Conservation Programs Intern

Position Status: 35 hours per week with flexibility
Term: 12 weeks, Mid-May – August (flexible)
Schedule: Monday – Friday with potential for some weekend work
Reports to: Stewardship & GIS Manager
Compensation: $16/hour, paid holidays (Memorial Day, Juneteenth, July 4), 2 days of sick leave, $100/month travel stipend totaling $300

About the Columbia Land Conservancy:
The Columbia Land Conservancy brings people together to conserve, appreciate, and enjoy land. For nearly 40 years, CLC has collaborated with individuals, communities,
and partners to ensure Columbia County is a beautiful, livable, resilient place. Columbia County is located on the ancestral homelands of the Mohican people, who are the
Indigenous peoples of this land. 

This internship is supported by the Paden Legacy Fund for Advancing Conservation and Education (PLACE). This fund was established to honor CLC’s Executive Director
Emeritus, Peter Paden, for his decades of dedicated service as a Trustee and Executive Director. The PLACE Fund celebrates Peter’s enduring legacy by educating the next
generation of conservationists, creating a coalition of dedicated land stewards, and calling upon all of us to protect this land we love.

The Columbia Land Conservancy is open to people of all ideas and backgrounds. We value diverse viewpoints and experiences. We strive to build a healthy workplace,
provide equitable access to and meaningful connections with the land, and strengthen our community. Our values that guide decision-making include incorporating many
voices and perspectives, learning from the past while preparing for the future, and that everyone deserves access to land.

Position Summary
This position will assist staff with easement and public conservation area stewardship efforts. The intern will be trained in various aspects of land trust work and given
opportunities to learn many new skills.

Learning Goals:

• Develop or enhance skills related to GIS/GPS technology, map reading, and conservation easement interpretation
• Develop or enhance skills related to flora and fauna identification, trail building and maintenance, and various community science applications
• Understanding of the basic functions of a nonprofit land trust

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist the Stewardship team with annual monitoring of easement-protected lands
• Assist the Stewardship team with updating digital records, georeferencing scanned maps, and scanning documents
• Assist the Public Conservation Area team with managing sites. Work may include:
   o Assessing and inventorying trails for ADA compliance
   o Inspecting property boundary lines
   o Assessing current conditions
   o Removing invasive species
• Assist other CLC program staff as needed

Qualifications:
The qualifications required to excel in this position can come from various experiences. Below we describe what we believe to be important qualifications for a candidate while remaining open to diverse experiences that lead to useful skill sets.
Position descriptions are often presented in a way that leaves qualified candidates feeling unwelcome, intimidated, uncomfortable, and/or unqualified to apply.
Recognizing that, we strongly encourage anyone who feels passionate about this work and believes they have what it takes to thrive in this role to apply.

• An interest in learning more about a career in natural resource management, land trust work, or related fields.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both written and orally.
• Ability to work outdoors under a variety of conditions
• Motivated, self-starter, detail-oriented, and possess good organizational skills
• Knowledge of GPS/GIS technology a plus, but will be taught
• A valid driver’s license and insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request)