Scheuer Land Management Internship

Join the Mohonk Preserve Team!

About Mohonk Preserve:

Located in the beautiful Hudson River Valley, Mohonk Preserve is New York’s largest nonprofit nature preserve. Our mission is to protect the Shawangunk Mountains region and inspire people to care for, enjoy, and explore their natural world. We manage over 8,000 acres of mountain cliffs, forests, fields, and streams through four integrated programs – Conservation, Education, Stewardship, and Visitor Experience – and welcome over 300,000 members and visitors each year who come to hike, run, rock climb, boulder, bike, cross-country ski, snowshoe and enjoy and experience nature.

Based in a vibrant university community, Mohonk Preserve offers a great working environment in one of New York’s greenest counties, with all-season recreation, access to Preserve lands, a dynamic, committed team of conservation professionals and long legacy of conducting ecological research and environmental education. The Preserve is also the home of one of America’s premier rock-climbing destinations.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Mohonk Preserve is an Equal Opportunity Employer dedicated to creating an inclusive culture where employees from diverse backgrounds can thrive and support our mission. Successful candidates will be equity-minded and committed to furthering our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice (DEIJ) goals. Mohonk Preserve encourages applications from women, minorities and/or other underrepresented groups.

About the Position:

Thom Scheuer, the beloved Head Ranger of Mohonk Preserve from 1972 until his death in 1999, dedicated his work and life to protecting and maintaining the Preserve as a place for world-class outdoor enjoyment within a high-quality ecosystem. Thom’s timeless legacy is that of land stewardship that involves people in a common land ethic. Dr. Ed Reppert established this internship “to teach young land stewards to consider all parts of nature as a part of the total ecosystem, how all are related to and dependent on one another and how each relates to humankind.”

The Scheuer Land Management Internship will provide the successful candidate with the opportunity to work within our Visitor Experience program alongside the professionals who ensure that Mohonk Preserve’s lands are managed in a manner that protects their ecological integrity while welcoming visitors who seek a wide variety of recreational experiences.

This internship is within the Visitor Experience department and is 10 weeks (~June-August, flexible start date).

Essential Functions:

The Scheuer Intern will have an opportunity to work with Preserve Trailhead and Patrol Rangers, Conservation Programs staff, and land stewards to gain experience in:

• Location-based data collection of incoming visitors using various technology
• Processing and compilation of data collected with a focus on interpreting how visitors utilize the land and the resulting impacts
• Working with Patrol Rangers on stewardship projects and support services to visitors
• Other ongoing land management projects
• The position will be split between work in the field and in the office

The selected intern will complete a final written deliverable (e.g., report, maps, design plan, survey, etc.), and, at the end of the summer, present their project in an oral presentation summarizing their internship experience and specific project.

Desired Skills and Experience:

• Students currently enrolled in their sophomore or junior years of college (or equivalent credit hours) who are majoring in Outdoor Recreation, Environmental Science, Land and Natural Resource Management, Geography, Forestry, or other related fields of study
• An interest in interpreting spatial relationships and working with unprocessed data
• Ability to work long days in the field with ability to hike a minimum of five miles while carrying gear
• Ability to utilize various GPS data collection methods; additional training will be provided in GPS data collection, analysis, and reporting
• Proficient computer skills required; experience with Microsoft Office 365 applications and remote work platforms (Zoom; Teams, etc.) required
• Must be able to provide personal gear for the day (rain gear, appropriate clothing, hiking boots)
• CPR and First Aid experience is a plus
• Driver’s license preferred
• Have a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice to ensure that all people are respected and welcomed at the Mohonk Preserve. This includes participating in ongoing education and other work the organization undertakes to develop and incorporate these principles

Classification:

Full time (40 hours per week), Seasonal, Temporary

Compensation:

$15.00/hour for a maximum of 400 hours; on-site housing available

Location:

Mohonk Preserve’s main offices are located at our Visitor Center in Gardiner, NY. The intern will be based at the Preserve’s Ranger Station (aka: Undercliff House). Mohonk Preserve offers hybrid work schedules at this time – coordinated with their supervisor and depending on the job, staff may be able to split time working remotely, as well as in the office and in-person on the land. Generally standard working hours, with some flexibility, to be coordinated with their supervisor.

Benefits:

• Direct Payroll Deposit
• Mohonk Preserve membership for duration of internship
• Access to lands and some activities of Mohonk Mountain House resort

Eligibility for certain benefits is dependent upon a variety of factors including employment status.

COVID-19 Considerations:

The health and safety of our employees and their families is of the utmost importance. Mohonk Preserve requires all staff either to provide proof of being fully vaccinated or, if they cannot provide such proof for any reason, to wear a mask per CDC guidelines CDC Mask Guidance. Regular testing may be required for the unvaccinated. All employees are expected to adhere to required Mohonk Preserve COVID-19 protocols.

Note: Mohonk Preserve is a smoke-free campus.

Physical Demands:

• Frequently uses a computer keyboard, reads, writes
• Frequently works outdoors in all weather conditions
• May require standing, walking, hiking, stooping, bending, kneeling, crouching, carrying equipment
• Occasional events indoors or outdoors outside standard office hours and in other locations around the Preserve

How to Apply:

Applications accepted via e-mail only. Email the following as a single PDF to Visitor Experience staff at Abajardi@mohonkpreserve.org by Friday, February 17, 2023.

1. A cover letter that clearly states your reasons for pursuing this internship and what you hope to gain toward achieving your career goals
2. Your current resume
3. Your current transcript (unofficial is OK)
4. Please include “Scheuer Land Management Internship” in the subject line of your email.
5. In addition, please arrange to have two letters of recommendation emailed to ABajardi@mohonkpreserve.org by the application deadline.
6. Only on-time, complete applications, which include reference letters, will be considered.

The anticipated start date of this position is early June 2023.

No phone calls please

Additional Information:

More information about Mohonk Preserve can be found at https://www.mohonkpreserve.org/