Outreach Internships
Engineering, Soil and Water Conservation
About Soil and Water Conservation - DCR’s soil and water conservation staff runs programs that prevent water pollution caused by sediment, nutrients and bacteria. This staff works to minimize such pollution, which enters waterways primarily in runoff from farmland. This intern will also accompany staff inspecting the maintenance of some flood-control dams.
- Engineering interns work with staff primarily in the field.
- Knowledge of agriculture, water conservation, crop farming, farm animals, hydrology and civil engineering is a plus.
- Duties may include accompanying staff in the field to see how agricultural best management practices are surveyed, designed and installed, as well as inspecting plans, studies and dams to ensure that they are operating properly.
- Duties may also include helping staff inspect dams to ensure that they are properly operating. As well, this intern will help staff review dam inundation studies and emergency action plans.
- The intern will learn about pollution control techniques on crop and livestock farms and how flood control dams are inspected.
Naturalist, Natural Heritage
About Natural Heritage - DCR's natural heritage staff identifies and protects Virginia’s biodiversity. The staff has identified more than 2,000 conservation sites that support significant and rare species, natural communities or both. There are more than 45 employees, including biologists, ecologists, zoologists, conservation planners, environmental resource managers, landscape architects and data managers in the agency's Natural Heritage Program.
- Naturalist interns work with staff primarily in the office. There may be some field work.
- A working knowledge of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software is essential. The intern will use GIS and associated databases and information to support and inform land conservation decisions and projects.
- Interest in land conservation and the protection of natural and biological resources, including plants, animals and vegetation communities, is a plus.
- The intern will learn different techniques and ways to prioritize conservation sites and will gain exposure to statewide datasets on natural heritage resources.
Department of Conservation and Recreation
