Location: Redding, CT

Highstead, a regional land conservation and ecological research center is accepting applications for two field ecology interns to participate in Highstead’s long-term research and monitoring program in the summer of 2015.  The major project will be to resample ~75-100 permanent forest vegetation plots on Highstead’s 100+ acre preserve.   Interns will gain extensive experience with forest vegetation sampling techniques and woody and herbaceous plant identification.  Positions will be predominantly field-based but will also include data entry, some herbarium work (mounting pressed specimens), limited data analysis, and preparing a 15-minute final presentation for Highstead staff.  The internship will likely include opportunities to visit/conduct field work at the Harvard Forest and the Quabbin Reservoir Forest in Massachusetts and perhaps other field sites in Northern Connecticut.

Qualifications:

Upper level undergraduate or recent graduate in botany, plant ecology, or related field.  Applicants should have previous experience with field work.  Successful applicants must
(1) have a keen interest in the study and intensive identification of woody and herbaceous plants including grasses and sedges
(2)be enthusiastic about conducting intensive fieldwork in hot, humid and sometimes rainy weather; in a landscape with deer ticks; and in forest understories with downed trees and thick, often spiny (i.e. Japanese barberry, multiflora rose) shrub layers
(3) be very detail-oriented to collect careful and accurate data in challenging field conditions, collect and press unknown plant specimens, and enter data into a database.

Supervision

Interns will be supervised primarily by Highstead’s ecologist with some supervision by Highstead’s operations director.

Position Dates: Monday, May 25 - Friday, August 7, 2015

Stipend: $5,000.00 and free furnished housing.

Website: http://www.highstead.net

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume (with relevant experience and contact information for three references) to [email protected]; reference Ecology Intern Application as the email subject. 

Accepting applications immediately.  Review of applicants will begin in mid-February and continue until position is filled in March.