Conservation Internships
Ano Nuevo Reptile and Amphibian Surveys
Listing also found in Research tab.
Contact: Patrick Robinson (Reserve manager) Patrick.robinson@ucsc.edu
Come learn about snakes, lizards (maybe some frogs and rodents too) with an internship at the Año Nuevo UC Natural Reserve. In April of 2013 the UCSC Field Methods Class and Natural Reserve placed 25 coverboards in the main park area between the Año Nuevo visitor center and main beach as well as 25 coverboards in a recently acquired State Park property (BART property) just to the north. The coverboards have now aged and are likely providing habitat for snakes, lizards, amphibians, and perhaps small mammals. This internship will involve checking these coverboards on a weekly basis throughout the quarter, recording data, identifying species, and entering data into a database. Data from your project will help State Parks compare herpetofauna across the two sites (the BART property was farmed as recently as 2006 whereas the main park area was last farmed in the early 1950s).
Native Plant Program - Interactive Ecology
UC Santa Cruz Arboretum and Botanical Garden Native Plant Program
Listing also found under Campus
Contact: Jeremy Silberman jfsilber@ucsc.edu
Interactive Ecology interns will work in the California Conservation Gardens, Laurasian Forest, World Conifer Garden, nursery and greenhouse areas, and with the Conservation Seed Bank in the UCSC Arboretum. Work changes with the seasons and is project dependent. There will be supplemental readings, writings, and activities, relating to the fields of conservation, botany, land stewardship, ecology and more.
Work in the gardens can include: planting, weeding invasive plants, mowing, irrigation installation and maintenance, and pruning. Work in the nurseries and greenhouses can include: repotting plants, weeding, propagation, and seed banking work. You will learn these things and more, and grow to appreciate the nuances of the work we do in the Arboretum!
Open to both 2-unit and 5-unit internships. The amount of interns we will be able to take on will be scheduling dependent.
Feel free to send me an email to apply and we can set up an interview. This Internship is set for Fall 2024.
2) UCSC Arboretum & Botanic Garden - Horticulturist Internship
Contact Jose Rodriguez, Gondwanan Horticulturist & Garden Steward, for more information and to set up an interview. (831) 502-2306; jrodri22@ucsc.edu
Gain hands-on experience working with staff horticulturists in a variety of gardens. Learn about the growth and care of plants from Australia, South Africa, Chile, and New Zealand. Your experiential learning will be supplemented by weekly readings and other assignments.
Work changes with the season and is project dependent, some skills you may acquire in the internship include:
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Plant identification
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Aesthetic and structural pruning
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Landscape maintenance and Fine gardening
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Arboriculture
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Integrated Pest Management
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Irrigation installation and maintenance
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Battery operated tools, chainsaws, and small engine equipment use/maintenance
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GIS mapping and Collection Management
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Public Garden Management and Visitor Engagement
The internship is a 5 Unit upper or lower division ENVS course or 2 unit internship. 5 Units requires 12 hours per week (120 per quarter). 2 unit internships are 6 hours per week or 60 hours per quarter.-
Listing also found under Campus
Contact: Katherine Whitney Hansen, kwhansen@ucsc.edu
As part of my PhD project I studied carnivore movement and behavior in the Okavango
Delta, Botswana; this project was sponsored by a larger organization called Botswana
Predator Conservation. Colleagues in Botswana discovered that in key locations many
carnivore species utilize “latrines”, and that these communication hotspots are an
incredible opportunity to study behavioral strategies of the carnivore guild in Sub-
Saharan Africa. The interguild interactions of carnivores at latrines have never been
described before in this part of the world, which makes this an exciting opportunity for
those interested in cutting edge wildlife research. I am seeking interns to help me
describe behavior of all carnivore species at latrines, with the intent of using this data to
investigate the importance of latrines for facilitating predator communication.On-campus intern positions are time-flexible and ideal for the intern who only has partial
days available between classes. These interns will develop ethograms used to classify
animal behaviors, label videos of carnivores with associated behavioral and species-
specific information, and help process data for subsequent analysis. These interns must
be computer-literate (able to learn to use Adobe Bridge and Microsoft Excel).I have collected a carnivore-only video dataset, which means the data has already been
clean and processed. All video-viewing will be of carnivores, and will require detailed
annotation of observed behaviors. Interns will work with me to create a user-friendly
ethogram for easier tagging and annotation. 2-unit or 5-unit interns appreciated!
