BEYOND UVM: Whole Systems Design Permaculture Design Course

The third annual Whole Systems Design Permaculture Design Course will be August 16 to 25, 2013…

See below for more on this immersion in problem solving techniques…

This course offers an unparalleled opportunity to gain hands-on applied permaculture skills immersed within one of North America’s most diverse and intensive permaculture research sites.  Participants will engage with high-performance home and community resource systems that will be more resilient in the face of problems posed by peak oil, climate change, environmental toxicity, and the inability of existing economic and social systems to deal with such challenges.  Participants have the unique opportunity to live in a working small farm and homestead and see exactly what opportunities and challenges arise in developing and maintaining a productive and resilient home and land resource system. The site represents numerous cutting edge design opportunities for developing a self-reliant, liberated lifestyle customized for the cold climate, temperate biome.

This course includes the standard certificate curriculum but goes beyond the typical Designer’s Certification Course by utilizing the background of skills-based trainings offered in Whole Systems Skills, and is filled with practice-based, learning-by-doing experiences, not only concept and information-based study. Students in this course will not walk away from the experience without basic post-peak oil resiliency literacy including: how to plant a tree, fell a tree, split firewood, inoculate soil, make aerobic compost tea and biochar, layout on-contour swales and build them, harvest biomass with a scythe and sharpen it, sharpen and maintain other basic tools, perform earthworks, plumb basic waterworks and harvest water, inoculate mushroom logs and spread mushroom patches, perform basic metal work relative to home and farm fix-up projects, and innumerable other hard skills.  NOTE: This course takes a significantly different approach than every other PDC we know of: there are actual qualifications met by meeting this course’s requirements and as such, taking this course actually means one has understood specific learning goals, rather than simply attended a course for a certain period of time. We are using an assessment to make this value of the course a reality.  

 

Ben Falk, M.A.L.D.
Whole Systems Design, LLC
802-343-9490 (c)
802-496-3128 (w)
66 Dean’s Mountain
Moretown, VT 05660
Posted in Beyond UVM, Eastern US | Leave a comment

INTERNSHIP: US Botanic Garden Summer National Garden Internship

Hello all,

The National Fund for the US Botanic Garden is now accepting applications for our 2013 Summer National Garden Internship. Please share the job description and application instructions with interested students. The deadline is March 11, 2013. Thank you!

All the best,

Samantha DesRochers

Program Coordinator
National Fund for the U.S. Botanic Garden
245 First Street, SW
Washington, DC 20024
202.225.1281
sdesroch@aoc.gov
www.nfusbg.org

 

Please note my In Office Schedule:
Mondays and Fridays: 8 am – 4 pm; Thursdays: 8 am – 12:15 pm

Posted in Eastern US, Internships | Leave a comment

Internships with CDC

I hope this email finds you well. I’m happy to report we are in our 6th application season for the CLEH internship program, our 5th for the SUPEH program, and 4th for the GEH program. 94 students have been through the programs to date and you all continue to do great things.

Collegiate Leaders in Environmental Health (www.cdc.gov/nceh/cleh)

-Open to all undergraduate students who are enrolled in school fulltime and will be a rising junior or rising senior by fall 2013.

-Application deadline: January 30th, 2013

-Contact: CLEH@cdc.gov

 

Summer Program in Environmental Health (www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/SUPEH)

-Open to students who are enrolled fulltime in EHAC-accredited Environmental Health
programs as a rising junior, senior, or graduate student.

-Application deadline: February 15th, 2013

-Contact: EHInternship@cdc.gov

 

Graduate Environmental Health program (www.cdc.gov/nceh/geh)

-Open to graduate students who are currently enrolled in a degree granting program. Students graduating in Spring 2013 are eligible for this opportunity.

-Application deadline: February 27th, 2013

-Contact: GEH@cdc.gov

Posted in Eastern US, Internships, Post-Grad | Leave a comment

Program Associate with Alliance to Save Energy

Alliance to Save Energy seeks Program Associate

Position Description
The Alliance to Save Energy is seeking a full-time Program Associate to assist with implementation of its PowerSave Campus Program.  The Program Associate will work in the Alliance’s Oakland, CA office or from a home office in the LA area.  Headquartered in Washington, DC, the nonprofit Alliance to Save Energy (www.ase.org) promotes energy efficiency worldwide to achieve a healthier economy, a cleaner environment, and greater energy security.

The PowerSave Campus Program is a student-driven energy efficiency and workforce education and training initiative currently serving 23 campuses nationwide, including 16 in California.  The program employs and manages paid student interns to develop and implement projects that promote careers in the sustainability field, generate energy savings on campus, increase awareness of the importance of energy efficiency, and encourage the infusion of sustainability concepts into academic curricula.  Over 75 university students are employed yearly through the PowerSave Campus Program, each trained to emerge as a highly skilled sustainability and energy efficiency professional at the time of graduation.  For more information about the program, please visit: www.ase.org/powersavecampus.

