Botany Crewmember Internship

National Park Service Internship Announcement, Valles Caldera National Preserve, Jemez Springs, NM 

Botany Crewmember Internship 

The vegetation program focuses on scientific inventory and monitoring of forest and grassland plant ecology. The intern will conduct a full range of technical support and field work under the supervision of the park Botanist and vegetation crew leads. They will implement established natural resource management projects by following instructions and standardized procedures, and will collect, organize, and enter field data. The majority of the season will be spent in the field in Valles Caldera National Preserve and the Santa Fe National Forest. 

Schedule 

Start date for this position will be 15 June 2024 (but can be flexible), until 31 October 2024. Workdays are Monday through Thursday, 7am to 5:30pm (four 10-hour days).  

Location 

Valles Caldera National Preserve is located in the Jemez Mountains of northern New Mexico. The park is 89,766 acres and ranges from around 8,000 to 11,000 feet above sea level and contains a diverse assemblage of plant and animal life. The park headquarters are located in Jemez Springs, NM which is located approximately 38 miles west of the town of Los Alamos, and 60 miles north of the city of Albuquerque. Recreational opportunities in the area include backpacking, climbing, biking, hiking, and kayaking. 

Duties May Include 

• Identify native and exotic plants in a field and laboratory setting using dichotomous keys to determine genus, species, variety, and sub-species.
• Conduct surveys for vascular plants using established protocols.
• Forest and range monitoring: identify plants to species level, measure individual plant characteristics, estimate plant cover, and measure plant biomass.
• Collect, organize, and enter data into databases.
• Use and maintain equipment used for field work: compass, clinometer, measuring tapes, diameter tapes, GPS units, etc.

Desired Qualifications 

• BA/BS and/or interest in botany, ecology, forestry, biology, or related field of study.
• Ability to quickly learn to use taxonomic (dichotomous) keys for plant identification.
• Ability to quickly learn to identify plants (grasses, sedges, forbs, shrubs, and trees) specific to northern New Mexico and the Southern Rocky Mountains.
• Ability to spend long days in the field sometimes in inclement weather, carry heavy loads, and hike up to three miles at a time.
• Must be 18 years of age or older.

Benefits 

• $525/week stipend.
• AmeriCorp education award upon completion of service hours.
• Opportunity to learn plants of northern New Mexico, and gain experience using dichotomous keys.
• Free housing near park headquarters.
• Exposure to a variety of vegetation and forestry sampling techniques that may help in finding future employment in environmental fieldwork.
• Learn to work cooperatively on a field crew and have the opportunity to make personal and professional relationships.