Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship: Hudson River Park Trust - Estuary Lab Intern
*** FEDERAL WORK STUDY STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY ***
***INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ENCOURAGED TO APPLY ***
About the Organization
Hudson River Park Trust is a public benefit corporation created by act of the New York State Legislature and a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The mission of the Trust is to design, construct and maintain Hudson River Park, a 550-acre park located along four miles of the Manhattan waterfront. The Park includes landscaped public piers, display gardens, heavily used lawns, ecological planting zones, athletic fields, esplanades, docks, public sculptures and other special features. The Park welcomes 17 million visits annually and offers more recreational opportunities on land and water than any other park in the city. The Park’s small and passionate team dedicated to growing awareness for a vital public resource that provides more than 400 free public programs each year, conducts vital environmental research and leads community sustainability efforts.
The Internship Site
353 West St, Pier 40
New York, NY 10014
Responsibilities Include:
Each year, Hudson River Park’s Estuary Lab serves tens of thousands of New Yorkers with robust environmental education programming and hands-on community science. Estuary Lab Interns will provide high quality hands-on environmental education experiences to students and park patrons. In addition, Interns will support park research and monitoring projects focused on oyster restoration, marine debris, eDNA and fish population dynamics. Interns will also gain exposure to animal husbandry through the maintenance of fish tanks and local wildlife species.
Environmental Education:
- Teach HRPK’s environmental education programs to camp groups at outdoor locations throughout the Park
- Facilitate HRPK’s public drop-in programs at outdoor locations, including Big City Fishing, Shell-ebrate Oysters, Roving River and more
- Learn catch and release fishing and how to handle live fish and bait
- Develop educational resources to be used in programming and maintain various department resources, such as fishing poles and power tools
Wildlife Care:
- Monitor and maintain fish tanks, filtration equipment and aquaria signage
- Provide proper care and husbandry to fish and other animals in tanks
Park Research:
- Support park field scientists conducting research focused on oyster restoration, eDNA and marine debris
- Facilitate monitoring projects with students and members of the public to collect accurate scientific data
Requirements:
- Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and willingness to work outside is required
- Availability to work on weekends with a Sunday – Thursday schedule is required
- Willingness to practice catch and release fishing and handle live animals required
- A valid driver’s license is preferred
- Coursework focused on marine, environmental science or education is preferred
- Experience working with children or the public is preferred
- Familiarity with Hudson River Park and general NYC geography are preferred
The Ideal Candidate:
- Will have prior experience working with children and/or prior knowledge of environmental/marine science
- Will have a great work ethic and enjoy working outdoors
- Will be interested in gaining experience in the environmental field and provide impactful educational experiences to diverse communities
- Will be comfortable interacting with members of the public in a friendly and professional manner
- Will be able to work as a part of a team, multitask and problem solve