WildEarth Guardians

Duration: 2-3months

Location: Sante Fe, NM

Position Title:  (Several Positins available) Global Warming Intern, Grassroots Organizing Intern, Web Team Intern, Clean Water Research Intern(s), Clean Water Organizing Intern(s) 

Housing: Housing will not be provided. Student responsible for finding their own housing.  Suggestions are available from the WildEarth Guardians. 

For more information: WildEarth Guardians

Available positions:

Position Title: Global Warming Intern
Location: Santa Fe, NM or Denver, CO

The Global Warming intern will play a critical role in the effort to fight global warming by helping to organize the one voice that has not yet been mobilized on the issue: the American public.

WildEarth Guardians frequently challenges state and federal authorities in demanding that policy decisions on public lands take public health and public interest into consideration. 2009 marks the beginning of bold new campaigns within the organization to promote wide scale implementation of renewable energy in the West, specifically roof top solar power.  And, with motivated congressional members recently elected, this is the perfect time to turn up the heat on solidifying clean energy campaign promises. Big oil and gas have been lobbying to prevent measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions long enough.  By mobilizing the public and creating innovative a creative methods of engagement, we will hold our decision makers accountable and bring a new energy future for the West.

Responsibilities:  phoning membership to recruit and manage volunteers, conducting online research, assisting in the development and distribution of educational materials, organizing events and media opportunities and additional projects as needed.

Qualifications: Applicants must have excellent verbal and written communications skills, strong online research skills, the ability to work well independently and multitask and enthusiasm for protecting the environment.  Candidates should be computer savvy and comfortable on the phone. Knowledge of financial institutions and federal funding a plus.

Position Title: Grassroots Organizing Intern
Location: Santa Fe, NM

Our Grassroots department is dedicated to organizing students, citizens and volunteers to take direct action within their communities to halt dirty and dangerous land practices as well as promote solutions to the environmental problems of the West.

Responsibilities: helping to build a cohesive and supportive network of engaged citizens across the west by phoning membership to recruit and manage volunteers, conducting online research, identifying and participating in organizing compelling events, assisting in the development and distribution of educational materials, organizing workshops and media opportunities, coordinating with college campuses and additional projects as needed.

Qualifications: Applicants must have excellent verbal and written communications skills, the desire to learn how to message and motivate, strong online research skills, be well versed within online social networking, the ability to work well independently and multitask and enthusiasm for protecting the environment.  Candidates should be computer savvy and comfortable on the phone.

Position Title: Web Team Intern
Location: Santa Fe, NM or remotely

Responsibilities: research, administrative assistance, and communication with program departments for detailed upkeep of information on website and social networking outreach leading to the opportunity to expand your technical skills.

Qualifications: Ability to work independently, prioritize workload, and multi-task along with excellent written and communication skills. Knowledge of social networking and blogging necessary. Applicants must have a strong desire to work in a fast paced environment.

Position Title: Clean Water Organizing Intern(s)
Location: Santa Fe, NM, Denver, CO, and various locations throughout AZ

WildEarth Guardians is leveraging the Clean Water Act in our bold effort to protect our cleanest waters and their surrounding wild forests throughout the West by designating waters as Outstanding National Resource Waters. Our New Mexico campaign is already in full swing and we plan to bring our effort to Colorado and Arizona as well, permanently protecting our wild spaces from the adverse impacts of oil and gas, mining, logging, road building and grazing, and making the maintenance of water quality the highest priority on roadless and wilderness lands.

Responsibilities: Identify and meet with high priority stakeholders, environmental groups, and government officials in educating communities and gaining support for the effort. Helping to build a cohesive and supportive network of engaged citizens across the west by phoning membership to recruit and manage volunteers, attend and organize events related to clean water and wild forests, work to cultivate media opportunities and articles, build a broad coalition of support for the effort by having phone conversations and face to face meetings.

Qualifications: Applicant must be extremely motivated, self-directed, and hold the ability to work well independently and multitask. Applicants must have excellent verbal and written communications skills, the desire to learn how to message and motivate, strong online research skills, be well versed within online social networking, and enthusiasm for protecting the environment.  Candidates should be computer savvy and comfortable on the phone. Depending on your location, you may be the only WildEarth staffer in your area, though you will have substantial support and training from the Conservation Organizer.

Position Title: Clean Water Research Intern(s) 
Location: Santa Fe, NM, Denver, CO, as well as the possibility to work remotely

WildEarth Guardians is leveraging the Clean Water Act in our bold effort to protect our cleanest waters and their surrounding wild forests throughout the West by designating waters as Outstanding National Resource Waters. Our New Mexico campaign is already in full swing and we plan to bring our effort to Colorado and Arizona as well, permanently protecting our wild spaces from the adverse impacts of oil and gas, mining, logging, road building and grazing, and making the maintenance of water quality the highest priority on roadless and wilderness lands.

Responsibilities: Identify and power map stakeholders and water policy leaders in Colorado and Arizona, compile water quality data, GIS layers, background documents, and information on processes. Depending on work, there is a strong possibility you will have the opportunity to write legislation in the form of a draft Outstanding National Resource Waters nomination.

Qualifications: Applicant must be extremely motivated, self-directed, and hold the ability to work well independently. Applicants must have excellent verbal and written communications, superior research skills, and a foundational knowledge in biology or environmental policy and processes. Candidates should be computer savvy and comfortable on the phone as you may have to do some outreach to obtain necessary data. Depending on your location, you may be the only WildEarth staffer in your area, though you will have substantial support and training from the Conservation Organizer.

Diverse perspectives and experience enhance the way WildEarth Guardians selects and approaches issues, as well as the creativity and effectiveness of our campaigns.  WildEarth Guardians strongly encourages applications from women, people of color, and other under-represented communities. All internships are unpaid positions.

Funding: Available through the Center for the Environment Summer Leadership Fellowship Program; see application instructions.

About the Organization:

Founded in 1989, Forest Guardians has emerged as a results-driven group with a proven record of defending and preserving threatened southwestern wildlife and ecosystems. Our approach to conservation features a potent combination of scientific analysis, strategic litigation to enforce existing environmental laws, and efforts to reform misguided public polices.

WildEarth Guardians understands that the preservation of biodiversity is imperative to maintaining the natural balance that sustains the planet. In the West of the United States, hundreds of millions of acres of public lands are sacrificed to special interests in the name of public use. WildEarth Guardians is working to reform this cycle of degradation by protecting the West’s wild places, wild rivers, and wildlife in conjunction with pursuing solutions to the energy crisis and global warming.

 This year WildEarth Interns will be working to reform dirty and dangerous energy policies, strengthening protection and preserving the West’s wild places and natural resources, promoting global warming solutions, fighting for the right to life for many endangered species including the most endangered mammal in North America – the Mexican gray wolf.  Interns will be helping our staff on a daily basis do what they do best -- protect our environment across geographic lines and government agencies.

Mission:
Forest Guardians seeks to protect and restore the native wildlands and wildlife of the American Southwest through fundamental reform of public policies and practices.

Our goals are to protect and restore the native biological diversity and watersheds of the American Southwest; educate and enlist citizens to support protection of the forests, rivers, deserts and grasslands of this arid region; advocate for the principles of conservation biology in plans to restore degraded ecosystems and watersheds; enforce and strengthen environmental laws; support communities in efforts to protect their land and to practice and promote sustainable use of natural resources.