Water Quality Laboratory Intern

Save the Sound, Inc.•Larchmont, NY

3d•$8,160•Onsite

About The Position

Save the Sound leads environmental action in your region. We fight climate change and build resilient communities, save endangered lands, protect the Sound, and restore its rivers. We do this in many ways, from legislative advocacy and legal action to engineering, environmental monitoring, and hands- on volunteer efforts. For more than 50 years we’ve been ensuring people can enjoy the healthy, clean, and thriving environment they deserve—today and for generations to come. Our Water Quality Team advocates for the health of Long Island Sound through community organizing; data collection, analysis and visualization; legal and legislative advocacy; engaging and informative storytelling; and targeted pollution reduction campaigns. Our growing team brings a variety of backgrounds, characteristics, and skillsets together to produce tangible outcomes that improve the environs of Long Island Sound. We are highly collaborative, nimble, and innovative in our approach to achieving our shared mission of clean and life-filled waterways. Learn more about us at www.savethesound.org . Program Background Bacterial pollution leading to beach closures is a critically important issue. In 2013, Save the Sound initiated a seasonal community-based water quality monitoring program in Westchester that measures bacteria levels and shares the findings with the public. Save the Sound also coordinates and participates in a Sound-wide study, the Unified Water Study , to measure eutrophic conditions in embayments of Long Island Sound. Internship Description As a part of our dynamic seasonal water quality sampling program, you will be working with volunteers from Long Island Sound shoreline communities. You will learn about water quality monitoring and processing samples in our lab located in Larchmont, NY. The position will assist in data analysis and the development of figures, maps, and tables for reports. This position will primarily involve time in the laboratory and office. Laboratory work will include calibration of both lab and field instruments, bacteria measurements using IDEXX methods, logging analytical results, preparation of standards and reagents, and general laboratory maintenance. In the office there will be research work associated with water quality monitoring. The Water Quality Laboratory Intern will occasionally work with volunteers in the laboratory. The intern will also work closely with monitoring groups participating in the Unified Water Study. There will be opportunities to participate in fieldwork if the intern is interested. This is educational internship is expected to last approximately 12 weeks with some flexibility around the intern’s current schedule - reporting to the Laboratory Manager. Office and lab work will be conducted in our Larchmont, NY office in Westchester. Fieldwork will take place along western Long Island Sound

Requirements

Excellent organizational skills, experience working with data, and strong familiarity with Microsoft Excel
Laboratory Experience (educational and/or professional)
Ability to work independently and prioritize daily tasks to meet program goals
Strong communications skills
Ability to work with and coordinate all types of people mixed together in a group setting
Science education and a passion for protecting and restoring water quality