Native American Habitat Restoration Internships
We are recruiting interns for our TEK Habitat Restoration Internships for Spring and Summer 2024. This paid opportunity provides Native Americans and other individuals of color who are pursuing conservation career pathways with an opportunity to receive culturally-tailored training, technical assistance, and mentoring. Internships integrate Traditional Ecological Knowledge with local conservation practices with support from mid-Willamette Valley partners.
Participants will receive a $3,000 stipend for completing the nine-week internship. The training includes 166 hours of indoor classroom education and experiential service learning activities, held three days a week.
Spring Internship: April 1 to May 31, 2024
Summer Internship: July 8 to August 30, 2024
A highlight of the internship is the emphasis upon Native American habitat restoration practices that integrate Traditional Ecological Knowledge principles, climate adaptation practices, and mentoring. Service learning is designed to strengthen the biodiversity and sustainability of mid-Willamette Valley ecosystems at work sites including wetlands, Oak prairie, and organic farmland, plus Elderberry Wisdom Farm’s evolving four-acre native plant nursery and greenhouse south of Salem, OR.
Several microenterprise businesses have been formed with plans to train habitat restoration interns who are motivated to become owners and operators of the habitat restoration or the native plant nursery business. There are promising agricultural and agroforestry opportunities that includes transitioning to organic farming, dry farming, and other practices that can strengthen Native American food sovereignty as well as social and economic resilience of Native families.
Must be 18 or older to apply.
If you have questions, please contact us.