Stewardship Intern

Position: Stewardship Intern
Schedule: Full Time, 40 hours/week (May – September, flexible start date)
Compensation: $20.00 per hour
Location: Castle Rock, Colorado

Douglas Land Conservancy (DLC) is seeking a motivated, detail-oriented Stewardship Intern to support our stewardship and monitoring program during the summer field season. Based in Castle Rock, Colorado, since 1987, DLC is a nonprofit, nonpolitical land trust dedicated to the protection and conservation of the natural character, ecosystems, and open spaces of the Central Front Range region of Colorado. DLC holds conservation easements protecting approximately 28,000 acres of public and private lands, including agricultural and ranch lands, public recreation open spaces, scenic viewscapes, and critical wildlife habitat and wetlands.

Appreciation of the land and its natural beauty is a shared community value for DLC and the region. Through active involvement in the community, education, and outreach, DLC continues to advance conservation and expand opportunities for people to connect with the outdoors.

This internship offers hands-on experience in land trust stewardship, conservation easement monitoring, and nonprofit operations. Many hours during the summer are spent outdoors completing annual monitoring visits to conserved DLC lands, where weather, terrain, and hiking difficulty can be challenging at times.

Specific Responsibilities

The Stewardship Intern will work closely with the Stewardship Manager to support DLC’s annual monitoring program and stewardship activities, including:

• Assisting with the planning, oversight, and implementation of DLC’s annual conservation easement monitoring program.
• Preparing annual monitoring reports for review and approval by the Stewardship Manager.
• Supporting and helping oversee DLC’s volunteer monitoring program.
• Ensuring all conservation easements are monitored in accordance with Land Trust Alliance (LTA) standards.
• Communicating professionally with landowners during monitoring visits and documenting pertinent information accurately.
• Assisting with administrative and organizational duties related to stewardship and monitoring.

Desired Skills and Qualifications

• Interest or experience in land trusts, conservation easements, or natural resource management.
• Experience with or interest in GIS and spatial and relational databases.
• Familiarity with Land Trust Alliance stewardship practices is a plus.
• Comfortable speaking with a variety of people, including private landowners.
• Strong attention to detail, especially when preparing written monitoring reports.
• Outdoor hiking experience, adaptability, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work well in a nonprofit environment where priorities and daily activities may change seasonally.

Work Environment

This position is well-suited for someone who enjoys a mix of outdoor fieldwork and office-based tasks. Summer monitoring work often involves hiking over uneven terrain and working in variable weather conditions. Flexibility, organization, and a positive attitude are essential.

This position is intended to run from May through September, with exact start and end dates determined by candidate availability.

Douglas Land Conservancy is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, marital status, or veteran status.