The Outreach and Education Intern will split their work among three of The Nature Conservancy’s Florida Chapter preserves. The intern will live and serve starting in southeast Florida for six months and relocate the latter half of the position period to live and serve at two central Florida preserves. These three preserves are among the four campus preserves across Florida associated with the Chapter’s Center for Conservation Initiatives (CCI), a state-wide center of excellence that focuses on supporting conversation through public outreach, education and training, science, and land stewardship. The Intern will join the team at Blowing Rocks Preserve, located on a barrier island in Southeast Florida. Blowing Rocks is a 73-acre protected area with diverse native coastal habitat and approximately one mile of shoreline on the Atlantic Ocean and Indian River Lagoon estuary. The preserve is open to the public and welcomes more than 70,000 visitors each year. After six months working at Blowing Rocks Preserve, the Intern will move to join the Central Florida team at Disney Wilderness Preserve and work there and at Tiger Creek Preserve. Disney Wilderness Preserve is 11,500 acres of longleaf pine and freshwater wetland habitat that has undergone hydrological restoration and is actively managed with prescribed fire by The Nature Conservancy. Tiger Creek Preserve is a 4,980-acres protecting habitats and species endemic to the Lake Wales Ridge of central Florida, including longleaf pine sandhills, seasonal wetlands, and two blackwater streams. The intern will develop a variety of skills related to outreach, education, and land stewardship.

The primary duties for the internship focus on outreach and education (90% of time). The intern will work with preserve staff to plan and deliver new and existing educational tours, public outreach events, and experiential education programs. The intern will assist with training preserve outreach volunteers and co-facilitating volunteer workdays. The intern will carry out preserve operations including opening and closing, collecting trash and recycling, and public restroom upkeep. The intern will also assist with land stewardship activities (10% of time). Duties will include assisting with trail maintenance, wildlife monitoring, and invasive species surveys, management, and monitoring. The internship work schedule is Wednesday through Sunday including some holidays.

Preferred skills include delivering educational content to groups, customer service experience, and an interest in natural sciences and environmental conservation. Multi-cultural experience and/or multi-lingual skills are appreciated.

The intern will receive training in areas including environmental interpretation, visitor management, working with volunteers, native species identification, and wildlife monitoring. The intern will be expected to participate in training for and obtain certifications for First Aid/CPR/AED and TNC’s Youth Safety Qualification. The intern will have the opportunity to participate in trainings for CPR, First Aid, and Hazardous Marine Life injuries and the use of ATV and UTV driving. Additional trainings may be available. The intern will develop and complete a project related to their position and present their work at the completion of their internship.