California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program / CA Sea Grant
Listing also found in the Water and Marine-Related, and Summer tabs.
Only available during the Summer!
Contact: Jake Todd, ccfrp@mlml.calstate.edu
CCFRP Interns gain insight into the world of marine science and valuable, hands-on experience for professional development through active participation in various forms of fieldwork, data analysis, and project support. Each summer, CCFRP conducts 12 fish sampling trips around the Monterey Bay area to survey two marine protected areas. Interns help to plan and prepare for these trips while also coming on the trips to assist with fish processing. Interns may also provide organizational, logistical, and administrative assistance to the overall Fisheries and Conservation Biology Lab at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories if opportunities with other projects are available. This unpaid summer internship is open to both undergraduate students and recent graduates.
Applications will be accepted until April 19, 2023.For more information and to request an application, please email mlml-ccfrp@sjsu.edu.
For more information visit the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program's website.
Vegetation Program
Contact: Julie Evens, jevens@cnps.org
The California Native Plant Society (CNPS) is a statewide non-profit conservation organization (www.cnps.org) founded in 1965, with more than 10,000 members in 35 chapters across California and Baja California Mexico. The mission of CNPS is to increase understanding and appreciation of California’s native plants and to conserve them and their natural habitats through scientific study, education, advocacy, horticulture, and land stewardship. The CNPS Vegetation Program supports a uniform system for vegetation sampling, classification, and mapping and maintains vegetation information databases. This system, developed over the past 25 years by CNPS and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), is used by both governmental and non-governmental institutions to map, categorize and describe vegetation.
Vegetation mapping and ground-based sampling are useful tools for resource assessment, land management, regional planning, and long-term resource monitoring. Since Santa Cruz County experienced an unprecedented wildfire season in 2020 as well as other fires in recent years (CalFire 2020), CNPS and partners will set up an array of monitoring plots in redwood forests that span a two-dimensional gradient of burn intensity (from high intensity to unburned) and hydrology (from drier to wetter). By having numerous monitoring plots, land managers can better evaluate ecosystem biodiversity in redwood forests across a broad swath of Santa Cruz County and evaluate invasive plant threats, particularly in areas with recent fire or near development. This research can also provide further insight on fire risk, invasive plants, Sudden Oak Death Syndrome (SODS), and other impacts. Assessing ecosystem biodiversity and threats will directly assist land managers to prioritize restoration efforts across this region where habitat fragmentation, climate change, and other disturbances continue to occur. Additionally, other post-fire plots will be established in other forest, shrubland and herbaceous vegetation types to survey the characteristics of burned vegetation and fire-followers at State Parks such as Big Basin Redwoods SP and Henry Coe SP.
Interns will participate in field botany and vegetation surveys in natural areas of Santa Cruz County, where participants will learn and practice survey methods used by the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). We have several ongoing projects that these efforts will support, including fine-scale vegetation mapping of Santa Cruz Co. All participants will keep a journal of notes and observations. Photography and using GPS and smart mapping tools will be a part of the work (e.g. Ipads with ESRI Collector, etc.). Participants will be required to help identify plant species, create short narrative descriptions of study areas, and collect detailed measurements of vegetation (e.g., diameter at breast height, percent cover by species, burn severity, etc.).
All-day field trips to local wild areas will focus on plant communities and techniques involved in vegetation monitoring, mapping, and classification. Time frames will depend on the level of interest and availability for exploratory field trips and vegetation surveys.
Availability for at least one (1) full day each week would be ideal, particularly for field work – for full days, we are hoping those could be mostly in May and early June (if the spring quarter). Please fill out the online application indicating your availability.
