Ecologist Intern

Reports to: Ecologist I or II (trainer)

Responsible for: An Ecologist Intern will work alongside their team to develop projects for clients. The overriding goal is to give the candidate real-world tasks, to be part of the team/business unit, and acclimate them to the overall process.

Qualifications:

Education, Experience, Certification, Registrations or Licensure

• Recent degree or current enrollment in an Ecology or Environmental Science program, including high GPA, willingness to learn new skills, flexible schedule and strong organizational and communication skills.

Physical Requirements

• Must be willing to work in an outdoor setting and (on occasion) in extreme environments.
• Must be willing to work in hazardous conditions and execute appropriate safety protocols (e.g. insects, poisonous plants, rough terrain, etc.)
• Must be able to move and position objects weighing up to 50 lbs.
• Must have a valid driver’s license

Responsibilities:

Leadership / Team Building

• Voluntarily reviews and learns regulations and ecological principles.
• Seeks mentorship on his/her tasks and projects.
• Effectively communicates with managers and co-workers in a meaningful, respectful, and sustainable way.
• Exercises mature judgement about proprietary and confidential matters.
• Works towards performing safe job duties, even in harsh conditions.
• Assist in communication among teams to ensure all project tasks, goals, and schedules are met.
• Ensures that tasks are completed in a timely manner and within budget.
• Supports Ecology teams and other HHNT divisions and their work.

Technical/Essential Job Duties

• Assist in wetland delineations in accordance with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USASCE) 1987 Wetland Delineation Manual and its supporting Regional Supplements
• Learn the North Carolina DWR Methodology for Identification of Intermittent and Perennial Streams and Their Origins.
• Learn how to prepare desktop preliminary assessment maps in GIS and interpret them for the presence/absence of wetlands and streams.
• Assist in preparing a jurisdictional determination request.
• Assist in preparing nationwide permit applications.
• Increase plant and wildlife identification skills within the states you work in.
• Learn how to review state and federal rules regarding Threatened and Endangered (T/E) Species to determine what species are regulated.
• Learn how to identify T/E habitat on a project site.
• Learn surveying protocols.
• Experience operating GPS units under ArcGIS, Terrasync, or Juniper based software programs.
• Assisting in the preparation of GIS maps in support of office duties and support of work performed for others.
• Assisting in Permit application support and writing for various types of environmental sites in the southeast.
• Assists ecology managers with business development activities.
• Working towards increasing organizational skills
• Learn Word, Excel, Microsoft outlook, and scheduling programs.
• Gain and understanding of GIS drawings and aerial maps
• Careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Fiscal

• Demonstrates fiscal responsibility by ensuring tasks are completed in a timely manner.
• Minimum requirement of 20-40 hours a week Monday – Friday.