EVENT: Tar Sands Oil Pipeline Environmental Law Seminar March 13 at 4:00 in Aiken 311

Posted on March 12, 2013 by envs

Act 250 is Vermont’s statewide environmental land use planning statute. It has been responsible for preserving much of Vermont’s unique beauty and character.  Now it may play a significant role in confronting climate change by giving Vermonters an opportunity to challenge plans to send tar sands oil through the Portland-Montreal Pipeline.

Come join us for a presentation by Vermont Law School representatives Ken Rumelt and Mary Olive. 

Wednesday, March 13, from 4 – 5 in Aiken 311

– Brought to you by the RSENR/Vermont Law School dual degree program

If you have questions, contact Walter Poleman, wpoleman@uvm.edu

Posted in Events | Leave a comment

BEYOND UVM: Turning Toward a Breaking World–a program, May 14-19, in Massachusetts

Posted on March 12, 2013 by envs

Turning Toward a Breaking World
A Program to Hold Our Broken Hearts and Deep Hope for Earth

May 14-19, 2013
Earthlands Retreat Center, Petersham, Massachusetts

Download flyer here: http://www.mediafire.com/view/?bgbbd5ibs93c29j

We live in unprecedented and often terrifying times. We gather together to muster our courage and vision to turn towards the aching world. This is the time heralded by myth and indigenous wisdom as the ending of an age and the transition to a still unknown era. We can no longer use our precious energies in resistance, fear, or turning away from what is breaking, and what breaks our hearts. What lays on the other side of our honest broken-heartedness is a resurgence of energy and clear-sightedness, and an awakening to the beautiful tasks we are called to in these times.

In this program, we will gather in council and in ceremony, bringing to the center of our consciousness the current devastations in our world. We will walk on the land in full awareness of the wounds the planet is suffering, endeavoring to listen deeply to the voices of wild nature. We will courageously seek the piercing places where our personal wounding meets the wounding of the world. Some of our practices will be drawn from the well-honed work of Earth elder Joanna Macy. We will call upon the dream world to show us what is hidden in our collective unconscious, gathering in the mornings to share dream images and from there moving out to encounter the holy wild. Together with our ancestors, we will walk with questions, tune our ears to the encouragement and council of the future beings, and enact blessing ceremonies.

We invite you to join us. It is time and past time.

The Guides

Annie Bloom and Jade Sherer first birthed “Turning Toward a Breaking World” two years ago in the American West, as a program for Animas Valley Institute. They are now excited to take this resonant offering out into the wider world.

Annie has been guiding people into the mysteries of our deepest mystical connections with the earth for 20 years, having trained with the School of Lost Borders, worked with Wilderness Reflections, and serving as a senior guide with Animas Valley Institute for 18 years. Annie is an initiator, a soul practitioner, a deep listener who carefully attends to the large story in the everyday stories of our lives, guiding hundreds of people to the intersection where our personal soul resides in the world soul.

Jade is a wilderness guide, teacher, cemetery sexton, body-worker and artist. She supports human transformation through respectful interaction and deep communion with nature, seeing soulful maturation as an essential step in making meaningful and lasting change in the world. Her work is rooted in deep love and respect for Earth and Her creatures, and in the innate understanding that sacred reciprocity with all Beings is an essential step towards our collective and individual re-evolution.

Location: Earthlands Retreat Center, Petersham, Massachusetts. Earthlands is in a rural area, on an expansive tract of open fields, upland forests, and vibrant wetlands. Its mission is personal growth, ecologically sustainable living, and environmental awareness. It is about 1½ hours west of Boston, and 3 ½ hours northeast of New York City. Directions will be included in your information packet after you register.

Cost: $575, including lodging (indoors or camping). Non-refundable deposit of $200 to register registrations due by 30 days before the program. Meal cost not included. Sharing in food preparation will be part of our community practice; more details on meal logistics will be included with your packet.

