Fish and Feathers Internship Program - ONSITE - Christiansted National Historic Site (CHRI), Salt River National Park and Ecological Preserve (SARI) & Buck Island Reef National Monument (BUIS)

Environment for the Americas

8d • $640 • Onsite

About The Position

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. About this Site: Christiansted National Historic Site (CHRI) is located in downtown Christiansted on the island of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. CHRI serves as the headquarters park for Christiansted National Historic Site (CHRI), Buck Island Reef National Monument (BUIS), and Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve (SARI). Office accommodations are provided within CHRI’s historic buildings, which date to the late 1800s. The Division of Resource Management is housed on the CHRI property, and the Fish and Feathers intern will be assigned a workstation within the Resource Management office. Access to the first-floor work area requires climbing stairs, as accessibility modifications are limited due to the building’s historic status. During the field and outreach portions of the internship, the intern will primarily work on the waters surrounding BUIS and SARI can only be accessed by water. These sites are accessed by boat from the mainland of St. Croix, with an approximate 15-minute travel time. Water temperatures typically range from 80–82°F and are generally calm during the summer months, though occasional storms may result in increased winds and wave heights. Intern safety is the highest priority, and interns may decline participation in any field activity if they feel uncomfortable or unprepared for any reason. Local Area: The parks are low-elevation, coastal sites located within a tropical to semi-tropical Caribbean environment. Interns should expect bright sun, warm temperatures averaging 75–85°F, and high humidity. English is the primary language spoken on the island. While vehicles are American-designed, driving occurs on the left side of the road.

Requirements

• 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.
• 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

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.

Benefits

• Interns in this program will receive 480 hours towards Public Land Corps (PLC) 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.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed