planting, shell recycling, etc. 
• Help prepare materials for any events including advocacy asks, spat-on-shell, cages, spreadsheets, etc.  
• Help CBF Oyster Team staff with general office/administrative support, including data entry and filing, digital and material organization, among other tasks.  

Qualifications:  

The successful candidate must have reliable daily transportation for travel in Maryland. In addition, in order to help manage oyster gardening and restoration events, this position must work some evenings and weekends. Housing is not provided. Due to the physical capacity of this job, interns must be comfortable lifting 30-50 pounds and be in good physical condition to work outside in all elements during the summer.  

Logistics:

This internship will take place in May-August. The exact start and end dates during that time frame are negotiable and hours should be 24-36 hours/week. A $6,000 stipend will be provided.

ShoreRivers seeks applicants for an exciting, hands-on summer internship experience in the environmental field, based in the Chester and Sassafras watersheds. This internship program is provided through a partnership with Washington College, Center for Environment & Society.

ShoreRivers is a nonprofit organization that protects and restores Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, and education. With offices in Easton, Chestertown, and Galena, Maryland, the organization serves as an advocate for the health of our rivers and the living resources they support. Our programs promote environmental awareness of the essential role local rivers and streams play in the community, the issues that threaten their health and vitality, and solutions that must be implemented to preserve them.

The summer intern will provide programmatic support for our Chester River and Sassafras River programs and participate in a variety of activities including submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) restoration, water quality and bacteria monitoring, community outreach and education, and enforcement. By the end of the program the intern will have earned a Maryland boater safety certificate, become familiar with handling a boat, gained experience and training in scientific water quality monitoring equipment and protocols, and developed a variety of other restoration-based skills and experiences.

Responsibilities:

• Obtain a Maryland boater safety certificate
• Water quality monitoring by boat with Riverkeepers
• Water Chestnut eradication work on the Sassafras
• Bacteria sampling at local public access sites
• SAV monitoring by kayak
• SAV restoration via Turbulation at CES
• Co-leading community kayak tours
• Community outreach and events
• Agricultural site visits and project monitoring
• Boat and water quality equipment maintenance

Qualifications:

• Outgoing personality with good communication skills. Must be able to work with a team, but also be self-motivated in individual tasks.
• Able to lift at least 50 lbs, swim, feel comfortable on boats and kayaks, and do physical outdoor activity in various weather conditions.
• Willing to work a flexible 40-hour schedule with some evening and weekend hours.
• Rising college junior or senior, or recent college graduate. Major in Biology, Environmental Science, or related field is encouraged.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office software.

Logistics:

This internship is based in the Chestertown office, with fieldwork across the Chester and Sassafras watersheds, and occasional travel throughout the ShoreRivers region. Minimum of 10 weeks between May and August; start and end dates and vacation days are flexible. Monday-Friday, 8:30-4:30; with occasional evening and weekend work. A $5,000 stipend and on-campus housing will be provided.

The Sultana Education Foundation provides hands-on educational opportunities that promote stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay’s historic, cultural, and environmental resources. By helping students of all ages develop an appreciation for the Chesapeake Bay, Sultana is working to create a community of individuals who are dedicated to preserving this irreplaceable treasure.

Working under the direction of the Sultana Education Foundation’s Director of Paddling Programs, a Paddling and Environmental Education Intern will support and lead day canoe and kayak trips and overnight camping and kayaking trips for Sultana Education Foundation. They are responsible for helping the Paddling team deliver fun and educational programs for our campers. They will help unload and load kayaks and canoes, play games with campers, teach about the natural environment, supervise and lifeguard swimmers, help with overnight camping dealing with duties ranging from tent set up to food preparation to homesickness. Their goal will be to make each day the most fun it can be for each camper. A counselor will alternate weeks where they are on overnight programs with campers and day only programs.

The Paddling and Environmental Education Intern will work with the Program Director to Intern complete an independent  project to develop new and innovate educational resources for Sultana's Padddling programs. 

