Habitat Restoration Summer Intern

Job Title:   Habitat Restoration Summer Intern 

Dates and Hours:  ~ 10 week internship working 40 hours each week. Monday – Friday 8 AM – 4 PM.  Expected start date Tue. June 3, 2025  and end date Fri., Aug 8 2024. Some unpaid time off is allowed during the internship period.

Housing: Free intern housing 4 miles from the nature center is available. 

Job Requirements: The ideal candidate will be pursuing a career in natural resources, possess a love of nature, willingness to work outdoors in various weather conditions on uneven and often muddy terrain, and be able to lift/carry small trees a (10-30 lbs). In addition, teamwork, problem-solving, and an eagerness to learn are must-have qualities. Candidates must be 18 years or older as there is work with herbicide and power tools. 

Job Description: Woodland Dunes Nature Center is seeking FIVE – SIX interns to help us with our summer fieldwork! Note about 95% of the position is outside work. We provide training and interns will be doing a variety of tasks but mostly broken down into the following:

• 35% Caring for and planting trees out in our preserve through our USFS (United States Forest Service) grant project, where we are restoring habitat where ash trees are prevalent to help lessen the loss caused by the Emerald Ash Borer
• 30% Removing invasive plants (such as Japanese Barberry, Honeysuckle sp., and Buckthorn) through an additional USFS grant. This work includes working with herbicides (training provided).
• 30% Constructing a deer exclusion fence where we will be planting native understory wildflowers for the Rusty-patched Bumblebee the following year (USFS). Training will be provided.
• 5% Helping with various citizen science projects and hands-on experiences, including habitat restoration and bee surveys for the federally endangered Rusty-patched Bumblebee.
• We offer a variety of hands-on experiences for our interns such as soil and water testing, plant identification surveys, writing nature-themed articles for the local newspaper, bird surveys, assisting with bird banding, bat surveys, etc. Our goal is to provide you with training and provide us with much-needed assistance.