More information on Earthlands:
http://www.instituteforenvironmentalawareness.org/earthlands

Check the Facebook event page for more info and updates:
https://www.facebook.com/events/305162302943194/

For more information and to register, please contact Mollie Matteson, matteson@gmavt.net, 802-318-1487.

~~~~~~
PO Box 551
Richmond, VT 05477
802-318-1487 (cell)
matteson@gmavt.net

Willing to experience aloneness,
I discover connection everywhere;
Turning to face my fear,
I meet the warrior who lives within…

~~Jennifer Welwood

Posted in Beyond UVM, Eastern US | Leave a comment

BEYOND UVM: Clarkson University’s Adirondack Semester

Posted on March 12, 2013 by envs

Clarkson University’s Adirondack Semester

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Clarkson University’s Institute for a Sustainable Environment (ISE) is currently accepting applications from Colleges and Universities to live and learn in the Adirondack Park.  We have had our first 2 cohorts enjoying Saranac Lake during the Fall ’12 semester and Spring ’13 and permitting them to have extensive access to the resources the park has to offer.

The Adirondack Semester (Fall 2013 or Spring 2014) is a 15-credit program themed around global sustainability, and examines the scientific, political, economic, and social challenges present in harmonizing a multitude of goals for this region including protection of wilderness and economic development. The program will focus its study on the Adirondack Park, one of the largest protected land areas in North America.

We seek students from a diverse background of majors including Biological Sciences, Business & Economics, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, and the Social Sciences to participate in this study of the Adirondacks and its people.

The curriculum is delivered by Clarkson University faculty and is designed to be interdisciplinary, academically rigorous, experiential, and thought provoking.

Students reside in Saranac Lake near to downtown and the center of winter activities there. The location provides an ideal setting to become intimately acquainted with small-town living and offers fantastic recreational, educational and cultural opportunities.

Please share this information with students and your colleagues across disciplines who may be interested in this opportunity. Application deadline is April 12, 2013 but we would be happy to hear from people sooner.

On-line application

Philip K. Hopke

Bayard D. Clarkson Distinguished Professor,
Director, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, and
Director, Center for Air Resources Engineering and Science
Clarkson University
Box 5708
Potsdam, NY 13699-5708
Phone: 315 268 3861
Fax:     315 268 4410

Address for Shipments:

41 Elm St
Potsdam, NY 13699-5708

Posted in Beyond UVM, Eastern US | Leave a comment

BEYOND UVM: Media Institute’s Summer Documentary Program

Posted on March 12, 2013 by envs

Part summer camp, part production house, Media Institute’s Summer Documentary Program is a seven week intensive and exciting adventure. Work with accomplished filmmakers and journalists to learn the skills and sensibilities to produce professional documentaries. With a record of proven success – seven summers and running! – the Media Institute has hosted students from over 40 top rated schools across the country.  Based in beautiful Portland, Oregon.

Each summer, the Media Institute for Social Change hosts a dozen college students and teaches them how to produce engaging and effective film documentaries. Please encourage currently enrolled college students to apply.

To learn about opportunities for earning college credit, housing, tuition, or to check out past students accomplishments, please visit MediaMakingChange.org

For application materials and other resources, or to get in touch with the Media Institute, visit: MediaMakingChange.org

Posted in Beyond UVM, Western US | Leave a comment

INTERNSHIPS: Internships with Local Motion, Summer/Fall 2013

Posted on March 12, 2013 by envs

Local Motion, in Burlington, Vermont, has six internships available to students this summer.  The positions all include extensive project management and development components.  They range from advocacy and education, to working with youth, to working on our recycled products initiative, Bike Recycle Designs.
The positions are:

  • VT Bike Challenge & Local Motion Outreach Intern
  • Complete Streets Project Intern
  • Bike Recycle Vermont Summer Program Coordinator Intern
  • Bike Recycle Designs Intern
  • “Bike for Life” Intern
  • Bike Ferry Intern
Attached are full descriptions and application information.  Below are summaries.  
 
