The Robin L. Vannote Watershed Restoration Program at Stroud Water Research Center is hiring up to two paid interns for summer assistance. Interns will be trained and provided with experiences in many aspects of watershed restoration, with an emphasis on the maintenance of riparian forest buffers throughout southeastern Pennsylvania. This is a physically demanding position that will work primarily in the field on farms, parks, and private properties in Chester, Lancaster, and Berks counties, as well as at the Stroud Center in Avondale, Pa. This position will report to the watershed restoration coordinator.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Conducting post-planting establishment measures such as:
- Tree shelter maintenance, including re-staking and straightening trees.
- Weeding inside tree shelters and managing invasive plants.
- String trimming.
- Installation of gravel mulch (not typically, but possibly).
- Removal of shelters and stakes containing dead tree seedlings.
- Conducting status checks on existing buffers, including:
- Documenting tree survivorship and growth.
- Assessing damage to shelters, stakes, and fences.
- If weather and site conditions allow, installing and/or replanting trees and shrubs.
- Assisting with data collection in the field.
- Working alongside Stroud Center volunteers.
Other possible tasks, as time allows:
- Assisting other Stroud Center departments, which may include electrofishing surveys, landscape surveying, macroinvertebrate sampling, field monitoring related to soil health, etc.
- Helping with special events (educational, outreach, volunteer, etc.).
- Maintaining and organizing Stroud Center storage areas and equipment.
- Various other tasks as needed.
Qualifications
- 18+ years of age; this position is best suited for people who have completed their sophomore year of college and above.
- Ability to perform demanding physical activity outdoors in a variety of challenging conditions (hot weather, invasive plants, mud, etc.).
- Skilled in repeatedly using a mallet/hammer to effectively install tree stakes across acres of buffers.
- Ability to repeatedly lift 50-pound items, such as bundles of wooden stakes and flats of trees.
- Ability to walk 3+ miles each day.
- Ability to work with others (including landowners) and communicate effectively.
- Ability to work independently with limited supervision, requiring personal initiative and a sense of responsibility for assuring satisfactory outcomes.
- Valid driver’s license and transportation for off-site work.
- Cell phone.
Additional helpful skills:
- Knowledge of native plants, particularly ID of woody species.
- Enthusiasm for forested buffer restoration and the hard work entailed.
- Attention to detail for the many logistics involved.
Start date and term of employment: Starting date is negotiable, but ideally by the end of May 2025. Employment will extend to mid-August, with the possibility of further extension depending on performance.
Schedule: This position will work approximately 32 hours per week, Monday through Thursday, and is negotiable depending on available work.
Salary: Approximately $15/hr, depending on experience and qualifications. This is an hourly position that does not provide health or retirement benefits.
Application period: Beginning January 15, 2025, and rolling until positions are filled.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should use the form below to upload a maximum one-page cover letter, a maximum two-page resume detailing any previous experience, and the names and contact information of three references, preferably as a single document.
Apply
About Stroud Water Research Center
For more than half a century, Stroud Water Research Center has focused on the science of rivers and streams. In its mission to advance knowledge and stewardship of freshwater systems through global research, education, and watershed restoration, the Stroud Center produces the trusted science needed for successful stream and river conservation while fostering people’s passion for the water in their lives. The Stroud Center is an independent, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and an Equal Opportunity Employer.
