Fish and Feathers Internship Program – ONSITE – Springfield Armory National Historic Site

Start/End Dates: May 11, 2026 – July 31, 2026
Compensation: $640 per week + housing
Application Due: February 1, 2026

Fish and Feathers Internship Program seeks to engage young professionals in natural resource careers.
You must (additional requirements):

• Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident.
• Be between the ages of 18 – 30 years or up to 35 years if a veteran.
• Be willing to undergo a background check upon hiring.
• Have a valid driver’s license and a good driving record.

*A personal vehicle is recommended for this position.

Position Description: 

Fish and Feathers is a program funded by the National Park Service (NPS) and administered by Environment for the Americas. Our goal is to provide our national park partners with talented interns who are eager to learn and to engage with local communities. The intern will focus on supporting, implementing, and leading community outreach programs that focus on fishing and birding activities. The overall goal is to increase diverse community engagement with NPS partners during the program and in years to come.

Responsibilities:

• Reach out to local communities through outreach and educational activities to increase engagement in fishing and birdwatching
• Create new materials (i.e., social media, educational games/activities, signage, etc.) to provide visitors with information about fish and birds at the NPS site
• Understand regulations regarding fishing and ethical birding and communicate this information to participants
• Establish or build upon fishing and birding programs at the NPS site
• Manage and maintain program equipment
• Host World MIgratory Bird Day Event
• Meet deadlines for Environment for the Americas program requirements.

Qualifications:

• Ability to hike and conduct field operations as part of a team and/or independently in an outdoor setting.
• Experience giving presentations and ability to learn new skills and transfer the knowledge to participants.
• Interest in learning fishing regulations and bird identification for program development and implementation.
• Ability to learn methods employed in fish and wildlife management.
• Strong interpersonal, oral, listening, and written communication skills.
• Interest in learning new skills such as rafting, canoeing, and kayaking.

Major studies relevant to this position: 

Successful candidates will have a background and/or coursework in the following areas or a strong interest in the outdoors with experience fishing and/or birdwatching.

• Biology
• Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences
• Ecology
• Aquaculture
• Communications/Marketing
• Environmental Science
• Recreation
• Interpretation/Education

About this Site: 

Springfield Armory National Historic Site is located in Springfield, Massachusetts, an urban area with a population of approximately 150,000. Springfield offers typical city amenities, including a hospital, churches, lodging, stores, and transportation options. The surrounding area includes many suburban towns, colleges, universities, and cultural attractions.

The region experiences four distinct seasons and offers various recreational opportunities as part of the Connecticut River Valley and gateway to the Berkshires. Historically, and still today, Springfield is situated at a transportation crossroads, with easy access to major East Coast cities via highway, Amtrak train, and Bradley International Airport.

If the intern stays in park-provided housing, they will be less than two miles from the nearest hospital and will pass several grocery stores and restaurants on their daily commute. The anticipated work environment for the Fish & Feathers Intern will include a mix of office and outdoor field work. Office work will involve training, meetings, research, program development, promotional material creation, and occasional visitor center support. Field days will include presenting urban birding programs on the armory grounds or participating in fishing or bird banding events with partner organizations. The intern should be able to walk 1-2 miles and navigate moderate inclines.

Summer weather in Springfield is generally mild, with high temperatures typically in the 80s and 90s, some humidity, and occasional thunderstorms. Springfield Armory frequently hosts student interns from UMass Amherst, Westfield, and Springfield Technical Community College.

Interns in this program will receive 480 hours towards Public Land Corps (PLC) Hiring Authority. See below on information about:

Public Land Corps Non-Competitive Hiring Authority (PLC)
The Public Land Corps Non-Competitive Hiring Authority is a special hiring authority available to qualifying interns. The intern must be between the ages of 18 and 30 years old, inclusive, or a veteran up to age 35 and complete 640 hours of work on an appropriate conservation project to be eligible for this hiring authority. Upon successful completion of the PLC project(s), the intern is eligible for two years to be hired non-competitively into a federal seasonal, term, or permanent position. The applicant must apply to a PLC-eligible position advertised on USAJobs.govand selected off a non-competitive certificate of eligibility. For more information, see DOI Personnel Bulletins 11-02 , 12-13, and 17-03.

EEO Statement

Environment for the Americas provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employmentand prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.