Tuesday all day (preferred), Tuesday morning, Tuesday afternoon
Listing also found under Campus
Contact: Sylvie Childress sylviechildress@ucsc.edu
The UCSC Greenhouses grow plants for research, course instruction, and ecological restoration and
conservation. This internship focuses on ex-situ rare plant conservation. The work will mostly take place in
the UCSC Greenhouses, with at least one off-site field work day. Students participating in this internship are eligible for a stipend.
Interns will assist with:
- Growing plants for seed increase of local CRPR (California Rare Plant Ranked) species, with end
goal of producing seeds for long term storage in a seed bank
- Create mounted herbarium specimens
- Growing and outplanting individuals of the rare Santa Cruz Tarplant (Holocarpha macradenia)
- Recording information related to plant growth
- Gathering and analyzing data from seed germination experiments
- Drafting Propagation Protocol documents to contribute to a national database of plant propagation
methods
Learning objectives include:
- Learn about the conservation challenges facing local rare plants
- Understanding the seed ecology of plants in a variety of habitats
- Gain familiarity with standard and creative methods of breaking seed dormancy in California native
plants
- Acquire horticultural skills in cultivating plants from seed to seed-setStrong interest in plant conservation is the only requirement! Some background in plant biology and statistics
is strongly preferred (not required). If interested, please email Sylvie Childress (sylviechildress@ucsc.edu)
and describe any relevant coursework, personal experience, and interest in these areas.
Groundswell Coastal Ecology
Contact: Bill Henry, bill.henry@groundswellecology.org
We are accepting interns to work on Nature-based Coastal Adaptation Projects in Santa Cruz County.
Groundswell makes our coast better for nature and people. We use nature-based adaptation to build healthy coastal ecosystems in the Monterey Bay Area. Projects focus on planning, design, and implementation of projects that increase coastal ecosystem resiliency and biodiversity. Interns will participate in the Monterey Bay Living Shoreline Program and may work at coastal sites stretching from Rio Del Mar to Pescadero including those at Seabright Beach, Lighthouse Field, Natural Bridges, and Davenport Landing.
We also have specific needs for students with GIS training/experience!!! This Internship is set for Summer 2024 and Fall 2024.
Sandhills Restoration Intern
Contact: Jodi McGraw, jodi@jodimcgrawconsulting.com (831)768-6988
Full Intership Description Link
Jodi McGraw Consulting (JMc) is implementing a series of conservation and restoration projects, including work to restore the Santa Cruz Sandhills and coastal prairie habitat. The work done by interns is part of a longer-term restoration efforts designed to restoration sensitive plant communities and populations of rare and endangered species.
JMc Restoration interns gain experience in the following aspects of conservation and restoration, with the precise activities depending on the season (i.e., quarter) of participation:- Native plant propagation, including seed collection, cleaning, and growing;
- Native plant installation and maintenance, including weeding, pruning, and irrigation;
- Exotic plant identification and control strategies;
- Rare plant identification and monitoring, including mapping;
- Endangered insect surveys; and
- Monitoring of experimental trials to promote endangered plants and insects and restore degraded habitat.
Conservation Internship
Also under the Agroecology and Plants and Environmental Education tabs
Contact: Dominic “Buzz” Renda buzz@medicinebuddha.org
Land of Medicine Buddha (LMB), a center for healing and developing a good heart, is an active Buddhist community, a local registered non-profit, an environmental conscious meditation and retreat center located on 108 acres of coastal redwood foothills in Soquel. Our mission, values, teachings and practices devoted to increasing the wellbeing for all. We offer a wide range of secular and non-secular offerings including teaching, meditation, retreat and community.
4 2 or 5 unit internships are available. Internship participants will be instrumental in planning, developing and actualizing 1 of 2 priority LMB projects; Regenerative Garden and Nature Walk.
For more information please visit our website!
Oceans 360 Internship
Contact: Steve Mandel, steve@oceans360.org, (831)-234-5566
We are an ocean conservation education 501(c)(3) nonprofit, that uses virtual reality to communicate the need for reduction of ocean plastics, encourage sustainable use of ocean resources and work on global warming and its effect on coral.
For more info, visit their website!
