Science Communication & Avian Monitoring Assistant (PLC) – ONSITE – Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Start/End Dates: May 26th, 2025 – October 10th, 2025 (20 weeks)
Compensation: $688 per week
Medical Insurance: Not provided
Application Due: February 7th, 2025

The Latino Heritage Internship Program seeks to engage ethnically and racially diverse young professionals in natural resource careers. 

You must be:

• A U.S. citizen or legal resident.
• Driver’s license is required. A personal vehicle is strongly preferred.

Position Description: 

The LHIP Science Communication and Avian Monitoring Intern will be supervised by park biologists and will assist park staff with collecting bird monitoring data, communicating science to the public, and delivering bird-themed programs to visitors.

The intern’s responsibilities include:

• Creating science communication materials that will reach a broad public using online/digital tools and in-person presentations or programs.
• Assisting resource management staff in monitoring projects, with a focus on bird banding, but possibly including other types of surveys.
• Supporting the park’s citizen science team in organizing a symposium celebrating 50 years of science in the park.

This internship will help the park diversify and expand communication about science and research with the public. The duties will include:

(1) COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THROUGH SCIENCE COMMUNICATION

• (a) The intern will develop materials for the park’s website and social media. This includes creating short write-ups about interesting resources or projects in the park, exploring plant and animal reports in iNaturalist or NPSpecies to highlight, and participating in the park’s digital strategy team to learn and understand NPS social media guidelines.
• (b) The intern will create and deliver in-person programs to the public about nature. In 2024, the park conducted its second season of a Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) bird banding program and successfully offered public banding demonstrations. The 2025 LHIP intern will build on this success and assist staff in explaining the importance of bird banding as a scientific tool, the reasons for declining bird populations, and general bird information to a diverse audience, including family groups and young students, in an outdoor setting.
  The intern will also assist in developing, promoting, and delivering outdoor and nature-related activities for Latino Conservation Week (LCW) in mid-September. In 2024, led by an LHIP intern, the park offered the first bilingual bird banding demonstration to celebrate LCW and World Migratory Bird Day (fall migration). The goal is to build on the success of the previous event and provide opportunities for the community to engage with the resources. The intern will have support and flexibility to explore options for programs to offer for LCW. The intern will also be responsible for coordinating with the park’s friends group to write and submit a mini-grant proposal to the Hispanic Access Foundation to help implement LCW events.

(2) NATURAL RESOURCES MONITORING

• (c) The intern will support resource management activities, with an emphasis on bird monitoring efforts. This includes assisting with the operation and setup of MAPS and fall migration bird banding stations, which involves setting up, taking down, and checking nets, safely removing birds from nets, learning to handle, band, and process birds, and interacting with the public. The intern will also support park and partner efforts to survey breeding birds, butterflies, and aquatic species, as scheduling allows.

(3) SYMPOSIUM ORGANIZATION

• (d) Cuyahoga Valley National Park is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025. As part of the celebrations, the Citizen Science team will organize a science symposium on November 5, 2025, titled “50 Years of Science at CVNP.” The intern will help with the logistical organization and communication leading up to the event. This will involve reading primary literature, writing short lay summaries of research that has occurred in the park, creating posts about ongoing research, and interfacing with citizen science volunteers, academics, and/or partners who conduct science in the park, to help the team create a robust symposium agenda.

Responsibilities:

Candidates must be comfortable working outdoors and have a passion for natural resources and/or conservation, along with the desire to share that passion with the public. Excellent communication skills should be prioritized.

Qualifications:

Required skills:
The candidate must have experience or interest in science communication, working with the public, and natural resources (geology, ecology, botany, etc.). Excellent written and oral communication skills are critical. A degree (or working toward a degree) in the sciences (biology, zoology, wildlife management, or related field) or humanities/social sciences (journalism, communications, or related field) is required. Coursework in Science Communication, Creative Writing, Ornithology, Herpetology, Field Methods, or related subjects is preferred. Candidates must demonstrate experience with wildlife or plant identification (through formal academic classes or self-taught). The intern will participate as a crew member in the park’s bird banding stations, which requires early morning (pre-dawn) starts and the ability to follow a flexible work schedule dependent on weather and field conditions. Attention to detail, the ability to follow protocols, and strong written and verbal communication skills are essential. Candidates must be comfortable working outdoors in hot, humid, or buggy conditions. Candidates should also be comfortable with public speaking and addressing groups of park visitors.

Preferred skills:
Though not required, strong preference will be given to candidates who speak Spanish. Experience with wildlife of the Eastern U.S. is preferred, but not required. Training is provided, but preference will be given to those with experience in bird identification or mist-netting. An interest in bird conservation, management, research, or bird watching is preferred. Experience leading bird walks or nature/educational programs is helpful. Experience working with community groups is a plus. An understanding of social media platforms and audiences, as well as knowledge of best practices, is desirable.

Though this internship has a strong field component, the applicant should expect some office work and be comfortable reading primary literature (e.g., peer-reviewed journals), learning and exploring a variety of topics about the park’s resources, and writing independently. Successful candidates should be self-motivated, able to work independently and as part of a team, and bring a positive attitude to work. They should also be comfortable exploring their creativity and problem-solving skills to address their project. This position will involve approximately 50% office work and 50% fieldwork. Job hazards include exposure to heat and humidity, ticks, stinging insects, and occasional incidental exposure to poison ivy. The intern should be comfortable working in field conditions, including hiking off-trail in muddy, irregular terrain, and in hot, humid, or buggy conditions.

Interns in this program will receive 800 hours toward Public Land Corps (PLC) Hiring Authority. See below for information about PLC.

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.gov and 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 employment and 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.