Let’s Go Birding Internship - ONSITE - Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument (2 positions)

Environment for the Americas • Jackson, MS

23d • Onsite

About The Position

Environment for the Americas seeks to engage young professionals in natural resource careers. For the Let's Go Birding Internship Program, we also welcome applicants with experience managing visual, hearing, or mobility challenges, or who are neurodivergent.

Let’s Go Birding interns help make birding at National Park Sites welcoming and accessible for everyone. Let’s Go Birding is a program funded by the National Park Service (NPS) and administered by Environment for the Americas in partnership with Birdability. The program works to reduce barriers so that people of all abilities and backgrounds can enjoy birding and bird conservation. This includes addressing challenges related to mobility, vision, hearing, neurodivergence, and chronic health conditions. The intern will focus on implementing and leading community outreach programs focused on birds. There are opportunities to connect with the Natural Resources team and engage in raptor monitoring.

The park consists of the home where Medgar and Myrlie Evers lived and raised their three children and an area called "Myrlie's Garden." The garden, developed by the Trust for Public Land, has oak and pecan trees, a concrete accessible walking path, benches, a pavilion, and raised beds filled with fruits and vegetables. A stream divides the property from the houses on the other side of the fence.

Jackson has a subtropical climate. It is hot and humid during the summer, both day and night. The park's office is roughly 15 minutes away from the park. There are three park vehicles available so that staff do not have to use their own vehicles for work. Interns will be driven by park staff if they don’t have a driver’s license. Jackson is at or below sea level and is the center of medical care in the state. There are UMMC, Baptist, and St. Dominic hospitals. Kroger is the dominant grocery store with a Whole Foods and some local chains. Most people drive to the suburbs to watch films. However, there is a movie theatre in the Fondren neighborhood and another in Belhaven. Jackson is a foodie town. You can find just about any cuisine you like. The music scene is largely downtown at places like Martin's and Hal & Mal's.

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.
• Must be available for on-site work.
• No personal vehicle is required for this position.
• Passion for wildlife conservation.
• Interest in birds, conservation, and environmental education and interpretation.
• Strong commitment to communication and learning.
• We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and abilities. Candidates with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience with training or addressing accessibility challenges is a plus.
• Knowledge of birds and birding, including the use of binoculars, is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Regularly facilitate birding and bird education programs.
• Review park facilities and programming to identify opportunities for accessible programming.
• Develop activities tailored to specific accessibility challenges.
• Establish or build upon bird programs.
• Coordinate and host World Migratory Bird Day activities.
• Assist with coordinating activities for at least two (2) accessible birding events to coincide with Juneteenth and Mr. Medgar's 101st birthday in July 2026.
• Assist with outreach programs at the Jackson Public Library, the Mississippi School for the Deaf and the Blind, and the Jackson Audubon Society birding summer camps.
• Work with the park's gardener on an “easy plants to grow to attract birds” brochure.
• 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