2026 TEK Workforce Internships are Expanding

By Rose High Bear (Deg Hit’an Dine, Inupiaq)

Founding Director

We are excited to announce expansion of Elderberry Wisdom Farm’s TEK Workforce Development Internships for Native Americans and other interns interested in strengthening their conservation career training. In 2026, we are providing 6 month urban forestry internships in partnership with Oregon Department of Forestry: Urban and Community Forestry Program, City of Salem Urban Forestry, Friends of Trees and 3 local Salem high schools. 

This will expand interns’ conservation career pathway planning skills in several new ways. Interns will learn to cultivate, maintain and plant native tree, shrub and pollinator ground cover species at our Native American Plant Nursery to strengthen their experience and their workforce readiness. Culturally tailored classroom education and experiential service-learning activities will teach them to germinate and cultivate climate resilient native trees and companion plants for project partners.

EWF staff are also beginning work with high school students in three of Salem's socially vulnerable neighborhoods. Plans are to engage the next generation of high school students as they learn to plant and maintain trees in low-tree-canopy neighborhoods, schoolyards, neighborhood parks and natural areas around their schools. We are offering to provide after-school activities with outdoor student advisors followed by future opportunities to co-teach in the classrooms and schoolyards. 

We have already started to work with McKay High School which is forming their new Native American Club by providing storytelling sessions to students. We are also offering tree planting opportunities to students along with Friends of Trees over the weekend where they will learn to plant native tree species in the wetlands adjacent to the high school. We expect this partnership will continue to expand as we work together to engage students in conservation career pathways and provide opportunities for summer internships in 2026. 

We are continuing to accept inquiries through December from Native American and other interns interested in this expanded paid six-month opportunity. Candidates must live near Salem or be willing to move to the surrounding area in order to participate. They must also be able to work indoors and outdoors: standing, walking, climbing, lifting, and carrying objects for periods of time in any terrain and weather conditions ranging from hot, dry, dusty, foggy, cold, and rainy. But it’s fulfilling work that will teach you a lot about yourself, build your stamina and employment skills, immerse you in nature, perhaps prepare you for self-employment in one of EWF’s businesses, or for another job in the fields of conservation, natural resources, and agriculture. If you are interested in applying or have questions, please feel free to contact us. You can send your resume and letter of interest to rose@elderberrywisdom.org.