Candidates must have exceptionally strong written and oral communication skills, along with experience in project management, team building, public speaking, and meeting facilitation.  In addition, candidates should be self-starters who can juggle multiple tasks with minimum supervision, have a good eye for detail and, at the same time, be capable of seeing the bigger picture. Experience working with campus sustainability initiatives is desirable, and a familiarity with energy efficiency technologies is a definite plus.

The Program Associate will work in the Alliance to Save Energy’s field office located in downtown Oakland, CA which houses a small, collegial, and busy team of environmental education professionals.  Consideration may also be given to candidates in the Los Angeles area who would be willing to work from home.

Specific Program Associate duties include:

Campus Lead Duties with Intern Teams (approx. 40%)
·         Manage PowerSave Campus intern teams on 3-4 campuses
·         Ensure interns understand team responsibilities and complete program deliverables in a timely fashion
·         Oversee and advise intern project implementation and evaluation – projects may be technical, educational, and/or workforce-oriented in nature
·         Facilitate partnerships with key administrators, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders on campus

  • Recruit, interview, hire, and train new PowerSave Campus interns
  • Visit campuses approximately once per term, or as needed
  • Conduct weekly conference calls with intern teams
  • Review and edit team monthly newsletters, project proposals, and marketing materials
  • Ensure a positive experience for all interns and serve as mediator for team conflicts

Administrative Responsibilities (approx. 25%)

  • Write and edit narrative monthly reports to program funders
  • Track metrics for intern projects and program as a whole
  • Track program expenses and create expense reports
  • Other tasks as needed

Program Development, Innovation, & Marketing (approx. 10%)

  • Actively identify opportunities to add value to the PowerSave Campus Program
  • Work collaboratively with the Alliance to Save Energy Education Team (in Washington DC, Oakland, and Santa Barbara) to plan and develop new initiatives as needed
  • Research emerging energy policy and technologies as applicable to the program and develop new projects
  • Develop program marketing materials

Special Event/Conference Planning (approx. 25%)

  • Collaborate with Alliance to Save Energy colleagues to plan and implement semiannual program-wide PowerSave Campus conferences
  • Arrange meeting rooms, hotel lodging, transportation and/or catering for event
  • Organize and/or facilitate workshops and training sessions to support intern development

Qualifications:
·         Bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, energy, education, or other applicable field; Master’s degree a plus
·         1-2 years full-time professional experience preferred
·         Campus organizing, sustainability work, budgeting, and/or nonprofit experience a plus

Job requirements:
·         Demonstrated project management skills and dedication to environmental causes, specifically those related to energy efficiency
·         Demonstrated ability to be organized, detail-oriented, and reliable
·         Excellent time management skills and ability to multi-task
·         Exceptionally strong writing skills
·         Excellent communication and people skills
·         Strong public speaking skills
·         Strong project planning and facilitation skills
·         Strong budget management and administrative skills
·         Proficient computer skills, including Microsoft Office Suite
·         Ability to deal with fluid work situations
·         Willingness to learn and apply new concepts and skills
·         Willingness to travel

Other preferred skills:
·         Experience working with college-level students
·         Experience in energy-related field, especially energy efficiency
·         Technical knowledge of and/or hands-on experience conducting energy audits
·         Experience setting and monitoring financial budgets
·         Experience with data analysis
·         Knowledge of website design and maintenance
·         Experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
·         Familiarity with design software (e.g. Publisher, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)

Compensation: Full-time entry level, salaried Program Associate position with excellent benefits.

Start date: The position begins approximately February 4, 2013.

How to Apply:
Please e-mail resume, cover letter, and one writing sample to Meghan Kearns at mkearns@ase.org, to be accepted on a rolling basis through January 27, 2013No calls, please.

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

Education Internship at Audubon Center Huntington, VT

We are currently hiring summer day camp staff out here at the Audubon Center in Huntington, Vermont.
There are both Education Intern and Instructor positions available.

Here is the link for more details: Summer Camp Jobs

Please share this information with anyone who may be interested.
We have always had great experiences with folks from UVM.