Local Motion provides a structured, supported internship experience.  Interns are fully integrated into the Local Motion staff, have regular meetings with their supervisor, and attend staff meetings and employee gatherings. It’s a fun place to spend your summer!

Internships at Local Motion, Fall 2013

VT Bike Challenge & Local Motion Outreach Intern

OUTREACH:  This position is a boots-on-the ground position.  Local Motion has a huge variety of events, projects, and outreach throughout the region, and we are looking for an outgoing, engaging and passionate advocate for people-powered recreation and transportation to attend them. This is a great opportunity for people interested in developing experience in grass-roots outreach and public engagement.   To learn more about our programs, check out: www.localmotion.org.

 

VERMONT BIKE CHALLENGE:  Work closely with Local Motion staff to promote the Vermont Bike Challenge (vermontbikechallenge.org ), a statewide event that runs from May 1 to August 31!  The Intern’s primary role will be to market the Challenge to individuals, businesses, community groups, partner organizations, and others around the state.  The VT Bike challenge represents a fantastic opportunity to develop social marketing skills and promote bicycling all over Vermont!

 

Complete Streets Project Intern

Help transform Vermont communities for walking and biking!  Support Local Motion’s Complete Streets initiative with research on best practices for improving local infrastructure, policies, and plans to support walking and biking.  Review the municipal plans, policies, and ordinances of local towns and compare them to best practices and assist with identifying priority recommended changes for each town.  This is a fantastic internship for someone who wants to learn the nuts and bolts of what it takes to make places better for walking and biking at the policy level!


Bike Recycle Vermont Summer Program Coordinator Intern

The Summer Programs Coordinator will work closely with the BRV staff in the dynamic, exciting BRV shop setting to implement programs that serve bike customers and volunteers. You’ll participate in Bike Recycle Vermont open hours (Tuesday through Friday, 1-5pm), distributing refurbished bikes to bike customers, helping with intake of bikes to be repaired, working at the front desk greeting customers, and working Bike Recycle volunteers to repair bicycles and perform other shop tasks.  You’ll also work with youth, leading “Bike Club” rides and helping to teach “Earn-a-Bike” classes. 

Bike Recycle Designs Intern

Contribute design ideas, organizational skills and customer service to Bike Recycle Designs (BRD), an income-producing jewelry and craft initiative with the goal of providing funding for Bike Recycle Vermont.  There is room to make this position suit your interests and skills. Options include product development and design, teaching and coaching other artists and crafters, focusing on sales and inventory, and supporting production of existing products.  Tasks range from assisting other volunteer artists and crafters with their pieces; ensuring that there is a healthy stock of our popular products that we sell regularly; developing and experimenting with new designs and new products for the line; recruiting and managing volunteers who want to help create products; to helping to evolve the “brand” and “look” for Bike Recycle Designs.  This internship will give you real-world entrepreneurial experience.


“Bike for Life” Intern

Get in on the launch of a major new Local Motion initiative!  Collaborate with staff on the development and launch of the “Bike for Life” project, which will work with low-income families at the Sustainability Academy in Burlington’s Old North End to get kids biking and provide their parents with the support they need to make their kids bicyclists for life.  The intern will assist with learn-to-bike clinics and then play a key role in following up with parents and kids.  The Active for Life intern will also help out with some Bike Smart events, to learn more about the educational structure of bike skills trainings, and help with assessment and tracking.

 

Bike Ferry Intern

The Local Motion Bike ferry transports walkers, runners and bikers across a 200’ cut in the Colchester/South Hero causeway at the mouth of Mallett’s Bay in Lake Champlain. It’s a world class trail, and Local Motion has worked for 10 years to realize daily ferry service across this break in the route.  We’ve run Demonstration Service on August weekends for many years; and this year, after successfully completing a $1.5 million fundraising campaign, with a new boat and improved infrastructure, we’re finally able to launch daily service.  You’ll work closely with Bike Ferry Manager, Assistant Manager, and Local Motion Executive Director to manage, market, and run Bike Ferry operations for this exciting first year of daily service.

