Stewardship Internship Program

To download an application click here.

Purpose

This internship is an experience that provides hands-on experience and practical on-the-ground management coupled with the Leopold land ethic philosophy. This experience is designed to train interns using the Aldo Leopold Foundation property, which serves as an outdoor classroom, to become proficient in land management tasks and develop awareness to make informed management decisions.  All stewardship interns will be expected to be actively involved in all aspects of management.

Program Description 

The internship is a unique experience for individuals who are just entering the field of conservation. The nine-month commitment is more than just an internship, it is an opportunity to immerse yourself in a landscape influenced by Leopold, surround yourself with dedicated conservation professionals, and connect to experiences that enhance your own land ethic. Our objective is to prepare interns for their next step in their career, whether it be a graduate program, full-time employment at a public or private entity, or another step into the world of conservation.

The internship starts in February and runs through November. This is the minimum time necessary to ensure adequate training and experience be obtained in our core competency areas (see below). This nine-month internship provides a diverse land stewardship experience—as the seasons change from winter, spring, summer, fall and back again, the stewardship crew is working in stride with the changing seasons and phenology.  While the crew spends over three quarters of its time in the field, when you are inside you will be working in the Leopold Center—a sustainably built, Platinum LEED-certified, zero carbon emission building. 

The program focuses on building awareness and appreciation for conservation work though increasing knowledge and understanding of the land, the many interrelationships between the land resources and their management, and the challenges of managing for the health of the land rather than just managing individual resources.  The program is made up of core experiences that work to build a strong foundation of land management; each crop of interns is exposed to these same experiences.  The interns will also be involved in other projects which vary year to year, coordinating with organization-wide initiatives and collaborative projects with partners. Beyond these planned experiences, interns can expect to be offered opportunities to explore, participate, and attend a whole variety of events, workshops, talks, and meetings that will expand their conservation networks, knowledge base, and understanding of non-profit operations.  Interns will be expected to work on tasks assigned by their supervisor 40 hours a week. Initially, interns should expect to work closely with their supervisor or crew leader in a team environment.  As experience is gained, more independence will be given and leadership opportunities will be created.

Core Areas:

  • Invasive Species Management (40%)
    • Common Buckthorn & other invasive woody shrubs
    • Garlic Mustard
    • Japanese Hedge Parsley
  • Prescribed Burning on ALF and private lands (10%)
  • Woodland School Class coordination and participation (5%)
  • GIS/GPS (5%)
  • Reporting & documentation (15%)
  • Misc (25%) Stewardship crew's designated annual projects (Timber stand improvement, trail maintenance, training, maintenance and enhancement of native prairie establishments ….)

 This internship teaches discrete skills (chainsaw skills, chemical application, tractor use, brush saws, GIS mapping, GPS, etc.) that provide land stewards with a comprehensive tool box that they can use when they head into the field to carry out invasive species management, timber stand improvement, prescribed burning, and many of the other projects that are essential to caring for a piece of land.  The internship provides hands-on skills and a diverse knowledge base that creates a confident and experienced land steward.   Please check out the applications guidelines to apply or contact Alanna Koshollek at alanna@aldoleopold.org for more information.

Frequently asked internship questions

What is the work schedule of the internship like?
The position is a full time, 40 hour per week  seasonal position that starts in mid-February and goes into mid-November.  Most of the time the Stewardship crew works Monday through Friday.  We schedule our work days depending on our daily activity and the season. We generally work 9-5, but sometime it is 7-3, 8-4, or whatever schedule makes the most sense for the task to be accomplished that day.  There are seasons were we might put in longer days to accomplish a task in exchange for time off later in the month.  This usually happens during prescribed burn season where all stewardship staff is "on call" and when the weather is appropriate, we burn.  Interns receive time off later in the season to compensate for the extra hours spent during burn season.

Will I have to work weekends?
Weekends are required occasionally.  This is due to either an all-staff activity or training.  Rarely do we work a weekend to finish a task that was started during the week.  If you are expected to work a weekend you will know several weeks in advance and your schedule will be adjusted accordingly.

I don’t graduate until May, can I apply just for the summer?
No, at this time we do not have summer internships available.  Due to the content of the internship it is important for interns to committee to the full February to November timeframe.

