Internship: Reconnecting Nature
We share our country with fewer wild animals than our parents did. In North America, from 1970 to 2020, monitored wildlife populations declined 39%. Additionally, state wildlife agencies across the U.S. have identified more than 12,000 species in need of conservation efforts to prevent them from sliding toward extinction.
Animals need room to roam in order to migrate long distances between the seasons or to simply move about to graze, hunt, and mate. But we’ve created obstacles to their movements. One obstacle, our roads and highways, prove to be deadly to many animals. Every day in the U.S., wildlife-vehicle collisions kill more than one million vertebrate animals. Annually, at least one million large animals - including elk, moose, and big cats - are killed in these collisions.
However, we have the solution to this problem. Wildlife corridors help solve this problem by connecting habitats. Wildlife crossings, such as overpasses or underpasses, are a type of corridor that is especially effective in preventing collisions. When combined with fencing, crossings can reduce collisions by up to 97%, saving millions of animal lives.
Luckily, California has already taken major steps to help reconnect nature, but there are over 100 wildlife crossing projects that lack resources to make them feasible. So, Environment California is hiring interns to work alongside our Wildlife Conservation Associate to gain widespread public support on wildlife crossings and develop policy that will help make more wildlife crossings a reality in California.
What does an intern with Environment California do?
As an intern with Environment California, you’ll help us educate and engage people on important issues we’re working on. Whether it’s by getting our issues into the media, helping to grow our coalitions, or organizing events, you’ll be helping us build the public support it takes to win.
- You’ll gain an understanding of the state government and how policy is proposed, debated, and implemented.
- You’ll learn how to analyze environmental problems, push for smart solutions, and build public support for our goals through planning events and creating social media content.
- You’ll learn the ropes of how to organize and advocate for environmental solutions.
- You’ll work closely with our staff to develop your writing, public speaking, and research skills necessary to become a future environmental advocate.
Who can be an intern?
We are looking for current college students who are passionate about the environment and are ready to make a difference now. An internship with Environment California is one of the best ways to gain experience for a career in environmental advocacy.
Details
Location: The job will be hybrid work. There will be some in person events. Interns from the Central Coast, North Coast, Shasta Cascades, or the Sierra Nevada's are preferred, but interns from across California are welcome to apply.
Timeline: We are hiring interns to start immediately. We accept internship applications on a rolling basis.
Internships are unpaid positions.
Why Work with Environment California: Check out 10 reasons: https://environmentamerica.org/why-work-with-us/
To apply: Fill out our online application. For “Which of our offices are you applying to?” select “Remote”. For “What issues or campaigns are you most interested in working on?” type "California Reconnecting Nature”.
Our Mission and Values
Environment California and Environment America are part of The Public Interest Network, which operates and supports organizations committed to a shared vision of a better world and a strategic approach to social change. Visit https://environmentamerica.org/core-values/ for things you should know about our network when you apply.
Environment California is an equal opportunity employer and will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.
COVID-19: We take COVID-19 safety very seriously. Employees must follow our COVID safety protocols and be fully vaccinated and boosted. Accommodations are provided to the extent required by law.