POSITION DETAILS
Position Title: Natural Resource Management Assistant
Park Unit: Yellowstone National Park
Location: Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Number of positions available: 1
Can this position be fully remote: NO
INTERNSHIP DATES AND LENGTH
Duration: 20 Weeks (not flexible)
Start Date: 10/07/2024
Flexible Start Date: YES
LIVING AND RELOCATION ALLOWANCE:
Weekly Stipend: $565.00
Relocation Allowance: $400.00
CURRENT NUMBER OF APPLICANTS: Under 75 (This posting will close after receiving 75 complete applications or at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, 16 June, whichever occurs first.)
POSITION DESCRIPTION
In June 2022, a 500-year flood caused extensive resource and infrastructure damage in Yellowstone National Park and the adjacent lands in the Greater Yellowstone Area. Now, the park managers and resource specialists are working to identify natural resources that were impacted by the flood as well as recommending and implementing treatments or stabilization where appropriate; developing fluvial and landform hazard models to inform vulnerability analysis; and developing predictive models for resources at risk. Due to the multidisciplinary aspect of this project, this intern will help to manage the data across the different disciplines as well as providing GIS support, develop LIDAR products, and assist in the data collection and analysis related to the impacts of the June 2022.
POSITION IMPACT
This position will improve the quality and management of data related to understanding the impacts of the 500-year flood in June 2022. Many different resources will be assessed for Yellowstone National Park to address current resource damage as well as plan for the future with data-driven recommendations and predictive models for at-risk resources. By improving the management and cohesiveness of data in this multidisciplinary project, the position will help ensure that Park management has high-quality data available to them when making decisions regarding Yellowstone’s natural resources especially with the possibility of the 500-year floods or other natural disasters making more frequent with a changing climate.
DELIVERABLES
The skill level, knowledge, experience, and interest of the intern will determine which specific projects and deliverables the intern will be working on. A potential list includes: a data management plan for all data collected in relation the June 2022 flood; a geospatial database for park managers and other resource specialists to understand the data collected in a complete and digestible manner; aiding in characterizing landforms, lithology, river channel geometry, and flood plains; identifying natural, cultural, and infrastructure resources that are in, near, and/or vulnerable to landscape hazards and future climate-driven events; assisting in creating flood inundation mapping where needed; developing climate-formed, predictive models for vulnerability assessments.
DESIRED INTERN QUALIFICATIONS
Data management skills, advanced GIS skills (specifically working with raster data), experience working with LiDAR data, experience in water resource modeling (preferably HEC-RAS), familiarity with physical hydrology and geomorphology principles, interest in climate driven impacts and adaptation strategies.
The applicant must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. legal permanent resident (“Green Card holder”). Prior to starting this position, a government security background clearance will be required. The applicant must be available to participate for 20 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.
WORK SETTING
This position is in the Yellowstone Center for Resources division, which houses the park’s natural and cultural resources workgroups. Work will be mostly performed in the office, with opportunities for field work. The position will be based out of the park headquarters in Mammoth Hot Springs, WY, at an elevation of 6300 feet. Five miles to the north is the town of Gardiner, MT - the North Entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Gardiner has a grocery store and restaurants. Livingston, MT is approximately 60 miles away and Bozeman, MT is about 85 miles from Gardiner, MT. When in the field, the individual should anticipate working in mountain weather conditions with the presence of wildlife. It will be fall and winter during the internship, so temperatures will likely start in the 50’s and drop from there. Winter weather can be below freezing and snowing.
VEHICLE AND DRIVERS LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
- Applicant must have a valid driver's license to drive a government vehicle.
- A personal vehicle is recommended for this position.
HOUSING
Park housing is available and will be provided at no cost to the participant. Housing will likely be a private room in a shared house with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. Basic furniture will be supplied. Bedding, towels, and cooking supplies will need to be brought to the park by the intern. The intern will be responsible for all their own cooking and house cleaning. It is unlikely that housing will have WIFI, although there are locations the individual can access WIFI. No pets are allowed. Verizon tends to be the best cellular service.
KEYWORDS
GIS, LiDAR, climate change, data management, physical hydrology, geomorphology, Yellowstone National Park
IMPORTANT NOTICES
This posting will close after receiving 75 complete applications, or at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, 16 June, whichever occurs first. Once you begin applying for a position, the application must be completed in one sitting. You cannot save and return later to complete it. Applicants can apply for up to five Scientists in Parks Intern positions per winter. You need to complete a separate application for each position in order to be considered. You should receive a confirmation email after successfully submitting an application. Sometimes institutional email filters/settings can redirect or block emails related to the application. We recommend watching spam, junk, and promotional email folders in case your service delivers messages there. Please visit How to Apply for additional resources and information about applying (i.e., learn what materials to have ready for applying, find a worksheet that previews application questions, etc.)
LEARN MORE
https://www.scientistsinparks.org/