Volunteer Aquatic Field Internship

HRWC’s summer aquatic field internship program is primarily intended for undergraduates and those with little to no professional experience. High school and graduate students, as well as early career professionals, are also more than welcome. The opportunity focuses exclusively on the experience of field-based water quality monitoring and public education in the context of a well-rounded internship experience. Interns will visit numerous field locations, in a number of local tributaries to the Huron River, collecting data about benthic macroinvertebrates, in stream and near stream habitat, and water quality parameters such as volumetric flow. All interns will work on HRWC’s education program, teaching area residents and students about water quality and water quality testing, including our summer youth snorkeling program and stormdrain awareness campaign. Interns will also participate in green infrastructure evaluation and maintenance. On occasion, interns may be asked to utilize existing abilities/skillsets to assist HRWC staff with general program upkeep tasks such as GIS mapping, Human Relations, Volunteer Management, Development and Membership, Landscape Architecture, etc. Internships run full summer or half summer, 2-4 days per week (including Tuesdays). 

Responsibilities: 

1. Consistently utilize proper work methods
2. Safely travel to field sites and conduct field data collection
3. Keep equipment in working order
4. Communicate effectively with general public and supervisors
5. Assist supervisors on other projects as needed

Qualifications: 

1. Background and/or strong interest in water quality monitoring and/or a career in environmental science
2. Demonstrated ability to work well in a team setting
3. Attention to detail such as data management
4. Fluent in Microsoft Office suite and Google documents and maps

Value: 

1. Wide array of experience in field monitoring and data collection and public education
2. Learning from network of interns and staff on a daily basis
3. Access to network of water quality professionals
4. Mileage reimbursement for any driving at the federal rate
5. $10 per day stipend provided to offset incidental costs associated with day-to-day work

Requirements:

1. Consistently work from 9:00am-2:00pm, 2-4 days per week, including Tuesdays
2. Must be able to work in physically challenging, outdoor locations during the heat of the summer
3. Ability to drive, or willingness to carpool, throughout the watershed, up to 30 minutes each direction
4. Sign and date Field Internship position agreement including a liability waiver
5. Completion of a background check (a prior record will not necessarily prohibit applicants from participating in the internship program)

Please complete the application and submit a resume at hrwc.org/about/staff/jobs/. 

Applications will be accepted from January through April. At which time an informational interview will be conducted. 

Questions may be directed to Jason Frenzel, jfrenzel@hrwc.org.

Huron River Watershed Council is committed to diversity and inclusion within the workplace. We are committed to prohibiting discrimination against volunteers, clients, and applicants on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, physical or mental handicap/disability, social economic class, ethical values, and/or political beliefs.