Puma Project
Listing also found in the Campus tab.
Contact: John Morgan, scpp.internship@gmail.com
We have studied mountain lions in the Santa Cruz Mountains since 2008. Our goals are to understand how mountain lions survive in an area that is highly-impacted by people, develop new research technologies, and educate the public. You can gain resume-building experience conducting cutting-edge research with large carnivores. We need interns who are proactive, independent, self-motivated, and communicate clearly. There are 2 options:
- On-campus Option: On-campus intern positions are time-flexible and ideal for the intern who only has partial days available between classes. These interns will label photographs of animals, utilize Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and help with data entry using on-campus computers. These interns must be computer-literate (able to learn to use Picasa and other software). Motivated interns may also spend up to 20% of their time in the field if they are interested and have an occasional full day free (this could be on the weekend). Fieldwork is optional for on-campus interns.
- Off-campus Option: Off-campus interns accompany experienced project personnel in-the-field to investigate GPS locations where pumas may have made kills, check trail camera stations. These interns must 1) dedicate one full day at a time on a regular day each week, 2) be in good physical condition to hike canyons off-trail through brush, 3) exhibit the ability to make common-sense choices, and 4) tolerate poison oak, ticks, and other field hazards.
Social & Ecological Justice Campaign
Listing also found in the Environmental Education and Environmental Justice tab.
Contact: Juli Hazlewood, juli@rootsroutes.org
Roots & Routes IC's (Roots & Routes, R&R) mission is to facilitate sharing knowledge and compassion between diverse cultures en route to responsibly stewarding a flourishing living world. We are a network linking community-based Indigenous and Ancestral peoples’ environmental educational initiatives that teaches the world that we are worth more than the resources below our feet.We offer a remote internship program with youth from all over the world. The Youth Visionary Collective (YVC) contributes to environmental and social consciousness by offering the opportunity to hone professional and life skills, to learn how to strategize and grow an international and community-based NGO, and to join a community of like-minded youth across the world dedicated to environmental justice, Indigenous and ethnic self-determination, sovereignty, and decolonizing knowledge.We have six teams: the Social Media Team, who create Instagram content; the Podcast Team who are creating our new podcast; the Blog & Newsletter Team who write blogs and our newsletter; the Pluriversity team who strategize and build our educational platform; the Steering Committee who coordinate and facilitate the YVC; and the Spanish-speaking Rights of Nature team who create content for the Spanish Instagram account.The program is divided into four seasons per year, of around 10 weeks per season. Each season includes an orientation where new interns learn about Roots & Routes and the teams, and get started on the projects. During the next 10 weeks there will be weekly 1-2 hour meetings on Zoom with bi-weekly guest teachers, ranging from Indigenous leaders to scholar-activists. You will also meet weekly within the teams and spend a minimum of 6 hours per week on your projects.
Coyote Creek Field Station Bird Banding Internship
Contact: Katie LaBarbera, klabarbera@sfbbo.org
The San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory is dedicated to the conservation of birds and their habitats through science and outreach. We are located in Milpitas, approximately 45-60 minutes north of Santa Cruz. SFBBO’s Coyote Creek Field Station bands birds throughout the year to study bird migration patterns and the bird community of one of the lagest riparian habitats in the South Bay Area. We seek an intern (or two) to work with Landbird Program biologists to band birds, train and work with volunteers, and analyze and manage data.
*Note: This internship is offered year round
Bird Club
Contact: Alex Rinkert, arinkert12@comcast.net
The Santa Cruz Bird Club is a 501(c)(7) non-profit with a mission to unite those who have a common interest in wild birds, that they may better study and conserve them. The club has more than 500 members and offers free field trips and lectures year-round. In 2017 the club sponsored a five year project, the Santa Cruz County Breeding Bird Atlas II. The project aims to document the distribution, abundance, phenology, and life history of all breeding birds in Santa Cruz County as well as foster more community engagement in birding. The results of the project will be synthesized in a publication also containing results of the first breeding bird atlas in Santa Cruz County (1987-1993), providing comprehensive insight into current breeding bird populations, how they have changed, and what changes lay ahead.
