Leave No Child Inside Environmental Education Internship
GIS Mapping, Restoration, Conservation and Community Engagement Park Location: Dumbarton Oaks Park, R and 31st NW, Washington, DC
(2 Open Positions Fall 2026) (2 Open Positions Winter/Spring 2027) One semester, with the possibility of a second semester renewal upon review. Part time. Advanced Undergraduate, Juniors and Senior, or Graduate Students.
About Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy (DOPC):
A 27-acre pastoral oasis in the heart of Georgetown, Dumbarton Oaks Park (DOP) is the woodland and meadow portion of the original 53-acre Dumbarton Oaks estate. One of the finest garden designs in American landscape history, it is the master work of Beatrix Farrand, America’s first woman landscape architect. In 1940, Mildred and Robert Bliss donated the naturalistic portion of the garden to the American people as a public park overseen by the National Park Service (NPS).
Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy, winner of the 2023 DC Sustainability Award, was established in 2010 as a private non-profit organization with the mission to restore, promote, and maintain Dumbarton Oaks Park. The Conservancy and the National Park Service are in a public private partnership, tackling significant conservation and restoration needs of the Park. Leave No Child Inside, the Conservancy’s educational programming, introduces students of all ages to land stewardship through conservation, restoration, land management concepts and the issues that impact urban landscapes. Leave No Child Inside’s mission is to foster education, recreation, and stewardship, at Dumbarton Oaks Park.
Position Description:
This internship is an exciting opportunity to gain outdoor field work experience in data mapping, conservation and restoration. The internship includes a focus on GIS mapping and data collection, native plant ID and invasive plants identification and removal, tree identification, conservation and restoration field work and community engagement. Successful internship candidates will work closely with the Director of Education and Staff Members at Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy, being guided through field experiences in the Leave No Child Inside environmental education program. Intern will work on specific projects and programs.
Primary Responsibility:
●Guided by DOPC staff, interns volunteer a minimum of 60 hours or more over the course of one semester. These hours are prescribed in advance with specific program activities.
●GIS Mapping Project: Attend and assist the Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy (DOPC) by participating in the Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy GIS mapping program each week. Working with your internship and fellowship cohort, learn about Dumbarton Oaks Park and how to use mapping instruments and use them to collect and analyze data.
●Community Engagement: Attend and volunteer at all DOPC Community Volunteer Days and Leave No Child Inside events assisting the DOPC staff and other volunteers with the conservation and restoration of Dumbarton Oaks Park. (On select Saturday or Sunday mornings once or twice a month).
●Attend scheduled meetings, lectures and events as needed.
●Learn about invasive plants and plant removal techniques. Learn about the flora and fauna of the designed woodland that is Dumbarton Oaks Park. Completion of specific project/s that advance the mission of the organization and enhance your skills in environmental education and presentation of project/s at the end of tenure.
●Select interns on administrative track will, in addition to the above requirements, work with DOPC staff to learn and assist with the inner workings of an environmentally focused nonprofit.
●Select interns with specific skill sets, in addition to the requirements, may be involved with special projects that highlight their skills.
●Work collaboratively with your cohort to create a presentation for DOPC staff and board members showing the progress of the data mapping project and what you have learned as interns.
Desired Abilities/Qualification:
●Advanced undergraduates, graduate and post-grads, with a declared major in a subject area that relates to environmental science, data mapping, botany, outdoor education, or a related field. Also open to experienced, master naturalists, master gardeners and outdoor educators, who have a particular interest in environmental mapping and conservation work.
●Experience working with others is a plus.
●A passion for the outdoor environment and the desire to make a difference.
●Interest in environmental education, conservation, and stewardship and how it can be interpreted.
●Leadership, public speaking, research and writing skills.
●Organizational and creative skills are a plus.
●Technical mapping skills and environmental studies experience are a plus.
●Interest in learning and being a part of historic land conservation and restoration. Students receive a certificate, letter and award upon completion of internship.
Please note: All programming is held outdoors, in all weather. The candidate must be able to work outdoors in a woodland environment.
For further information and to request an application please contact:
cmmagee@dopark.org
Please include a current resume with your email. Thank you.
Christine Morano Magee, Ed. D. Director of Education, Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy.
Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy is committed to maintaining a workplace where equal access to employment opportunity is assured for all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, genetic information, or disability (physical or mental).
Christine Morano Magee Ed. D.
Director of Education
P.O. Box 32080 | Washington DC 20007
202-333-3547 | www.dopark.org
Recipient of the 2023 DC Sustainability Award.
2026 Spur Local class of critical local nonprofits in the Greater Washington area.