Are internships offered every year?
Yes, depending on the year there may be two to three positions available.

How much time should I expect to be in the field?
As an intern you will spend about 85% of your time in the field working with invasive species, conducting prescribed burns, collecting seeds for prairie restorations, conducting timber stand improvement, or a number of other activities.  The other 15% of your time will be spent writing summary reports about the field activities, attending trainings or other professional development activities. 

What is the most challenging aspect of the internship?
This is a very physically demanding job where work is necessary in a variety of weather conditions including snow, rain, heat, and yes – you are exposed to ticks and mosquitoes. However the internship is very rewarding at the same time.  There is a real sense of camaraderie with the stewardship crew making even the most challenging tasks exciting and educational. 

How will the work change with the seasons?

Winter:

Buckthorn Removal: Snow cover provides an opportunity for the crew to tackle common buckthorn, an aggressive invasive species.  This task involves chainsaws and chemical—the interns are quickly brought up to speed with these useful field tools by taking the Game of Logging chainsaw classes (offered through the Aldo Leopold Foundation’s Woodland School) and obtaining a Wisconsin State Herbicide Applicators license.

Spring: 

Prescribed Burning: Before spring green up, the crew hits the ground conducting prescribed burns on the Aldo Leopold Foundation property and on private landowner’s properties.  Because the phenological window of opportunity for prescribed burning is dictated by the weather, the Stewardship Crew is more or less “on-call” for the month of April and working long days when the wind and rain cooperate, and taking days off when the weather is not favorable for burning.  This is an exhilarating and physically demanding stewardship task.

Garlic Mustard:  Garlic mustard control consumes a great deal of the Stewardship Crew’s time.  This process involves walking transects over the entire Leopold Memorial Reserve (300 acres) to scope the area for garlic mustard seedlings and second year plants. While the crew is very focused on the task at hand, we also have fun watching the spring flora and fauna emerge—including fawns, snakes, and spring ephemerals. 

Summer: 

Invasive Species: The Stewardship Crew monitors the Leopold Memorial Reserve for Japanese hedge-parsley (Torilis japonica), a newer invasive species of concern. It is very aggressive and has a very high rate of spread due to the production of stick-tight seeds.  Both chemical treatment and hand-pulling control methods are employed.

Projects: Each summer projects such as seed collection, prairie restoration efforts, mowing trails, carpentry projects, plant sampling, research projects, vegetation monitoring, and landowner visits cover the schedule of the hot summer days.

Fall: 

Chainsaw work: As the leaves fall, the Crew heads back to the woods to test their chainsaw skills with Timber Stand Improvement (TSI), fire wood cutting and splitting, and buckthorn removal. 

GIS Mapping: With the leaves off this is a great time of year to collect data to build base layer files for future GIS project.

How to Apply

Download announcement and application materials (Word document)

This program is seeking individuals who have a degree in natural resources, environmental studies, or related field who possess a strong desire to learn about conservation and land management.  This should be a four-year degree and be coupled with previous field experience.  This internship does require the individual to commit to the full internship term of February to November.

We typically have two to three interns annually for a February to November term.  The job announcement is posted in late October or early November to hire for the following year; the announcement along with a list of required application materials and deadline can be found on our website along with numerous job boards.

Announcement (2012 Season)

The Aldo Leopold Foundation (ALF) is seeking individuals to fill two Land Stewardship Internship positions for February 2012 to November 2012. This is a unique opportunity to challenge and enhance one’s skills while being inspired through the legacy of Aldo Leopold. This position requires someone who is committed full-time for the duration of this timeframe.

Working with experienced ALF staff, interns will assist with management activities on the 2,000 acre Leopold Memorial Reserve (LMR). There is a strong emphasis on invasive species management and also developing an understanding of non-profit operations and collaborative conservation. In addition to the famous Shack, the reserve includes habitat from restored and remnant prairies to floodplain forests.  This diverse landscape provides opportunities to learn native plant communities, identify threats to native ecosystems, and the effective tools and methods for management.           

As seasons change, management focuses on different activities including invasive species control, prescribed burning, seed collecting, and more.  Interns will have the opportunity to interact with resources professionals and Aldo Leopold family members who can share stories of their history on the land.

