Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship: Billion Oyster Project - Research Associate Technician
Organization Name: Billon Oyster Project
Intern Role/Title: Research Associate Technician
Organization Website: www.billionoysterproject.org
Address: 134 Carder Rd, Governors Island NY
On-site/ Hybrid/ Remote Format: Hybrid
Length of Internship: 35hrs/week for 8 weeks (280 hours total)
Compensation: $19.00/hour - total of $5,320.00
About the Organization: The Billion Oyster Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to restore oyster reefs to New York Harbor through public education initiatives.
Our Vision: A future in which New York Harbor is the center of a rich, diverse, and abundant estuary. The communities that surround this complex ecosystem have helped construct it, and in return benefit from it, with endless opportunities for work, education, and recreation. The harbor is a world-class public space, well used and well cared for— our Commons.
Our Ethos:
Restoration through Education: We believe that restoration without education is fleeting. To ensure the long-term health and productivity of our natural environment we must teach young people to care for, monitor, and restore their Harbor.
Education through Restoration: We believe that students learn best when applying their studies to a large-scale ecosystem restoration project that challenges them to become active participants and takes them out of the classroom, down to the water's edge to experience the ecosystem first-hand.
Our Flagship School: The Urban Assembly New York Harbor Schools mission is to provide a college-preparatory education built upon New York City's maritime experience that instills in students the ethics of environmental stewardship and the skills associated with careers on the water.
Position Overview: Interns will work with all of the following programs, in accordance with the needs of the business. Additionally, interns are expected to complete an independent research project to present at the end of the season.
Billion Oyster Project Programs:
Community Engagement:
Staff the Billion Oyster Project Public Exhibit house and lead public programming events Assist with field events across field stations throughout NYC
Assist with oyster research station (ORS) maintenance, installations, and data collection as needed
Support volunteer activities including but not limited to building oyster structures, preparing recycled shells for setting, counting oysters, collecting data, and preparing materials prior to volunteer days
Represent Billion Oyster Project at public outreach events
Education:
Assist with preparation and execution of the Billion Oyster Project Symposium and Scy-posium Support Education Outreach Coordinator in providing students with educational field expeditions, tours and classroom visits
Support Teaching & Curriculum Specialists with curriculum research, editing and publication Support education staff with preparation and execution of professional development events for teachers
Assist with data collection and data organization
Restoration:
Support the Hatchery Manager with managing oysters and algae in the hatchery and with a setting experiment
Support the Hatchery Manager with managing the oyster nursery on the eco dock
Support the Marine Habitat Resource Specialist and the Restoration Field Coordinator with oyster installations, monitorings, data collection and organization, and research activities across sites Support the Marine Habitat Resource Specialist and the Restoration Field Coordinator with deploying bags full of blank shells to monitor for wild oyster recruitment
Support the Remote Setting Manager with setting oyster larvae for large-scale projects at our remote setting facility located in Red Hook Terminals (Red Hook, Brooklyn)
Support the Restoration Project Engineer and Fabrication Coordinator with fabricating oyster structures and processing and cleaning shell for project deployments this summer (collaborative work with the Community Engagement Department)
Communications:
Capturing photos/videos of Billion Oyster Project operations (Harbor School hatchery, oyster reef installations, volunteering, the shell pile on Governors Island, etc.)
Drafting social media messaging or blog posts Digitally organizing images
Communications research
Finance Operations and Waterfront:
Assist with data management and file organization
Assist with waterfront (boats) maintenance and data management
Assist in Asset Inventory (IT Computers, Office Equipment, Software, etc)
Manage day to day operations requirements (Golf Cart maintenance, etc)
Preferred Skills:
•Self-motivated, highly organized, upbeat, and flexible
•Ability to work independently and in collaboration with all teams
•Ability to work closely with volunteers and the public in a professional manner
•Positive work ethic & strong time management skills
•Strong verbal and written communication skills & public speaking skills
•Experience teaching or providing informal instruction to children and/or adults
•Proficiency in MS Office Suite and/or Google Suite
•Ability to work some weekends and evening hours
•Some duties may require moving equipment weighing up to 50 pounds
•Some work will take place on boats, wading in the water, and on-shore in various weather conditions
The Ideal Candidate is:
•Work weekends on a rotating schedule
•Flexible to schedule changes
•Familiar with, marine science, environmental studies, and/or the maritime industry
•Ability to communicate with the public about Billion Oyster Project programs and policies
•Enjoys working with students, volunteers, and marine life
•Ability to perform office and administrative tasks
•Enjoys working in and/or around the water and being outdoors for an extended time
•Ability to travel with the crew on small vessels