Northeast Wisconsin GIS Intern

Position Description

The Nature Conservancy is looking for a 10-week paid intern (June 6-August 12, 2016) to assist with priority conservation actions in Northeast Wisconsin.  The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization that works in all 50 states and 69 counties around the world.  Founded in 1960, the Wisconsin Chapter of The Nature Conservancy has since protected more than 232,200 acres of land and water in some of Wisconsin’s most critical landscapes including more than 7,000 acres on the Door Peninsula, a slender limestone peninsula which extends into Lake Michigan.  The west side of the Peninsula is bordered by Green Bay, where TNC is collaborating with multiple partner organizations to find innovative solutions to the restore the health of the Bay for people and nature.

Essential Functions

The Northeast Wisconsin GIS Intern would assist in priority efforts related to our conservation strategies within Wisconsin’s  Green Bay watershed and Door Peninsula including:

• Update an online mapping tool created to identify and prioritize barriers for fish movement within the Green Bay watershed.  The intern will need to reach out to partner organizations to collect information pertinent for the updates, run the existing model using Microsoft Access to identify the next set of priority fish passage barriers, and upload this information to the online tool using ESRI ArcGIS software. 
• To aide County-wide conservation efforts, the intern will compile existing invasive species spatial data and attributes from various sources and manage it in an ArcGIS database and potentially a shared online database.
• Assist Door Peninsula Land Steward and Door Conservation Assistant with priority land management activities on TNC-owned lands. This may include mapping and controlling invasive plants, posting boundaries on new properties, and computer work to document and track management actions.
• The Northeast Wisconsin GIS Intern would work out of the Northeast Wisconsin Office of The Nature Conservancy in Sturgeon Bay, WI and under the supervision of the Door Peninsula Land Steward position.  Housing accommodations are not provided as part of this paid internship. 

 Responsibilities

• Ability to follow instructions for required tasks and results expected.
• Capacity to resolve routine issues independently and unusual complex issues in consultation with supervisor.
• Works under varying levels of supervision (from close to minimal).
• Provides a variety of information through written, spoken, and graphical means to staff and other partners.
• Maintains project records.

Minimum Qualifications

• Must be a current college student or graduated in the past year.
• One semester of college-level coursework in geographic information systems, environmental studies, natural resource management or related field OR six months of equivalent experience.
• ExperIence with common software applications (e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, Access) and ArcGIS.

Preferred Qualifications

• Willingness to apply herbicide.  Necessary training will be provided.
• Strong interpersonal skills necessary for interaction with partner organizations, volunteers, and the general public.
• Ability to complete tasks independently within assigned timeframes.
• Able to perform administrative duties emphasizing detail-oriented and numerical tasks.  Strong organizational skills needed.
• Knowledge of natural systems and ecological principles. 
• GIS certificate or advanced knowledge in the use of Microsoft Access

Apply online at the link included