Chesapeake WILD Coordination and Partnership Intern (Summer 2023)

Chesapeake Conservancy

Location:  Hybrid remote/Annapolis MD; or fully remote.

Hour requirements: 30-40 per week, 10-13 weeks late May/early June – August (approx. 400 hours total)

Salary: $18.50 per hour

Reports to: Chesapeake Conservation Partnership Program Manager

Position description: 

The Chesapeake Conservancy, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Chesapeake Conservation Partnership, is hiring a summer Chesapeake WILD Coordination and Partnership intern. This internship will be critical in the growth, development, facilitation, and success of Chesapeake WILD. This position will be integral in establishing a shared vision for sustaining natural resources and human communities throughout the Chesapeake Bay. The intern will help develop the goals and proposed staffing of five Communities of Practice based on the five focal areas of Chesapeake WILD. 

Background:

Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense (Chesapeake WILD) is a network in action for wildlife conservation that lays out a vision for collaborative conservation that emphasizes diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) practices and policies, and well as accessibility. The program envisions building a collaborative network for the protection and restoration of wildlife and fish species and their habitats. The framework is organized around five focal areas: fish and wildlife habitats, climate change, community partnership, public access, and water quality.

The Chesapeake Conservation Partnership (CCP) is a landscape collaborative co-convened by Chesapeake Conservancy, National Park Service and USFWS to bring together dozens of state, local, and federal partners across the Chesapeake Bay watershed to foster collaborative action to conserve culturally and ecologically important landscapes to benefit people, economies, and nature. The CCP is led by a steering committee of government and nonprofit managers with similar missions.

The Chesapeake Conservancy is a nonprofit organization based in Annapolis, Maryland dedicated to conserving and restoring the natural and cultural resources of the Chesapeake Bay watershed for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of this and future generations.

General responsibilities:

The successful candidate will help coalesce the vision of Chesapeake WILD into reality. Candidates must be able to research programs and practices throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed and beyond relevant to USFWS. They will also investigate the needs and capacity of partners and practitioners to find ways to incorporate the five focal areas of WILD into existing frameworks of the Chesapeake Bay Program, the CCP, the WILD Committee for Innovation and Action, relevant agencies, nonprofits and community organizations in the region. This position will focus on developing the purposes, goals, practices, and membership for each of the five WILD Communities of Practice, each based on and organized around one of the focal areas of Chesapeake WILD. General duties include:

  • Partnership building and communications.
  • Programmatic and policy research.
  • Generating reports and memos.
  • Interviewing diverse stakeholders.
  • Managing relationships and partners.
  • Managing meetings and creating agendas.
  • Cross-organizational collaboration.
  • Aiding in strategic planning.
  • Performing other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

  • Preferred candidates are graduate students in a graduate or PhD level program in a related field including, but not limited to, public administration, conservation, wildlife, environmental science, community development and engagement, outdoor recreation, strategic planning, science communications, management, or public policy. Law students are also encouraged to apply.
  • Candidates in an undergraduate program and recent college graduates are also acceptable.
  • Candidates should have strong interest in strategic planning, partnership building, conservation, and a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and environmental justice. 
  • Ability to work independently with guidance from supervisors.
  • Interest in collaborating with diverse partnerships; ability to work collaboratively in a team spirit with diverse stakeholders across various organizations with various priorities.
  • Good meeting coordination and facilitation skills.
  • Ability to communicate effectively to a wide variety of audiences including government agencies, nonprofit leaders, technical experts, and community leaders.
  • Excellent attention to detail.
  • Ability to think creatively and strategically. Adept at creating innovative solutions.
  • Ability to research conservation policies and practices across multiple jurisdictions and synthesize reports.
  • Competent computer skills; working knowledge of Microsoft Office and Google documents.
  • Chesapeake Conservancy is a fast-paced environment where self-initiative, epic collaboration, and teamwork are both valued and expected.
  • All Chesapeake Conservancy employees are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.
  • Authorization to work in the United States is required.
  • Some familiarity with the Chesapeake Bay Program, key stakeholders in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and/or conservation priorities in the region a plus but not required.
  • Knowledge in wildlife ecology is a bonus but not required.
  • Experience in strategic planning, and/or consensus building is a plus, but not required.
  • Some basic understanding/ familiarity of GIS and/or mapping systems is a plus, but not required.
  • Able to make occasional travel to Annapolis, MD, preferred, but fully remote work is also an option.

WE ARE COMMITTED TO BEING A DIVERSE & WELCOMING WORKPLACE

The Chesapeake Conservancy is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, color, age, sex, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, refusal to submit to a genetic test or to make available genetic test results, or any other legally protected characteristic.

Chesapeake Conservancy understands that protecting and restoring the natural and cultural resources of the Chesapeake Bay watershed requires intentional commitment to inclusive practices and narratives within the conservation movement. Through our work we celebrate and elevate the people, places, and cultures of the region, especially by engaging underrepresented communities. Committing to the values of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice is critical to achieve our vision of a Chesapeake that is healthy, accessible to everyone, and a place where people and wildlife thrive. To that end, we commit ourselves to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice both in our programmatic priorities and our internal organizational development through inclusive recruitment of staff and board members and fostering a diverse and inclusive culture.