Qualifications:

• Knowledge of the cultural heritage, ecology, and environment of the Chesapeake Bay area.
• Passion for working outdoors and implementing fun programs for students of all ages is a must.
• Candidates must be comfortable working with a diverse age range of students and program formats, ranging from four year olds to high schoolers.
• Strong leadership and communication skills are essential, as is the ability to work collaboratively with fellow staff.
• Candidates must be comfortable working in an outdoor setting (including canoeing, kayaking, marsh exploration, hiking, etc) and sleeping in a tent for four straight nights. 
• Applicants should be capable of lifting 50 pounds above their heads in order to load and unload boats from trailers. 

This internship is based out of the the Chestertown office with extensive fieldwork in the Chester River watershed. Minimum of 8 weeks between June and August; start and end dates and vacation days are flexible. Overnight, evening and weekend work will be required. A $5,000 stipend and on-campus housing will be provided.

The Center for Environment and Society (CES) seeks a paid summer intern to assist researchers and staff with various projects and events. The intern will report to Beth Choate, Deputy Director of CES. Responsibilities will vary across days and weeks, but will include:

• Preparation and participation in two summer high school programs.  The intern will be responsible for creating a journal and organizing activities.    
• Assisting with the exhibits placed in our public-facing museum, MuSE, on Cross St. in Chestertown.  This may include opening the museum on Saturday mornings and designing programming to bring various audiences into the space. 
• Field work at the River and Field Campus to support the Natural Lands Project, Sustainable Food Systems Program, and other programs within the Center.  Multiple research projects are on-going in the summer months and rely on support.  

If you are interested in environmental education work but also would like to try fieldwork and other environmental pathways, this is a great opportunity.  Intern will complete an independent research project based on their interest and designed with the advisor. 

Qualifications:

• Work independently and meet deadlines. 
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to multi-task. 
• Effective communication skills. 
• Resourceful, self-motivated, enthusiastic team player. 
• Experience with qualitative research preferred, not required. 
• Students will work at Semans-Griswold Hall. 

Student will work at Semans-Griswold Environmental Hall. The intern is expected to work between 30-35 hours per week. The position is for 8 to 10 weeks, depending on availability. Interns receive $15 per hour and may receive subsidized or free on-campus housing.

The Center for Environment & Society is hiring three interns for our summer research project on grassland birds. The team will contribute to a multi-year study on breeding biology of Field Sparrows, a common bird in decline. Our study site is the grasslands of the River and Field Campus, just across the river in Queen Anne's County. You will start the day before sunrise and stalk birds through the fields, identifying individuals by their colored leg bands, take GPS points of bird locations and search for their nests (harder than it sounds). After the field work is done, there will be some office work such as data entry. You'll work side-by-side with Field Ecologist Maren Gimpel and biology Professor Dr. Jennie Rinehimer and the data collected will be for peer-reviewed scientific publications.

For more information on these projects, please see our website: https://www.washcoll.edu/learn-by-doing/rafc/index.php

Qualifications:

Skills preferred: Coursework in birds and/or ecology and/or environmental studies; bird identification, using binoculars and spotting scopes, data collection, data entry. Ability to work outdoors in all kinds of weather, starting work before sunrise, attention to detail and patience are a must. This project is ideal for students with an interest in habitat restoration, conservation and field biology.

Logistics:

Start date: May 20th, End date: July 26th (with flexibility). Salary: $15.00 an hour and requires approximately 35 hours of work per week over a 10 week period. Owning a vehicle is not necessary, but is preferred.

The Center for Environment and Society (CES) is looking for one Washington College student to serve as a summer paid intern in the Watershed Innovation Laboratory. The interns will report to Dr. Chelsea Peters, Director of Watershed Innovation, at Semans-Griswold Hall. Responsibilities will vary over days and weeks, but can include:

Responsibilities:

• Researching water quality and quantity in the Chester River using archival data and partner datasets (e.g., ShoreRivers).
• Deploying, calibrating, and maintaining InSitu AquaTroll and VuLink multi-parameter water quality sensors (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity).
• Researching water-related questions, including but not limited to, groundwater impacts on submerged aquatic vegetation, septic failure and the water quality implications for Chester River, and the permanence of wetlands.
• Conducting updates on hydrologic research instruments in the laboratory.
• Building and maintaining weather stations to be installed across the Chester River watershed.
• Refining K–12 lesson plans for CES watershed education programming.
• Conducting research on watershed and water quality questions (e.g., groundwater influence on SAV, septic system impacts, wetland permanence).
• Making maps of the environmental spatial data sets using ArcGIS Pro.
• Working with the Langford Watershed Alliance to develop a holistic watershed restoration plan for a tributary of the Chester River, Langford Creek.
• Design and conduct an independent research project based on their interest and designed with the advisor. 

