Paid Internship Evaluating native orchids - Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute - VA

The Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) is offering a paid internship opportunity on a project focused on evaluating native orchids as indicators of forest health. This project is the product of a partnership between the Changing Landscapes Initiative (CLI), Virginia Working Landscapes (VWL), and the North American Orchid Conservation Center. The goal of this research project is to record and assess the status of native orchid populations, evaluate their use as indicators of forest health, and to engage local citizens and students in conservation science.

The orchid outreach intern will gain experience in science communications and outreach, field-based documentation, public engagement, and project management. This intern will work along-side the field intern to conduct field surveys and then use knowledge gained from this experience to inform their written, oral, and visual outreach and communications approaches and materials. SCBI will also provide a digital camera for the intern to record in, pictures and video, the field research efforts.
Together, these interns will play a significant role in advancing our knowledge of native orchid populations, and the effects of land use on them, as well as educating the local community on topics related to orchid ecology and conservation.

Stipend:
The stipend is $1200 per month

Location:
The internship location will be at the SCBI campus in Front Royal, Virginia.

Benefits For Interns:
Through SCBI interns are offered an opportunity to develop professional skills while participating in current research on native biodiversity in Virginia. This includes on-the-job learning opportunities in the areas of field techniques in ecological monitoring, data analysis, project management, and communications. The SCBI campus community includes several programs of the Smithsonian as well as the Smithsonian Mason School of Conservation (SMSC), creating opportunities for intern staff to connect and network in a professional science and conservation-focused setting. Interns attend and participate in frequent seminars, training workshops, and classes at SCBI and SMSC, where they are encouraged to exchange ideas with researchers from the many programs hosted at the campus.

Term of Appointment:
This is a six-month internship with a desired start date of April 13th 2020, and is a full-time appointment (40 hours per week).

Application Deadline:
March 1, 2020 11pm EST

How to Apply:
Send a resume and cover letter in a single pdf file to fergusc@si.edu using the subject line “OUTREACH INTERNSHIP APPLICATION 2020”. Title the pdf file “LastName_Outreach2020”. Applications that do not follow this format may not be considered.

Your cover letter should explain your interest in this program, express how you could benefit from the training, how it could contribute to your future career goals, and why you would make a strong candidate.