-Mike

Mike Simpson
Director of Day Camps
Green Mountain Audubon Center
(802) 434-3068
vt.audubon.org

Posted in Eastern US, Internships | Leave a comment

Position Openings at the James and Anne Robinson Nature Center

We are seeking candidates for two position openings at the James & Anne Robinson Nature Center in Columbia, Maryland.  The Robinson Nature Center is part of the Howard County Recreation and Parks Department.  Our operating hours are Wednesday – Sunday (closed Mondays and Tuesdays).  The position titles are Facility Leader I and Environmental Educator.  Both are permanent, year-round positions.
Please find the job descriptions and application here: Environmental Educator; Employment application.  The application should be mailed directly to the nature center (6692 Cedar Lane, Columbia, MD 21044, Attn: Stacey Yankee) or emailed: syankee@howardcountymd.gov.
Please share this announcement with anyone you think may be interested!
Thank you!

 

Marisa Olszewski
Facility Leader II
Howard County Department of Recreation & Parks
6692 Cedar Lane
Columbia, MD 21044

 

Robinson Nature Center is open to the public Wed. – Sat. 9 AM – 5 PM and Sun. 12 PM – 5 PM
Posted in Eastern US, Jobs, Post-Grad | Leave a comment

VEIC Public Affairs Assistant Intern

From the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation:

We have an opening in Burlington for a Public Affairs Assistant Intern that would begin working in late January. Please see the attached job description. The intern will work approximately 20 hours per week for 10 weeks during the spring semester and will be paid $15.00/hour.

If you know anyone who might be interested in the position, please ask them to apply through this link at Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR): http://vbsr.org/intern_program/available_positions/public_affairs_assistant_intern/

The application deadline is Monday, January 21st, 2013.

Thank you,
Lucy

Lucy C. Gluck
—————————————————
VT Energy Investment Corporation
128 Lakeside, Suite 401
Burlington, VT 05401
800.639.6069 x 7792

www.veic.org

Posted in Eastern US, Internships | Leave a comment

Shelburne Farms Market Garden Internship

Market Garden Internships

Shelburne Farms is seeking four motivated individuals to join the Market Garden Team for the 2013 growing season. We operate a 6-acre certified organic market garden that produces mixed vegetables, herbs, berries, and flowers for the Inn at Shelburne Farms, a staff farm-share, and the Shelburne Farmers’ Market. We work in a production based setting, but serve as a resource for the educational programs at the farm. We also have an education garden for school groups, camps and families to explore and learn about gardening. An internship may last for a full season or part of a season, but will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Housing and payment are not provided. This is not an employment agreement, and Shelburne Farms does not provide compensation, reimbursement, Workers Compensation, or Health Care coverage for this position.

Click here for a more detailed description and how to apply.

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

Currently accepting resumes and letters of interest for the 2013 growing season.

and our job description is here:

http://shelburnefarms.org/sites/default/files/2013_garden_intern.pdf

 

Posted in Eastern US, Internships | Leave a comment

2 Paid Internships with ADK TNC and the ADK Land Trust

The Adirondack Chapter of The Nature Conservancy and the Adirondack Land Trust are pleased to announce the summer 2013 Adirondack Conservation Internships for college-age students and early-career environmental professionals.  I am writing in the hope that you could help us spread the word about these openings, or might know of a current student or recent graduate from your school who would benefit from these internships.

This summer we are offering TWO paid, full-time internships based out of our office in Keene Valley.  They are an opportunity to gain substantive experience and exposure to all aspects of our work in the Adirondacks.  This year we are looking for candidates who are interested in GIS/GPS, mapping, land management and stewardship:  the lead projects involve preserve and conservation easement mapping and boundary marking, and one of the lead projects will also involve cormorant management and field work.  I attach a job description.  Applications must be made via The Nature Conservancy’s web site, www.nature.org/careers, and are due by February 11th.  The internship is job id#40683.   Our office cannot accept applications directly.

Thank you,

Jan Maria Localio
Conservation Program Coordinator
Stewardship Specialist

Adirondack Chapter of The Nature Conservancy and the Adirondack Land Trust
Barnett Center for Conservation
P.O. Box 65
Keene Valley, NY 12943

voice    (518) 576-2082, ext. 129
(800) 266-2082
fax       (518) 576-4203

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Summer Positions at Valley Forge National Historical Park

Valley Forge National Historical Park announces their available internship within the Natural Resources Division for summer 2013.  Please see the attached announcement for more information (NRM_intern_Announcement2013v2).

Summer paid positions with Valley Forge NHP’s Natural Resources Division are now posted on the USAJobs federal job search website.

Interested students/recent grads/alumni may view the announcement and apply at the following address:

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/333857300.  Note that this announcement will close on January 12th at 11:59pm.

All of Valley Forge’s open positions can be found advertised on the park’s website at http://www.nps.gov/vafo/parkmgmt/jobs.htm.

Thank you,

Bethany Alexander
Seasonal Biological Science Technician
Valley Forge National Historical Park
Bethany_Alexander@nps.gov

Posted in Eastern US, Internships, Jobs, Volunteering | Leave a comment