Current Employment Opportunities

Region: Alberta, Calgary
Position Title: "CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS" PROGRAM INTERN
Number of Positions: 1

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The Shell Conservation Internship Program is a partnership initiative between the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) and Shell Canada Limited (Shell) to provide university/college students with practical experience in the conservation field. In 2012, the Shell Conservation Internship Program will engage students from across Canada in stewardship and management work on NCC properties and in other career-related activities that advance the work of NCC. This partnership builds on the successful history of Shell and NCC working together over the past 29 years to conserve many of our country’s most important natural places.

This summer, take your skills and knowledge of the environment to the next level by becoming the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC) Conservation Volunteers (CV) Intern in Alberta. As Alberta’s CV Intern, you will assist with the coordination and delivery of NCC’s Conservation Volunteers program, which engages individuals of all ages in necessary, hands-on stewardship projects on environmentally significant properties conserved through NCC. Working under the Conservation Volunteers Coordinator, you will learn tools for effectively engaging the public in environmental conservation and gain both in-office and field experience with a national environmental non-profit organization.

This is an ideal position for undergraduate and graduate university students of the natural sciences looking to gain experience in habitat conservation, public engagement, or environmental programming.

Specific Responsibilities

• Assist in the planning, logistics and organizing of a minimum of 8 Conservation Volunteer Events held from May through to the end of August;
• Work with CV Coordinator to develop program communications materials and promote volunteer events across the province;
• Lead volunteers through hands-on conservation work projects on NCC properties throughout Alberta;
• Compile volunteer data and event metrics (paperwork, evaluations, participant follow-up)
• Collect and maintain field data including weed/plant inventories, wildlife observations, site clean-up, trail maintenance, fence removal, natural and/or anthropogenic disturbances;
• Synthesize volunteer event and field data into a year-end CV Program Report;
• Recommend follow-up stewardship projects for NCC properties based on observations and work in the field.

Skills and Abilities

This posting is targeted to students possessing the following skills:

• Work well in a team setting, including office and outdoor environments, under various weather conditions (e.g. temperature and precipitation extremes) and in variable terrain;
• Enjoy working with people/volunteers of all ages in outdoor settings;
• Plant and wildlife identification skills and an understanding of conservation issues are an asset;
• Interest in public engagement and communicating environmental topics;
• Highly motivated with analytical and creative thinking abilities in both office and field settings;
• Attention to detail with excellent time management and organizational abilities;
• Self-starting, proactive and capable of working independently;
• Communicate clearly, both verbally and written;
• Hold a valid Class 5 driver’s license.

Terms of Employment

• This is a full-time, 16-week position (May 14- August 31). Salary is $16.00/hour ($640/week). Start date is flexible.
• Position is based in Calgary but requires travel throughout Alberta with overnight stays away from Calgary office as some events are held on weekends in remote or rural areas.

Applications

Interested applicants should forward their cover letter and resume quoting “AB – Conservation Volunteer Intern” to:

Kailey Setter, Conservation Volunteers Coordinator
The Nature Conservancy of Canada
Email: Kailey.Setter@natureconservancy.ca
Closing Date: February 24, 2012

No telephone calls please.  We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada is a private, non-profit land conservation organization that works to conserve areas of key ecological significance across Canada.  Since 1962, NCC and its supporters have protected more than 2 million acres (810,000 hectares) of ecologically significant land nationwide.  The corporate sector, federal government and individual donors provide financial support to NCC.