Forestry Crew Intern
Want to spend the summer in the North Cascades? We have internship opportunities beginning in May/June and ending in August/September. Interns will be expected to work full-time.
Working with Glacier Peak Institute is a unique opportunity to work in outdoor education and recreation in a beautiful mountain community! Enveloped in the heart of the Cascade Mountains, Glacier Peak Institute (GPI) empowers youth to build resilient and sustainable rural communities and healthy ecosystems across the Glacier Peak region of Western Washington through innovative, action-based education programs integrating Science, Technology, recreation, Engineering, art, Mathematics, and skill-building (STrEaMs). We are a 4-H affiliated club that operates with Washington State University (WSU) Snohomish County Extension.
Interns should be passionate about empowering at-risk youth, and willing to serve both directly and behind the scenes. These positions are vital to our capacity as we are a very small non-profit serving in an under resourced community. Our internship program is designed to provide valuable professional and personal experiences.
Job Summary: The Forestry Crew Intern will assist the Forest Crew Lead in supervising a crew of 5 high school youth on projects relating to forestry. As a team, the Crew Lead and Intern will plan and implement activities in collaboration with Glacier Peak Institute and Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The work will support the US Forest Service (USFS) native tree restoration projects, improve trails, restore culturally significant resources, and improve wildlife habitat and forest infrastructure while simultaneously getting exposure to careers in forestry and natural resources. This position will be composed mostly of field work and much of the days will be spent in the backcountry, both on day trips and overnights.
Dates: June **dates are flexible
Interviews: Ongoing until position is filled
Location: Darrington, WA
Supervisors: GPI Executive Director, Forestry Crew Lead
Pay & Housing: $500/month Stipend available. One-time $330 Travel reimbursement available. Amounts are contingent on grant funding, and will be posted in January. GPI will assist in finding local housing. Rent for interns may be from $0-350/month.
Essential Responsibilities:
- Maintain a healthy work environment and assure the safety of the crew at all times
- Supervise and collaborate with part time high school crew on projects
- Develop and coordinate projects with Glacier Peak staff, volunteers, government agencies and local specialists. Partners include US Forest Service, National Park Service, WA Department of Natural Resources, and more
- Create safety and activity implementation protocols, organize/maintain equipment and gear
- Safely drive the crew to and from work location each day, usually on gravel roads
- Mark trees for pruning and removal following specific guidelines
- Keep track of work completed on forms, spreadsheets, and/or maps
- Provide a positive and diligent work ethic to high schoolers, help teach job expectations and responsibility
- Work with the youth crew to reteach lessons learned in the field biweekly
- Learn why tree genetics are important in forestry, and how to keep trees healthy
- Collect native grass seed and tree cones for use in native plant restoration
- Aid USFS in trail maintenance of trails and removal of noxious weeds
Required Qualifications:
- Must be 21 years of age
- Must have a valid drivers license
- Preferred up-to-date first aid certification (such as WFA, WFR, CPR/First Aid)
Benefits:
- Access to recreation gear (such as boots, rain gear, fishing equipment, climbing gear, etc)
- Summer/Community events: Darrington Bluegrass Festival, Gem and Rock Show, Darrington Days Street Fair
- Abundant recreation opportunities: Darrington is within an hour drive of North Cascades National Park, close to several hikes off of Mountain Loop Highway, and is a short drive from the North Mountain bike trails.