Insect Monitoring Intern
About The Position
The Insect Monitoring Intern reports to the Senior Ecological Monitoring Coordinator and Director of Ecological Monitoring. This is an opportunity for individuals currently studying Environmental Science, Biology, or a related field who are interested in participating in and supporting an extensive ArcGIS-based ecological monitoring program on a diversified working farm, primarily on pastures grazed by cattle, goats, and chickens. As an Intern, your work will help build an understanding of how decisions affect the health of the soil, water quality, plants, and biotic communities we steward. This work will inform creative solutions to food system issues and how our food choices can impact the land. Working under a variety of field conditions (e.g. sun, heat, insects, rain, and dense vegetation), you will deploy diverse trapping methods to sample insects from across the farm landscape. Sampling will involve both deploying passive traps and more active trapping methods (such as sweep netting). This position will also include some laboratory components; processing, photographing, and analyzing the insect samples and preparing them for archiving or further analysis. While insect sampling will be your primary focus, all interns will be expected to work collaboratively to achieve the overall goals of the monitoring program. This individual will gain a deep understanding of how the ecological data is used in conjunction with various areas of focus on the farm through collaboration and scheduled check-ins with Stone Barns Center leaders and other interns. This cross-departmental opportunity will allow the individual to obtain valuable professional work experience, knowledge and skills.
Nice To Haves
- Committed to exploring the intersection between food and farming culture
- Able to follow a research project through to the end and to integrate feedback from collaborators and organizational leaders throughout the process
- Interested in learning to use GIS, and basic database software, for data entry and basic analysis
- Able to work effectively in a variety of environmental conditions (heat, rain, insects, etc…)
- Pursuing study in Environmental Science or Biology-related field, with a strong background in entomology, field biology, and/or ecology; a strong background in these fields will be given preference
- Interested in a solution-oriented approach
- Able to work independently and as a part of an academic pod
- Effective in verbal, written and interpersonal communications; able to communicate clearly with various personnel to share/gather information
- Experienced with field work, sample collection, and data organization/entry
Responsibilities
- Assist in carrying out and documenting standard insect monitoring protocols
- Deploy and monitor insect traps
- Collect, label, and properly preserve insect samples collected from traps
- Enter data into an ArcGIS based database system and prepare samples for shipment to DNA barcoding facility
- Assist staff with targeted pollinator and gall collection activities
- Conduct basic analysis and summary of the incoming data
- Assist with presentation of information to the team and stakeholders in verbal or written format
- Participate occasionally in pastured livestock activities with the Livestock team
Benefits
- Stone Barns Center will provide educational materials at no cost.
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What This Job Offers
Career Level
Intern
Education Level
No Education Listed
Number of Employees
11-50 employees
