Students interested in a fun summer job that offers training and future career opportunities working in conservation, wildlife and refuge preservation should check in with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Their website devotes a page to Student Employment Opportunities, with options ranging from short-term summer positions to year-round internships. The available programs include the summer program Youth Conservation Corps, for young men and women between the ages of 15 and 18 years old; The Student Education Employment Program for full- and half-time students ages 16 and older; the Federal Career Intern Program, which appoints individuals to a two-year internship; and more. There is an opportunitiy for students to apply for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Program as well.
Not all who sign-up will be charged with watching over wildlife refuges, however. There are career opportunities for students interested in working on the land, protecting wildlife, building and maintaining facilities, reaching out to visitors and creating environmental education programs. The programs are available across the country, so youth can find a refuge nearby, or select one based on the ecosystem that most interests the student: urban or rural, desert or mountains, islands or tundra.
Now is the perfect time to get involved — about 20 percent of employees in the national Wildlife Refuge System are expected to retire within five years. For more information, check out this photo slideshow depicting Youth Working on National Wildlife Refuges.
If you’re not a student or a youth, there are career opportunities and volunteer programs as well.
Jennifer Kongsis the Managing Editor at MOTHER EARTH NEWS magazine. When she’s not working at the magazine, she’s likely working in her garden, on the local running trails or in her kitchen instead. You can find Jennifer on Twitteror Google+.
Photo Credit: Flickr.com/Be the Change, Inc.