Interns will work under the supervision of the Project Director during the spring or summer quarter of UC Santa Cruz. Internship work will require up to 6 hours per week, often in the morning and on Fridays through Mondays but here is some flexibility depending on the tasks assigned. Most field work will be located in Santa Cruz or on the immediate coast between Capitola and Davenport. A stipend of $175 will be provided for completion of 60 hours of work.
For more information please visit website
2 Unit Internship
Listing also found in the Research tab.Contact: SCMR Director, Chad Moura, cwmoura@ucsc.eduThe Santa Cruz Mountain Reserve (SCMR) is a new collaboration between UC Santa Cruz’s Natural Reserve
System and regional partners in the Santa Cruz Mountains. SCMR plans to help partnership agencies with wildlife
research/inventory projects, invasive species monitoring, stream and wetland management, the impacts of wildfire
and recreation on floral and faunal communities, and the potential for other projects related to the management of
habitat and working lands in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Partnership agencies and lands within the SCMR include
Cotoni-Coast Dairies (Bureau of Land Management), San Vicente Redwoods (Sempervirens Fund, Peninsula Open
Space Trust, Save the Redwoods League, and the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County), and various State Parks within
the SC Mountains, with plans for more regional partners in the near future. Data collected from projects will help
inform land management, conservation, and general trends in regional floral and faunal populations.Internship Projects for Fall 2023:
Amphibian and Reptile Surveys
Bird Point Counts and Behavioral Studies
Woodrat Midden Mapping
Monitoring Wildfire in Forests: Continuous Forest Inventory Plots
Aquatic Benthic Macroinvertebrate and Terrestrial Arthropods Sorting and Identification
Available Shifts:
6 hour shift every week. Early morning shifts for bird point counts (6am -12pm), otherwise Midday shifts (9am -3:00pm) available, not including travel to site (usually around 20-30 minutes each way).
Options available Tuesday - Friday.
Application Process:
Please fill out the google form application if you are interested in working at SCMR!
Application link: https://forms.gle/nxoUaKf5bGJgwX8x7
Once you have filled out the application, expect an email from me (Chad Moura - Director of the Santa Cruz
Mountains Reserve) for further instruction and details. I will be interviewing candidates for the internship via 10-20 minute zoom/in person interviews if possible.Final deadline for application is Saturday, September 30th, 2023. Early applicants will start receiving
requests for interviews September 25th. Applications sent in after September 30th will not be reviewed for
Fall Quarter 2023.
Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group
Contact: Zeka Glucs, zekaglucs@ucsc.eduThe Predatory Bird Research Group is a long-standing non-profit organization at UCSC tasked with monitoring wild populations of predatory birds and promoting their conservation through education and local involvement. Interns will learn to identify the breeding raptors of Santa Cruz County and gain hands-on skills in field
observation and data collection.Participation in both Winter and Spring quarters is preferred: field observation training will take place in Winter Quarter (2 units), data collection and research activities will take place in Spring Quarter (2 or 5 units).
Leadership roles and independent research opportunities are available to students able to take the 5 unit internship in Spring Quarter.- Contact: Mark (he, him) and Kristin (she, her) Sullivan (831) 295-0005, kjsullivan@
protonmail.com We are embarking on a project to restore the land, which is on the unceded territory of the Amah Mutsun tribal people, to as close to the way in which it was historically and ecologically for indigenous peoples/ancestors, pre-colonialism and indigenous genocide. In addition to inviting UCSC student interns, we have been partnering with UCSC and Central Coast Wilds.Interns would partner and collaborate with us on our sustainable Mother Earth project to assist in stewardship and restoration of our land by assisting in planting native plants, including indigenous sacred beauties of cultural significance. Project work and physical, hands-on activities may include the following: planting, maintenance, ground preparation, garden work, and invasive plant control.
Listing can also be found under the Agroecology and Plants tab.
Contact: Edith Gonzales Cell: 760-619-4322 Email: edmagonz@ucsc.edu if interested or stop by NS2 # 487
Interns please reach out to Stacy Philpott to be your faculty sponsor!!!
