Description

About Audubon 

The National Audubon Society is a leading nonprofit conservation organization with 120 years of science-based, community-driven impact, dedicated to protecting birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Birds are powerful indicators of our planet’s health, acting as sentinels that warn us of environmental change and inspire action. Audubon works across the Western Hemisphere, driven by the understanding that what is good for birds is good for the planet. Through a collaborative, bipartisan approach across habitats, borders, and the political spectrum, Audubon drives meaningful and lasting conservation outcomes. With 800 staff and over 1.9 million supporters, Audubon is a dynamic and ever-growing force committed to ensuring a better planet for both birds and people for generations to come. Learn more at www.audubon.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.

Position Summary:

The Snowy Plover (SNPL) Monitoring Program and Community Recreational Use Intern will assist in implementing surveys of human recreational use on and near SNPL habitat of the South Shore of Great Salt Lake, Utah. The western intermountain population of SNPL is believed to be in decline as documented breeding pairs at Great Salt Lake (one of the two most important breeding areas in North America) have plummeted in recent years. Audubon Rockies and Saline Lakes of the National Audubon Society and Tracy Aviary initiated a pilot breeding SNPL monitoring project during the summer of 2023. This ongoing project continues this year and includes camera trap surveys and surveys to quantify the extent and type of human-related disturbance to the birds. Survey types may consist of (but are not limited to) visitor usage surveys, geospatial monitoring, remotely accessed data with trail cameras, etc. Interns have the opportunity to 1) work closely with the Sr. Associate of Community Building, Gillmor Sanctuary, to maintain trail camera installations, image analysis and data management, and help conduct 2 types of recreational surveys; and 2) work closely with Audubon and Tracy Aviary staff throughout the study.

These internships are an excellent introduction to wildlife and human recreation research that is intended to drive the co-creation of conservation actions by science and the community. Interns will gain invaluable experience from interactive communications with diverse community members, conducting research in the field, honing data management skills, and opportunities to present key findings to key conservation partners that will help prepare them for advanced degrees and future employment.

Length of Internship: Three months

Location: Offsite at the south shore of Great Salt Lake, and onsite at the Audubon Office, Salt Lake City, Utah

Hours: 27 hrs per week

Compensation:

$19.00 - $20.00 per hour

Requirements

Additional Job Description

 
Intern Responsibilities and Learning Objectives:

During the internship, you will work with Gillmor Sanctuary staff to:

• Conduct and quantify in-person and remotely acquired surveys of recreational use of South Shore access points of Great Salt Lake by diverse groups of community members.
• Place and retrieve nesting site cameras.
• Retrieve and replace SD memory cards from nesting sites and other area trail cameras.
• Analyze nesting site images for anthropogenic or predator disturbance and hatching results.
• Log image analysis to program database.
• Interact with the core research team at regular weekly meetings to share observations and troubleshoot any issues.
• Equipment management and inventory, maintenance, storage.
• Prepare a summary report of seasonal disturbance survey data by the end of internship.
   

Internship Benefits:

Interns will gain experience and knowledge in the following:

• Mentorship from trained and skilled scientists
• Participation in a scientific study
• Conducting in-person surveys
• Operating and maintaining scientific equipment
• Working independently in the field with partner
• Large dataset management
• Basic data analysis approaches
• Scientific reporting
• Learn how the intersection of biological monitoring and recreational use surveys are used to co-create conservation actions
• Collaboration and communication skills
   

Intern Schedule:

Flexible schedule of up to 27/hrs. per week. The project team will coordinate on the schedule to align all field visitation to nesting areas to minimize disturbance to nesting birds, and to achieve a subsample analysis of visitor use during various times of day (day/evening, weekends/weekdays, holiday/non-holiday). Interns will as a team for field safety. Interns can expect to spend approximately 75% of their time at research sites, accessed primarily from the frontage road and Saltair off Interstate 80, and 25% in the office / on computers. Project orientation and equipment training will be provided. Carpooling to sites will be coordinated.
 

Projected Start Date/End Date:

May 26th through August 26th, 2026

Qualifications and Experience:

• A Bachelor of Science, or currently enrolled in wildlife biology, conservation biology, environmental science, or related field.
• Excellent communication skills and technical capacity to operate and maintain equipment such as geo-locators and remote trail cameras and download data and images to user-interfaced platforms (Qualtrics, ArcGIS, Survey123, Excel, etc.).
• Have good data management skills and be able to assist with or independently conduct basic statistical analysis.
• Tolerance to working outdoors in low and high temperatures, extreme sun exposure, and being physically able to walk on uneven terrain for up to 5 miles at a time while carrying research equipment.
• Must have a valid driver’s license and be willing to drive their personal vehicle if applicable.
• Must be willing to work some evenings and weekends.
• Commitment to Audubon’s organizational values of care, collaboration, change, integrity, impact, and innovation.
   

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic outlined by federal, state, or local laws. We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible hiring process for all candidates.

Accessibility Statement

The National Audubon Society endeavors to keep our careers site accessible to any and all users.  If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact Accommodations@audubon.org. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.