Mosaics Internship: Ecology Assistant (Vernal Pools) - ONSITE - Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Start/End Dates: May 5, 2025 – August 9, 2025 (13 weeks)

Compensation: $688 per week housing

Application Due: January 19, 2025

Mosaics in Science seeks to engage ethnically and racially diverse young professionals in natural resource careers. 

MIS Intern 

• You must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident.

• Must have a valid driver’s license.

* No personal vehicle is required for this position.

Position Description: 

The SIP Mosaics intern will support the development of a long-term monitoring strategy for assessing the condition of vernal pools within Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Data from previous studies will be queried and classified to prioritize pools for evaluation based on factors such as proximity to development and timber harvest areas, location relative to other pools, and diversity of indicator species.

A subset of pools will be surveyed for ecological parameters and submitted to the Michigan Vernal Pool Partnership database. Hydroperiods will also be documented to establish relationships between hydroperiod types across the landscape. Trail cameras will be maintained to monitor terrestrial wildlife use across different pool types, supplementing ongoing research within the park and Hiawatha National Forest.

Additional opportunities include:

• Conducting avian surveys.

• Performing water quality monitoring.

• Maintaining songmeters as part of the Amphibian Monitoring Protocol administered by the Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network.

Responsibilities:

• Synthesize existing vernal pool data to guide assessment goals.

• Submit data for 10 vernal pool sites to the Michigan Vernal Pool Partnership.

• Document hydroperiods for a subset of vernal pools.

• Integrate updated vernal pool data into PIRO ArcGIS geodatabase products.

• Complete a comprehensive field report.

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated interest in natural resources, hydrology, or biology.

• Strong organizational and communication skills are required.

• Experience maintaining data in spreadsheets and following standard operating procedures for field data collection and organization is desirable.

• Proficiency in creating graphs, tables, charts, and figures, particularly using relational databases and ArcGIS, is beneficial.

• Ability to navigate long distances off-trail on uneven and flooded terrain under inclement conditions (e.g., biting insects, high humidity).

• Capable of carrying a backpack and equipment while working in challenging environments.

• Self-starter with a proactive approach to tasks.

• Effective team player with strong collaboration skills.

Interns in this program will receive 520 hours toward Public Land Corps (PLC) Hiring Authority. See below for more information.

Public Land Corps Non-Competitive Hiring Authority (PLC)

The Public Land Corps Non-Competitive Hiring Authority is a special hiring authority available to qualifying interns. The intern must be between the ages of 18 and 30 years old, inclusive, or a veteran up to age 35 and complete 640 hours of work on an appropriate conservation project to be eligible for this 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. The applicant must apply to a PLC-eligible position advertised on USAJobs.gov and be selected off a non-competitive certificate of eligibility. For more information, see DOI Personnel Bulletins 11-02 , 12-13, and 17-03.

EEO Statement

Environment for the Americas provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employmentand prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Salary : $688