Training will be provided in many areas throughout the internship with several opportunities to become certified in various capacities.  Training may include some or all of the following: First Aid and CPR, prescribed burning, chainsaw safety (Game of Logging Level 1), and herbicide application.  Safety equipment will be provided for you.  Interns can also expect to gain experience with GIS, GPS and use of equipment such as trucks, trailers, tractors, and herbicide sprayers. Applicants should have a degree in a natural resource related field, be prepared for physically demanding work in a variety of weather conditions, and have a valid driver’s license. 

Interns will be paid $1160 per month along with one day per month paid vacation, and housing at an ALF owned property.

If you have further questions please contact Alanna Koshollek at alanna@aldoleopold.org using the subject line:  2012 Internship Announcement Questions.

Candidates should send a resume, responses to the two scenarios below, and two letters of recommendation to Alanna Koshollek, P.O. Box 77, Baraboo, WI, 53913 or if you would like to submit an application electronically please submit it with the following subject line: 2012 Internship Application Materials to alanna@aldoleopold.org. Applications must be postmarked by Monday January 2nd, 2012. 

Approximate Hiring Timeline:

  • January 2nd-10th Application Review
  • January 10th-17th Phone Interviews
  • January 19th-20th Job Offers
  • February 13th - Start Date

Directions:  Please read through each of the two scenarios and develop a one page narrative, or less, for each scenario that addresses the specific questions listed.

SCENARIO 1:
This list of tasks is provided to you and your co-worker at the end of the day on Friday for the following week.  You and the other intern will need to decide how you complete these tasks given the weather and other commitments for that week.  Please list for each day which task is going to be completed and by whom. Please list the task in order of which you would complete them.  Please provide a brief narrative to describe how you came to the decisions on which tasks to complete when.

Background information
- Work schedule is typically Monday – Friday 9a.m. -5 p.m. (40 hours per week), with flexibility to adjust to weather
- 2 person intern crew

Forecast for the week: May 2012
Monday: Sunny 60 degrees
Tuesday: Sunny 65 degrees
Wednesday: Partly cloudy 55 degrees & 60% chance rain after 3 p.m.
Thursday: Cloudy 52 degrees & 80% Rain all day
Friday:  Partly cloudy 58 degrees & 20% Chance of rain

Tasks to complete this week:
- Preparation of daily field maps for invasives control– Est. ½ person hour per day
- Enter Woodland School evaluation forms – Est. 2 person hours to complete
- Preparation of chemical for invasive control – Est. ½ person hour per day
- Take work truck to Baraboo for oil change – Est. 3 person hours to complete
- Invasives treatment with chemical sprayers & hand held PDA/GPS unit for data collection – all populations are flagged and population characteristics are recorded for each visit.  Protocol is to transect the entire area where populations exist chemically treating each population. Chemical needs 1 hour dry time before rain to remain effective - Estimate 60 person hours of work to complete management unit.
- Clean equipment garage – Est. 2 person hours to complete
- Hand weeding native focal gardens around Legacy Center – Est. 6 person hours to complete

Commitments: Staff Meeting to attend 9:45 – 11 a.m. on Thursday

SCENARIO 2:
A brand new group of 8 volunteers are coming to work with you and your co-worker for the day in the field doing treatment of shrubby invasive species.  You have already worked for several weeks on this project and fully understand both the benefits and challenges of this work.  Your supervisor has requested you work on a 2 acre area rich with native plants with patches of dense invasive seedlings and scattered invasive saplings throughout.  

Effective treatment options include:
- Hand-pulling shrubs
- Cut the stem and paint the stump with chemical
- Foliar spray shrubs

You are given flagging tape, flags, loppers, spray bottles with chemical, chemical back-pack sprayers hand-saws, brush saw, chainsaws, and safety equipment to use.  You are not required to use all the equipment to complete the task.

Please describe the activities for the day, starting when the group arrives through when the group departs.  Provide a description on how you plan to utilize the volunteers to complete the task, the type of equipment will you use, treatment option(s) you select, and how you and your co-worker will delegate tasks.

The Aldo Leopold Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.