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Open call for insect ecology-social connections research internship
Winter and Spring 2024, ENVS
Are you interested in learning about how diverse lived experiences can contribute to a gardener’s ecological knowledge and management preferences? The Biodiversity in Urban Garden Systems (BUGS) research group is searching for passionate and committed research project interns to support the research process by conducting a literature review. We can support you with internship credits and welcome interest in co-authorship.
Credit: Fernando Martí, “Futuros Fugaces: Armory Chinampas”, accessed via justseeds.org
No previous experience is required, you will be guided through the process. A general interest in agroecology is encouraged :)
Research project background: Gardeners from garden sites across the central coast of California were invited to participate in a survey in the summer of 2023. This survey prompted respondents with several insect ID questions for pollinators, herbivores, and natural enemies and asked about preferred garden management design and gardening goals. Additionally, a series of demographic questions were presented.
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What type of work will the research intern conduct?
- summarize journal articles
- Synthesize findings and themes
What is the time commitment for this role?
- 4 hours per week
- Weekly meetings via zoom or in-person.
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Various Internships
Contact: Joe Miller, joemiller@ucsc.edu.
Application Form Link:More information will be available soon for the spring of 2023!
Chaparral Monitoring Internship Spring 2022 - UCSC Fort Ord Natural Reserve
Contact: Laurel Fox, fox@ucsc.edu.
Application Form Link: https://forms.gle/
bNbt7GnfYA3kxkHf8 • We will follow a protocol to measure long term chaparral vegetation
monitoring plots by hand, related to research by UCSC EEB Professor Laurel
Fox. Students will learn basic botany, and gain knowledge of shrub species of
Monterey maritime chaparral habitat, and explore community ecology topics at
the reserve. This is a great way to learn field measurements, and more about
the research possibilities in the UCSC Natural Reserves.
• We are looking for students who have at least one open weekday in their
schedule, due to travel time to Marina, CA from UCSC.
• Carpooling from the UCSC Coastal Science Campus is available.
• Work is in a rugged outdoor setting in all weather conditions, with potential for
exposure to insects, poison oak, and reptiles.
Youth in Wilderness Intern
Listing also found under Environmental Education tab.
Contact: Daniela Cervantes; dani@ventanwild.org
"Youth in Wilderness seeks experienced backpackers and enthusiastic naturalists to assist in the leading of Environmental Education and Service-Learning field outings. Our primary field seasons are January through June, and September through December. We also run a limited number of day trips June-August. A positive attitude and a commitment to safety are required. Field Assistants would work closely with YiW Program Manager and YiW Leaders to coordinate and lead backpacking excursions in the Big Sur backcountry. A 2 unit internship--60 field hours-- entails joining 3 wilderness excursions in a quarter. Please inquire about trip schedule."
Younger Lagoon Internship
Listing also found in the Campus tab.
Contact: Eric Medina | eimedina@ucsc.edu | 707-237-1245 (cell)
The UCSC Natural Reserves Office manages five natural reserves that are set aside for teaching, research and public education. We sponsor interns every quarter, including summer, to work at Younger Lagoon Reserve on our Habitat Restoration Field Crew. Student interns work outside among herons, hawks, and coyotes and pull invasive weeds, collect native seeds, propagate and plant native seedlings, maintain existing restoration sites, cut back trails, and conduct ecological monitoring throughout the year.
Ano Nuevo Reserve
Arboretum
Botswana Carnivore Latrine Project
California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program / CA Sea Grant
California Native Plant Society
Greenhouse (UCSC)
Groundswell Coastal Ecology
Jodi McGraw Consulting
Land of Medicine Buddha
Oceans 360
Puma Project
Roots & Routes Intercultural Collaborations
San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
Santa Cruz Bird Club
Santa Cruz Mountains Reserve
Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group
Sustainable Mother Earth Project
The Biodiversity in Urban Garden Systems (BUGS)
UCSC Fort Ord Natural Reserve in Marina, CA
Ventana Wilderness Alliance
Younger Lagoon Reserve Habitat Resoration Field Crew