~ Charlene

 

Charlene Wallace, Director of Operations

Local Motion
1 Steele St. #103   Burlington, VT   05401   

p: 802/861-2700   f: 802/861-3096

charlene@localmotion.org       www.localmotion.org

Our Mission: Promoting people-powered transportation and recreation for healthy and sustainable Vermont communities

Check out Bike Recycle Designs—  UpCycled bicycle parts turned into jewelry!

Posted in Eastern US, Internships | Leave a comment

INTERNSHIP: UVM Land Stewardship (LANDS) Program

Posted on March 12, 2013 by envs
Are you interested in land conservation?

Do you want to help protect the natural and working landscapes of Vermont and New England, while also getting experience that can lead to jobs with groups like The Nature Conservancy, The Trust for Public Lands, and state agencies?

Do you like working outside, in the woods, out in nature?

If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, consider the Land Stewardship (LANDS) Program, an innovative summer internship being offer the summer of 2013 through the University of Vermont in Burlington and Student Conservation Association.

LANDS interns work to support land-use agencies in their land conservation efforts. In particular there are many small land trusts and towns that need help. Land trusts are one of the fastest growing sectors of land conservation (1700 nationally) and collectively they have conserved an area 16X the size of Yellowstone.

Spend your summer in Vermont doing land conservation and stewardship work!

Program runs June 3 – August 2, 2013. Applications close March 22.

Google “LANDS UVM” for more information and application instructions.
Posted in Eastern US, Internships | Leave a comment

JOB: Wilderness Fellow with the National Wildlife Refuge System, Alaska

Posted on March 12, 2013 by envs

Here is a great 6 month paid opportunity through US Fish & Wildlife for recent graduates or soon to be graduates. NOTE APPLICATION DEADLINE IS MARCH 15TH.

Wilderness Fellow Position Overview
The Wilderness Program of the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) is seeking qualified candidates to fill up to 8 Wilderness Fellow positions; 4 of these will be based at wildlife refuges in Alaska. Wilderness Fellows will work on refuges to directly support the goals of a collaborative wilderness character monitoring initiative currently underway in the NWRS.

Primary Wilderness Fellow Responsibilities
• Identify wilderness character measures for the refuge working with the staff.
• Implement inventory and monitoring strategies for tracking wilderness character.
• Participate in a training course, work closely with refuge staff, and participate in weekly
conference calls with Washington Office staff and other Wilderness Fellows.

Components
Training: Orientation and a 3-day wilderness training session in May, in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Experiential Opportunities: Wilderness Fellows work directly alongside refuge staff members and Regional Office staff, external scientists, and others involved in wilderness assessments. This is hands-on practical experience with wilderness assessment and monitoring and other refuge management activities.

Salary: Fellows will be paid $500/week.
Housing: Housing will be provided on-site by the host refuge.
Travel: All travel costs associated with the training will be paid, including round trip plane fare from the participant’s home to Fort Collins, and accommodation and meals during the training.

National Wildlife Refuge System Wilderness in Alaska.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. Department of the Interior

Desired Skills & Educational Background
• Interest in wilderness/resource management and National Wildlife Refuges
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
• Research skill and attention to detail
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively on projects
• Understanding and ability to use GIS
• Education: Undergraduate degree minimum. Background in Wilderness Management,
Protected Area/Natural Resource Management, Recreation Resource Management,
Conservation Social Science, Environmental Policy, Natural, Biological, and/or Physical
Sciences.

Requirements & Time Commitment
• U.S. Citizen and willingness to undergo a required criminal history background check.
• Six month fellowships starting approximately May 13, 2013, with training in Colorado

Travel/Transportation
We strongly recommend that Wilderness Fellows bring a personal vehicle to their assigned refuges in case a FWS vehicle at the refuge is not available, and experience has shown that isolated conditions at a refuge may result in a negative experience for Fellows without personal transportation. We will reimburse documented travel expenses to the assigned refuges.

