Ecological Monitoring Internship
***Applicants must be available from mid-June until mid-September.***
Program Description: The JMT Wilderness Conservancy (JMT Wild) will deploy several cohorts of student interns in the 2025-summer season throughout the Sierra Nevada in the John Muir Trail (JMT) region. Interns will be in remote, backcountry settings where they will backpack, conduct low-tech restoration work, and collect detailed data on current field conditions. This work will support the restoration of sensitive ecosystems in highly impacted areas across the region.
Duties: Interns will be responsible for characterizing degraded terrain in Wilderness areas and monitoring the influence of restoration. Monitoring will include data collection of water quality, vegetation and ecosystem health assessments around degraded terrain. Interns will work under the guidance of project managers and alongside Forest Service and Park Service scientists and rangers, contributing to collaborative restoration and monitoring efforts. Cohorts will work an 9-day on, 5-day off tour schedule along the JMT. One day per tour will be a QA/QC of the data collected. Each cohort will complete four tours.
Time Commitment: There will be training in mid-June in Truckee, CA, and deployments will be from mid-July through mid-September. Applicants must be available from mid-June until mid-September. Specific dates are tentative and will be finalized in early spring as the seasonal snowpack recedes. Interns should be prepared for schedule adjustments. It is important to note that the work window in the Sierra Nevada may vary based on seasonal snowpack, weather conditions, and wildfire season.
Provided by JMT Wild: Trail/research supplies, backcountry food, Wilderness First Aid Certification Course (WFA), student stipend ($9,000 per intern), housing and food during Truckee field training, and housing between backcountry tours.
Not Provided: Transportation (students are responsible for arriving at their cohort’s starting location and the Truckee field training). Students are responsible for backpacking gear, off-time meals, and personal expenses. Pro deals for gear purchases are available for summer use.
Fitness Requirements: Interns are responsible for preparing for rugged, high-elevation terrain, including carrying a 40-50 lb backpack over uneven terrain for multiple days at altitudes ranging in elevation from 6,500’ to 12,000’.
Qualifications:
- Must be age 20 or older
- Majors focused on Ecology, Environment Science, Conservation, Sustainability, Natural Resource Management, or similar subjects.
- Experienced in multi-day backcountry hiking, preferably in the Sierra Nevada or similar mountainous terrain
- Ability to work safely, efficiently, and independently as a part of a team
- Ability to perform sustained, physically-challenging work in high-elevation backcountry terrain
- Ability to strictly comply with current COVID-19 regulations set by the National Parks Service, US Forest Service, and JMT Wild
- Positive and resourceful attitude!
Skill You Can Expect to Gain:
- Backcountry Skills
- Ecological Data Collection
- Basic ArcGIS skills
- Vegetation & Wildlife Identification
- Basic Field Navigation Skills
- Wilderness First Aid
- Leave No Trace Principles
- Problem-solving and teamwork in remote environments
Insurance & Waivers: Interns will be expected to have their own medical insurance to cover any health or medical issues, including any injuries or emergencies, relating to the internship. Evacuation plans will be in place for emergency situations in remote wilderness locations. They will also be asked to sign a waiver of any liability of the JMT Wilderness Conservancy related to the program.
How to Apply:
Submit the following documents:
- Resume
- Completed JMT Wild Internship Application
Open to the first 150 applications or until January 17, 2025 (whichever comes first).