Conservation Easement Monitoring Intern

The Northwest Arkansas Land Trust is seeking a hardworking and knowledgeable individual for a 12 week internship with our Land Stewardship Team. The Land Trust holds more than 5000 acres of conservation lands in Northwest Arkansas and actively manages 700 acres for wildlife habitat and conservation. A primary focus of the Stewardship Team in winter is the monitoring and inspection of conservation easements and Land Trust owned properties. Conservation easements are legally binding agreements between willing landowners and the Land Trust which place certain restrictions on a property to protect its conservation values. Over the course of the monitoring period, the Stewardship Team visits every conservation property to meet with landowners, inspect easements, and record any violations to the easement terms and conservation values of the properties.  On the job training will be provided. The Conservation Easement Monitoring Intern will have the opportunity to contribute to our team in the following ways:

Duties include but are not limited to:

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• Using phone/tablet enabled gps and photo software to monitor conservation easements in Benton and Washington Counties to photo document and collect data at established photo stations.

• Inspection of Land Trust owned preserves in Benton and Washington Counties.

• Installation of signs along property boundaries as needed.

• Alerting Land Trust staff to any violations or potential violations to the terms of the conservation easements.

• Preparing simple monitoring reports.

 Your experience at NWALT will:

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• Provide direct learning and experience in land stewardship and environmental monitoring practices.

• Provide direct learning and experience in reading and interpreting legal land documents.

• Provide direct learning and experience in the use of gps and photo tools for environmental monitoring and data recording.

• Have the opportunity to see and explore lands which are not open to the public, many of which have incredible ecological significance.

• Provide exposure to the greater Northwest Arkansas Community.

• Cultivate a deeper awareness of self, skills, and interests in the environmental field.

Qualifications:

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• Applicants must be enrolled in or a recent graduate of an environmental science, biology, wildlife management, environmental law, or other natural resources program at an accredited university or community college in Arkansas.

• Applicants should have a personal vehicle and be comfortable driving to and from sites in Benton and Washington Counties. 

• Applicants should be comfortable hiking and working outside in a range of habitats, weather, and often rugged landscapes.

• Applicants should have basic smart phone skills and be able to use gps to navigate to various established photo points. 

• Applicants should be comfortable working independently and providing data in a timely manner.

• Self-motivated, good organizational skills, detail-oriented, ability to prioritize, multi-task and meet deadlines.

• Enthusiasm for the mission of Northwest Arkansas Land Trust and the community we serve.

Internship Term:

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• Internship start date is flexible after January 1, but applicants should be ready to get to work by mid-January. Internship expected to last no more than 12 weeks.

• All scheduled holidays/breaks observed by the University of Arkansas will be followed.

• Individual work schedules and monitoring sites will be determined by supervising staff member.

• Interns will report no more than 15 hours/week.

Compensation:

This is an Unpaid/Volunteer internship, however intern may submit mileage for reimbursement at the Arkansas state rate of $0.52/mile.

To Apply:

Send your resume/CV and cover letter explaining your interest in this position with Northwest Arkansas Land Trust to Marson Nance mnance@nwalandtrust.org. 

The Northwest Arkansas Land Trust does not discriminate against any applicant or person participating in any aspect of this program on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age or physical or mental disability.

About the NORTHWEST ARKANSAS LAND TRUST

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Now in its 20th year, NWALT is the region’s only local and accredited land trust, de

through the permanent protection of land. By holding and managing donated land and providing conservation easement

services, the land trust protects water quality, local farms, wildlife habitat, and places for outdoor recreation while

enhancing quality of life for today and future generations. The service area of the land trust includes 13 counties in

Northwest Arkansas, with a core focus on Benton and Washington counties.