Application Process
A 1-page cover letter, 1-page resume (2 sides), and 3 professional references must be submitted by March 15, 2013. Please submit materials as a single file (preferably PDF), with applicant “last name, first name” as file name. Please direct application submissions and/or questions to:

Nancy Roeper, National Wilderness Coordinator
National Wildlife Refuge System
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Nancy_roeper@fws.gov

Posted in Jobs, Post-Grad, Western US | Leave a comment

BEYOND UVM: Metta Earth Leadership Training: Generation Now

Posted on March 12, 2013 by envs

Metta Earth Leadership Training: Generation Now

Where:  Metta Earth Institute in Lincoln, VT

When:  June 15th-30th
 July   6th-21st
               July  29th-Aug 4th

Credits: You may be able to earn credits through your university. Assistance is available.
Cost:  Two Week Course $1500, One Week Course: $800

(Program tuition, meals, housing, and materials are included.)
*Alternative financial arrangements and fundraising assistance may be available.

Join us for a Metta Earth Leadership Training igniting a generation of emerging leaders to bring forth a thriving, just, and sustainable world. The Metta Earth Leadership Trainings are one and two week trainings for young people that take a holistic approach to combating the rampant environmental and social justice issues facing society today by providing young people with the knowledge, skills, and experiences to be effective leaders back in their communities. Participants will build their inner and outer leadership abilities through experiential learning opportunities in topics such as: organic farming & permaculture, ecovillage planning, primitive skills, yoga, meditation, and social change organizing.  The training will be held at the Metta Earth Institute- a learning community actively committed to balancing the contemplative lifestyle with activism in the mountains of Lincoln, Vermont.

Throughout a course, participants will:

·         Acquire practical skills and knowledge through hands on experiences in organic gardening, permaculture, ecovillage design, animal husbandry, natural living, foraging, whole foods cooking and preserving, and farmstead life-ways.
·  Develop transformative social change skills – storytelling, community building and organizing, authentic communication, and personal empowerment practices – to help grow and accelerate the ‘Movement of movements’ emerging in our time.
·  Deepen into your life’s purpose with daily yoga and meditation.
·        Reconnect, energize, and gain new perspectives in a wilderness retreat while learning primitive and outdoor living skills.
·      Learn how to effectively facilitate the WakeUp experience, one of our generation’s most powerful tools for raising awareness and inspiring action.

*For more information visit : http://www.mettaearth.org/gennow.html
If you are interested in attending this training, please send a letter of interest and intent to info@mettaearth.org.  Also, please feel free to share this opportunity with others you think may be interested!

Posted in Beyond UVM, Eastern US | Leave a comment

INTERNSHIP: Paid summer climate change internships with National Park Service/Mason’s 4C

Posted on March 12, 2013 by envs

Climate Change Communication Paid Internships, Summer 2013

National Park Service (National Capital Region)&

George Mason University’s Center for Climate Change Communication

Deadline: March 31, 2013

Description

The National Park Service (NPS) cares for special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.  In this capacity, NPS is in a unique position to observe changes brought about by global warming, and to engage park visitors and neighbors in conversations about climate change.  George Mason University’s Center for Climate Change Communication (4C) conducts research on, and teaches about, climate change public engagement strategies.

Seven interns will have the opportunity to work with 4C, NPS park staff and the NPS’s Urban Ecology Research Learning Alliance on climate change communication projects at National Parks  in the Greater Washington, D.C. area in the summer of 2013.

Qualifications

The 10-week internships are open to graduate students or exceptional rising senior undergraduate students studying in any relevant field.   Students must be attending a U.S. accredited college or university and must be legally allowed to work in the U.S.   All interns must pass a Federal government background check.

Please indicate in your resume and cover letter your experience or knowledge on the following::

