River Stewards of Tomorrow Internship

~ The Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) brings together a wide range of people and organizations that are deeply concerned about the resources and environmental quality of the Housatonic River Valley. ~

Together, we protect land and water throughout the entire 2,000-square-mile, tri-state Housatonic Watershed. To see an interactive map of the watershed area, please click here.

HVA is unique among all conservation groups. No backyard is too small or too large to warrant our interest. We are cleanup teams and problem solvers. We have saved more than 5,000 acres of farmland wetlands, riverfronts, and forest. And we are nationally recognized, with numerous awards from the public and private sectors.

Position Overview

The Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) is seeking applications for our River Stewards of Tomorrow Watershed Conservation Internship positions, available for summer 2018. River Stewards will work on a variety of projects related to water resource management, wildlife conservation and land protection.

River Stewards will either be assigned to our Berkshire field office in Stockbridge, MA and work primarily in the Massachusetts portion of the watershed; or to our main office in Cornwall Bridge, CT and work primarily in the Connecticut and New York portions of the watershed. Each River Steward position lasts at minimum 8 weeks from June – August, but may be extended based on available funding. In 2018, there is the potential to extend the internship up to 20 weeks (April-September).

While working out of the Cornwall Bridge office, the 2018 River Stewards will be supervised by HVA’s Conservation Projects Manager, but may also be asked to work with other staff as needed. In the Berkshire Office, River Stewards will be supervised by HVA’s Berkshire Director. Work will include a mix of office and field-based activities.

Responsibilities

Projects that the intern may be involved with include but aren’t limited to the following:

Road/Stream Crossing Assessment:

• River Stewards will visit and assess bridges and culverts throughout the Housatonic watershed to identify barriers to fish and wildlife passage, and assist with post-assessment data processing and report writing.

Environmental Monitoring:

• The River Stewards will assist HVA staff in the field with water quality monitoring and habitat assessment activities including collecting water samples for chemical analysis, macroinvertebrate sampling and conducting visual surveys along important stream reaches to document threats and identify restoration opportunities.

Restoration project monitoring and maintenance:

• River Stewards will monitor the success of restoration projects and conduct maintenance activities like weeding and watering.

Data Compilation, Document Analysis and Mapping:

• River Stewards will assist with gathering and summarizing environmental data and planning documents from a variety of local, state and federal sources.
• This work will support a number of ongoing HVA efforts, including watershedbased planning.

Websites and Social Media:

• River Stewards will be involved in producing content for the websites and Facebook pages that HVA manages.
• Related tasks might include identifying and summarizing relevant news items, sharing photos of HVA events and field work, and writing project updates.

Qualifications

Requirements:

• Daily access to a personal vehicle is a requirement of the position.
• The intern must also be physically able to participate in potentially strenuous field work (i.e. physically active work outside for several hours at a time during the summer).
• Candidates must be detail-oriented, highly-motivated, passionate about watershed conservation, and able to succeed both independently and as part of a team.

In addition, the ideal candidate will possess:

• Enthusiasm for outdoor field work, including working in remote areas under potentially inclement environmental conditions.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to represent HVA in a professional manner.
• Excellent writing skills.
• Experience using GPS and GIS.
• Willingness to work the occasional evening or weekend.

To Apply

Please click "Apply" below to upload the following documents:

• Cover letter explaining your interest and qualifications
• Resume
• Two (2) professional references
• (Optional but encouraged) Examples of past projects relevant to HVA’s mission (please limit to 1 page, max of three projects) Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Deadline: February 28th. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Questions and applications should be directed to: Michael S. Jastremski, Watershed Conservation Director:

Housatonic Valley Association

PO Box 28

Cornwall Bridge, CT 06754

(860) 672-6678 ext. 109