The Natural Resources intern will assist in the implementation of a variety of vegetation management projects within the parklands of Fort Baker and the Southern Marin Headlands, located in Marin County just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. A main component of the work will involve restoring coastal prairie grassland habitat for the federally endangered mission blue butterfly (MBB), in addition to monitoring MBB populations in Marin and San Mateo counties. Restoration techniques will include native plant revegetation and non-native invasive plant removal through an integrated pest management approach. There will also be involvement of community engagement to aid in reaching restoration objectives. Interns will have the opportunity to coordinate logistics and lead volunteer program events. Primary duties for this job include:
- Native plant revegetation, seed collection, direct seeding, plant monitoring & invasive plant management using a variety of treatment techniques
- Assisting with mission blue butterfly monitoring and translocation
- Mapping vegetation communities with GPS & Calflora’s Weed Manager platform, managing and analyzing data in Excel and ArcGIS
- Additional support projects may include: installing erosion control materials, serving as a biological monitor during construction projects, assisting with site establishment and data collection for vegetation monitoring, photo-monitoring of restoration sites, maintaining vehicles and field equipment
Work Products: Key deliverables of the internship
- At program completion, the intern will have participated in the restoration of 12+ acres of sensitive coastal grassland habitat that support the federally endangered Mission blue butterfly. This work will involve the planting and several hundred host and nectar source plants, the monitoring and maintenance of experimental direct seeding plots, GPS mapping and removal of invasive plants, photo-monitoring and data management. Depending on the participant, deliverables may include the data analysis and drafting of reports for various grassland restoration projects. There is opportunity for the intern to develop a custom project of their choosing that is in alignment with the overall goals of natural resource stewardship within Marin parklands.
- Volunteer coordination – Assisting in various outreach efforts with volunteers, planning and leading volunteer events, field safety, and volunteer support.
- NR Program support – Equipment maintenance and cleaning, including disinfecting of shared equipment; coordinating schedules for field work; attending relevant meetings; and participating in trainings.