Through this internship, students will develop valuable field and lab skills and gain real-world experience in earth science research. This opportunity is relevant to any student passionate about hydrology, geology, ecology, GIS, data science and beyond.

Qualifications:

• Work independently and meet deadlines.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to multitask.
• Effective communication skills.
• Willing to work outside in a variety of weather conditions.
• Experience using Excel and/or a programming language, not required.
• Transportation to and from Semans-Griswold Hall (30-min walk or 10-min bike from main campus).
• Willing and able to becom certified to drive a campus vehicle (must have had a license for 2 years).

Logistics:

Student will work at Semans-Griswold Environmental Hall. The intern is expected to work between 30-35 hours per week. The position is for 8 to 10 weeks, depending on availability. Interns receive $15 per hour and may receive subsidized or free on-campus housing.

The Center for Environment and Society (CES) is looking for one Washington College student to serve as a summer paid intern on the River and Field Campus. The intern will report to Dr. David Kramar, Director of River and Field Campus, at Semans-Griswold Hall. Through this internship, students will develop valuable field and lab skills and gain real-world experience in earth science research. This opportunity is relevant to any student passionate about environmental science, geology, ecology, GIS, computer science and beyond. Responsibilities will vary across days and weeks, but will include:

Responsibilities:

• Assisting in the maintenance and research on two Nutrient Network/DRAGNet sites on the RAFC grasslands. More information about the Nutrient Network can be found here, and DRAGNet here
• Collecting baseline plant diversity and community structure information from the Grasslands at RAFC.
• Identifying variations in plant diversity based on the proximity to agricultural lands.
• Assisting developing experimental designs for research questions.
• Developing spatial data sets using ArcGIS Pro.
• Analyze high resolution imagery for land cover classification across RAFC.
• Design and conduct an independent research project based on their interest and designed with the advisor.

Qualifications:

• Work independently and meet deadlines.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to multitask.
• Effective communication skills.
• Willing to work outside in a variety of weather conditions.
• Experience using Excel, GIS, and/or a programming language, not required. 
• Transportation to and from Semans-Griswold Hall (30-min walk or 10-min bike from main campus).  

Logistics:

This internship is hosted by the Center for Environment and Society and be based at Semans-Griswold Environmental Hall. Salary: $15.00 an hour and requires approximately 35 hours of work per week over a 10 week period. On-campus housing will be available.

This position in the Sustainable Food Systems program at the Center for Environment and Society will be responsible for assisting with the start-up of a small farm outside of Semans-Griswold Environmental Hall. In collaboration with Dr. Luke Drake the Director of Sustainable Food Systems, this intern will gain hands-on experience in planning and operations of an on-site farm. The farm will combine established agriculture techniques for small-scale food production and the latest advances in sustainable technologies to reduce resource consumption and maximize food outputs. This farm will use be used for research, student experiential learning, and community engagement.

Responsibilities:

• Maintain vegetable garden sustainable food production techniques
• Deploy and maintain research instruments and monitoring equipment.
• Cultivate seedlings and vegetables and supervising greenhouse operations.
• Design and conduct an independent research project based on their interest and designed with the advisor.

Qualifications:

• Work independently and meet deadlines.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to multi-task.
• Effective communication skills.
• Resourceful, self-motivated, enthusiastic team player.
• Able to lift at least 50 lbs and do physical outdoor activity in various weather conditions.

Logistics:

Student will work at Semans-Griswold Environmental Hall. Salary: $15.00 an hour and requires approximately 35 hours of work per week over a 10 week period. On-campus housing will be available.