WSDOT Wetland Interns

Wetland Ecology and Monitoring Techniques with the Washington State Department of Transportation

Contact: Tony Bush, Wetland Monitoring Field Coordinator. 

Up to sixteen internship positions are available through The Evergreen State College (TESC) for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Olympia, WA.

Internship Title: Wetland Ecology and Monitoring Techniques
Position Title: Wetland Biologist Intern
Faculty Sponsor: Paul Butler, Ph.D., Member of The Evergreen State College Faculty

Internship duration: June 22 - September 3, 2009
Days/hours: Monday - Thursday, approximately 8-10 hours per day, 38 hrs/wk
Compensation: $3000.00 stipend

Prerequisites: Enrollment in the TESC summer school and payment of appropriate tuition.

For undergraduate credit, students must enroll for a minimum of 8 to a maximum of 16 undergraduate credits.

For graduate credit, students must enroll for 4 graduate credits.

Important Dates:

• April 14: The last day applications will be accepted.
  
• April 20 - April 22: Interviews will be conducted on these dates, at TESC.
  
• April 28: By this date, applicants will be notified of the status of their application.
  
• May 18: Mandatory orientation session, 3:00-5:00 PM at TESC. Internship contract forms will be completed at this time.

To Apply: Complete internship application (doc 20 kb) - typewritten or computer generated. Please also include a resume and references.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: April 14, 2009

Applications are preferred via e-mail, though hard copies are accepted.  Please send applications to:

Tony Bush
WSDOT, Environmental Services
PO Box 47332
Olympia, WA 98504-7332
busht@wsdot.wa.gov 

Description of Internship

Students enrolled in this internship program gain hands-on field and laboratory experience collecting and analyzing environmental data gathered from WSDOT wetland mitigation sites. During the eleven-week course, students will use quantitative and qualitative monitoring methods while conducting vegetation and wildlife surveys.

Though there will be some variation in the weekly work schedule, most weeks will include three field days (7:00 A.M. to 5:30 P.M.) and one lab day (8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.).

Fieldwork will be conducted on WSDOT wetland mitigation sites. Plant identification laboratory sessions will be conducted on the TESC campus. Approximately 80% of field activities will focus on vegetation sampling, plant identification and an introduction to soils and hydrology. Students will use statistical methods to evaluate data collected.

Candidate Selection

Students from a broad variety of backgrounds are encouraged to apply. However, we are particularly interested in students with the following skills and academic preparation: 

• A degree in (or near completion) the natural, environmental, or biological sciences
• Experience in the use of a technical plant key
• Coursework in wetlands ecology, botany, and/or statistics
• Plant and wildlife identification skills

 Required texts and equipment (available at TESC Bookstore):

• Flora of the Pacific Northwest (Hitchcock and Cronquist)
• How to Identify Plants (Harrington and Durrell)
• How to Identify Grasses and Grasslike Plants (Harrington)
• Plant-dissecting kit: 2 probes, tweezers, razor knife (scalpel), 10X hand lens, and a 15cm ruler (metric)
• Calculator with basic statistical functions (recommended)

Other gear and equipment needs: Students are expected to be equipped with the following, but may wish to borrow this equipment from a friend or from lab stores at TESC, instead of making an additional purchase.

• Hip waders or knee boots
• Binoculars and a bird guide
• Appropriate foul weather gear
• Folding pocket knife or a knife with cover for plant collection

Evaluations will be based on the student’s participation, attendance, and performance in field and laboratory activities.