Ecology Intern
Overview
RES is currently accepting applications for an Ecology Intern, based out of our Bellaire, TX office. This internship typically runs May-August, but the duration is negotiable based on your schedule.
The mission: As the Ecology Intern, you will work with ecology and regulatory personnel to perform all aspects of fieldwork and assist with data entry and compilation of technical reports.
Interns will learn the principles of Wetland and Stream Mitigation according to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and implemented by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the business of providing mitigation, and a familiarity with the vegetation, hydrology, and soils in the Gulf Coastal Region covering Texas and Louisiana.
You will work under the supervision of a senior member of the Ecology team, in a group of like-minded people who are all passionate about the earth and who occasionally get to work with their four-legged friends out in the field!
Interns will be periodically quizzed to evaluate their developing skillset as they are exposed to multiple aspects of the mitigation business and ecological studies. By the end of the summer, interns will be responsible for writing a monitoring report for a RES mitigation site that will be delivered to the USACE and will produce a presentation for the Regulatory team discussing their experience and learning over the summer.
Did you know that our Ecology team in the Gulf Coast has project sites all over Texas and Louisiana? This gives them a great opportunity to explore the region’s diverse and beautiful landscapes from the salt marshes on the coast to the floodplain terraces of the Red River, the pineywoods of east Texas, and the Cajun Prairie of Louisiana. Each RES site has been designed, constructed, and implemented to provide specific mitigation needs for a client or the local watershed. Our sites are continually monitored and maintained to create a resilient habitat that provides value to the region.
What your day-to-day might look like?
Around 80% of your time, you will be assisting our Field Ecology team, so expect to be on the field. You will learn how to collect a variety of field data, including delineating streams and wetlands, monitoring for vegetation, conducting biological and geomorphic stream surveys, and performing hydrological monitoring!
Please be advised that we perform these tasks come rain or come shine and working outside in harsh and under adverse weather conditions (summer days in the Gulf Coast are long, hot, humid) is part of the routine. You will also be walking long distances, climbing, bending, lifting heavy objects, and performing other physical activities.
Around 20% of your time, you will be assisting in administrative tasks. You will be dealing with data entry and technical report preparation, as well as other restoration site maintenance and management tasks, so be ready to showcase your technical writing, communication skills, and attention to detail during the interview!
Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of your duties.
Qualifications
We would love to talk to you if you have many of the following:
- Recently graduated or currently pursuing a degree in Environmental Science, Ecology, Biology, Natural Resource Management, Wildlife and Fisheries Science, or a related field
- Ability to interpret environmental assessments and mapping
- A strong work ethic and a willingness to learn
- A love for the outdoors!
What will make you stand out?
- Plant identification and taxonomy skills
- Understanding of the 401/404 regulatory process
- Biological surveying (fish and macroinvertebrate) experience
- Experience using GPS units and ArcMap
- Experience in surveying and the use of Trimble equipment
VEVRAA Federal Contractor
RES is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.