-Background in communication, marketing. journalism, social science, or environmental sciences

-Experience with social media in an organizational context

-Volunteering or volunteer management experience

-Outdoor education, interpretation or natural resource management experience

One intern will serve the multimedia production needs of the intern team. This individual should have a background in visual and audio media, including photography, videography, sound/radio production, and/or graphic design.  If you would like to be considered for this position, please indicate so in your cover letter.

Dates, Duration, and Location

Internships are full time (40 hours per week) for ten weeks, running from June 17 to August 23, 2013, with the possibility of extension through early September for individual interns if there schedule permits.   All work will take place in the Washington, DC metro area.  Housing is not provided.  Having a personal vehicle is strongly recommended but not required

Stipend

Interns will be paid $250 per week, paid biweekly.

How to Apply

Applicants should submit the following materials (combined as one PDF file with applicant’s name as the file name) to jrolfere@gmu.edu with “NPS4C:[Applicant Name]” as the subject line:  (1) your resume or CV; (2) your undergraduate and/or graduate transcript (unofficial is acceptable); (3) a one page cover letter discussing your specific interest in the internship and highlighting your qualifications.  The cover letter should also contain the name, contact information, and nature of the relationship (e.g., professor, employer) for two individuals who may serve as a reference. Inquiries regarding this internship may be directed to jrolfere@gmu.edu.  Applicants will be notified by mid April if they have been selected.

Deadline for all application materials: March 31, 2013

Diversity

The NPS and 4C seek a diverse cohort of interns.  Applicants with diverse backgrounds from under-represented groups are encouraged to apply.

Posted in Eastern US, Internships | Leave a comment

JOB: Opening with the Fund for the Public Interest, Amherst, MA

Posted on March 12, 2013 by envs

Hi,

Are you a graduating senior? Start your non-profit career with the Fund for the Public Interest! We’re currently hiring graduating seniors to run our grassroots campaign offices across the country as Citizen Outreach Directors.

The Fund for the Public Interest is a national non-profit organization that runs grassroots campaigns for some of the nation’s leading environmental and progressive non-profits. For over 30 years, our organization has increased the visibility, membership and political power of over 40 organizations.

Our work directly enables partner organizations like Environment America, US PIRG and the Human Rights Campaign to expand their donor base and pass tougher legislation against air pollution, forest clear-cutting, hate crimes, and special interest money in politics. We owe our success to the fusion of our staff’s grassroots organizing experience, cost-conscious attitude and work ethic with our partner groups’ issue expertise, initiative and vision.

Recent victories include: helping the Human Rights Campaign pass the Matthew Shepherd Act, which adds sexual orientation and gender identity to the national hate crime laws; working with USPIRG to pass landmark healthcare reform; and giving Environment America the public backing necessary to convince the Obama Administration to issue the first-ever nationwide standards for mercury pollution from power plants.

Citizen Outreach Directors run one of over 60 regional campaign offices across the country and are responsible for organizing membership building and grassroots campaigns for any one of our partner organizations, such as the ones mentioned above.

We’re looking for smart, socially conscious graduating seniors who work well in a team and are eager to make a real impact on some of the most critical issues facing our society. If you are looking for a position that provides real immediate responsibilities and the opportunity to make an immediate impact towards social change, apply today.

Apply online at www.FundJobs.org

We will be holding an information session on Monday March 18th at 6pm and interviews on Tuesday March 19th. To find out more information about these events, contact me via email at: ekim@fundstaff.org or by phone at: (201)-403-6021.

I’m looking forward to speaking with you more about our positions!

Eileen

Eileen Kim – Assistant Director
The Fund for the Public Interest
233 N. Pleasant St, suite 32
Amherst, MA 01002
cell: (201)-403-6021
ekim@fundstaff.org

Posted in Beyond UVM, Eastern US, Jobs, Post-Grad | Leave a comment