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Environmental Defense Fund Spring 2018 Intern- Fort Collins, CO

Spring 2018 Intern
Habitat Team, Ecosystems Program
Fort Collins, CO


Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org), a leading international nonprofit organization, creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. EDF links science, economics, law and innovative private‐sector partnerships. Connect with us on EDF Voices, Twitter and Facebook.  Are you interested in exploring a career at an internationally‐recognized environmental organization? By joining EDF as an Intern, you too can be part of a vibrant workplace that welcomes diverse perspectives, talents and contributions, where innovation and a focus on results are a way of life. EDF’s Internship Program welcomes intellectually hungry leaders to join us, advance our work, and cultivate the skills and relationships needed for a successful career working for the environment. Alumni of our Internship Program have gone on to important leadership positions, most notably our own President, Fred Krupp. Could you be the next Fred Krupp? EDF offers internships and fellowships for students and recent graduates in a variety of programs and departments throughout the organization. The ultimate goal of our internship and fellowship program is to provide high‐quality experiences (including relevant projects and opportunities for networking) that form the foundation for any individual who is serious about pursuing an environmental career. The goal of EDF’s habitat team is to reverse habitat loss on America’s working lands. In support of this goal, we use science, economics, and law to “find the ways that work” for the public, business, government and other stakeholders. The intern will be a member of and interact daily with our habitat science team and will engage in important work in support of our mission. 


Reports to
Ted Toombs,
Conservation Scientist, Ecosystems Program


Overall Function
Conservation science is at a critical juncture. Increasingly, people in this field are realizing that
conservation efforts that do not address the human element are not as successful as anticipated –
hamstringing the conservation of vital species and ecosystems in decline. However, successful
integration of social science into conservation is relatively untested. Therefore, there is a need to
demonstrate the application of social science to conservation policy and practice. The social sciences can
help make conservation efforts more effective by identifying levers for change within complex socioecological
systems.
The intern will work closely with EDF and their partner at Colorado State University,Dr. Jeni Cross, to test
the effectiveness of social science methods and research for a variety of wildlife habitat conservation
problems. The intern will conduct research and data analysis supporting EDF conservation efforts. The
research and data will be used in analysis for publication of one or more peer‐reviewed journal articles
applying social science methods to wildlife habitat conservation problems.

Key Responsibilities
Tasks will include but are not limited to:

  • Research, analyze and synthesize information related to wildlife habitat conservation, collaborative adaptive management, and other social science topics.
  • Engage with conservation professionals, conservation stakeholders, and rural community members to gain diverse perspectives on conservation issues.
  • Work closely with the scientists above to help shape the research questions and analysis for this project.

Qualifications

  • Undergraduate or graduate student with demonstrated interest in applying social science to natural resource management.
  • Coursework or experience in human dimensions of natural resources, psychology, sociology, and other social science fields.
  • Coursework or experience with Human‐centered design, Community‐based Social Marketing, Community Engagement, Systems Thinking, or other social science methods.
  •  Work or school experience in the conservation field. 
  • Highly proficient in accessing and synthesizing scientific literature, conducting internet‐based research, using basic Microsoft Office software, Google online documents, and other relevant computer skills.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills.
  • Must be well organized, self‐motivated, and detail‐oriented.
  • Ability to prioritize and meet deadlines.
  • Ability to work in a team setting and have the ability to work independently when projects are due.
  • Demonstrated initiative and problem solving skills.

Location
Fort Collins, CO

Term
Spring (February to June 2018)

Hours
Part‐time, hours negotiable (up to 20 hours/week)

Compensation
Compensation is $14.28/hr up to 350 hours ($5,000) in the spring term.

Applications
Please send all applications to Talia Atheras (tatheras@edf.org) by Friday, January 26, 2018.
Environmental Defense Fund is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant's qualifications are
considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status,
genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by
law.

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