Water Quality Science Internship

CWH•Los Angeles, CA

13d•$25 - $25•Hybrid

About The Position

The Council for Watershed Health (CWH) is a non-profit organization founded in 1996 to advance the health and sustainability of our regions watersheds, rivers, streams, and habitat both in natural areas and urban neighborhoods. We do this through science-based research, education, and inclusive engagement. CWH is hiring a Student Intern for our Los Angeles Watershed Monitoring Program (LARWMP) to support water quality monitoring. Were seeking an enthusiastic, adaptable individual with a relevant background in chemistry, biology, environmental sciences, ecology, etc. The Intern will work under the guidance of the Staff Scientist in designing and conducting a research project and supporting water quality field monitoring efforts. The ideal candidate will have skills, experience, or competency in the following responsibilities:

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and familiarity with Google Workspace.
Some coursework OR equivalent experience using GIS, statistics, and/or data analysis programs (i.e., MS Excel, Google Sheets, ArcGIS, R, Python, etc.).
Access to transportation to get to meeting points for field work.
Available to work on weekends, evenings, and summer holidays.
This role requires moving up to 25lbs of equipment and hiking through rough terrain and wading into streams hip deep.
Use professional language in verbal and written communication.
Enrollment as a full-time student in a bachelors or advanced degree program related to this field (Chemistry, Biology, Environmental Sciences, Ecology, etc.) or equivalent experience

Nice To Haves

Prior experience conducting field monitoring is preferred, but not required
Strong problem-solving skills, works well under pressure, and is adaptive to a changing work environment
Ability to communicate proactively and effectively with Staff Scientist and other staff
Communicative and takes initiative on project tasks
Actively seeks out support and clarification when unsure of project tasks
Detail-oriented and able to prioritize tasks
Good written and oral communication skills

Responsibilities

Water Quality Monitoring Fieldwork ( 35% ) Conduct water quality monitoring in streams in the Los Angeles River Watershed up to five times per month.
Use and calibrate field probes following standard practices.
Identify and promptly communicate issues in field data collection and any sources of error in collected data.
Participating in field efforts (10-25% of time collecting stormwater, sediment, and/or tissues or measuring water quality).
Drive and hike to remote sampling locations for data collection.
Follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and field safety protocols.
Intern Project ( 35% ) Work collaboratively with CWH Science Team to plan and conduct a literature review or project about a topic of interest.
Conduct data entry, data cleaning, basic data analysis, and GIS mapping.
Design informative data visualizations (i.e., charts, graphs, data dashboards, infographics, etc.) for a general audience.
Find, review, summarize, and synthesize reports and primary literature.
Summarize study results in a final project report and presentation.
Project Support ( 30% ) Supporting CWH projects such as attending tours, meetings, providing administrative support, and summarizing documents.