Science Communication Assistant at Conservation Legacy

POSITION DETAILS
Position Title: Science Communication Assistant
Park Unit: Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, Boston National Historical Park
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Number of positions available: 2
Can this position be fully remote: NO

INTERNSHIP DATES AND LENGTH
Duration: 52 Weeks (not flexible)
Start Date: 10/06/2024
Flexible Start Date: YES

LIVING AND RELOCATION ALLOWANCE:
Weekly Stipend: $665.00
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
A set of three-to-five year-long interns will build on the 2023-24 pilot year of the National Parks of Boston’s Climate Conservation Corps (NPB-CCC), which has established a programmatic structure at NPB to support a new “crew.” The goals of the NPB-CCC are to (1) provide real climate response outcomes for the parks and (2) provide experiences for early-career young adults in climate response – related work. The NPB-CCC is unique in the Service, demonstrating the promise of the American Climate Corps vision, and hopefully serving as inspiration to other parks and climate corps throughout the NPS.

The structure of the NPB-CCC provides both group and individual impacts -- the first half of the program year is spent mostly in a team setting for training, orientation, and project work, then in the second half each member focuses on independent projects that match their skills, experiences and career goals with park climate-focused priorities.

Interns will work as an integrated team alongside an NPB-CCC Program Manager and a Strategic Planning Coordinator, as coordinated by park staff across NPB work groups, helping plan and implement climate response projects. The work will be integrated into an NPB climate response strategic plan, led by the incoming Climate Change Response Program Manager (3-yr IRA TERM position), and aligning with the NPS Green Parks Plan and the NPS Climate Change Response Program.

The initial primary project areas are:

(1) Salt Marsh Climate Adaptation Planning and Science

(2) Climate Change Education for Public and Student Audiences (This proposal)

(3) Climate-Smart Planning for the Future Charlestown Navy Yard Landscape

Climate Change Education for Public and Student Audiences: Interns will build upon pilot-year efforts to develop and deliver climate interpretation and education initiatives that raise awareness and understanding of climate-related challenges. For example, ocean climate change activities that educate park audiences about coastal changes in the Boston Harbor due to sea level rise and increased storms. Utilizing innovative tools like Boston Light webcams would allow for real-time visualization (e.g., metrics for heights of high/low tide) of sea levels and wave impacts during storms, enhancing understanding of coastal dynamics. These activities align with state curricula for elementary school students (K-8) on climate and weather pattern monitoring. Interns will also implement activities at the existing Climate Cart, which include hands-on experiments, climate art creation, and discussions on the impacts of warming oceans for audiences of any age. These interactive experiences not only educate young minds but also provide adults with opportunities to engage in casual conversations with experts, residents, and visitors, fostering a sense of community and shared responsibility. Interns may author articles for the parks’ nps.gov websites and social media accounts on the impacts of climate change in Boston, empowering individuals to advocate for and contribute to climate resilience efforts at the local level.

POSITION IMPACT
Members of the NPB-CCC will learn how to be interdisciplinary climate scientists, landscape planners, and educators as they navigate critical issues at NPB. All projects must have a direct connection to climate change. Projects will have both direct, tangible impacts to park landscapes and ecosystems as well as intangible yet important impacts on park staff, partners, and public through programs and by demonstrating NPS’ commitment to climate adaptation.

Specifically, at BOHA interns will continue to digitally map and monitor changing low-lying coastal areas that are existing or potential future salt marsh habitats, incorporating natural and built features (e.g. trails). This will provide NPS and management partners key information for adapting these landscapes for conservation and recreation goals.

Charlestown Navy Yard faces increased flooding and a worsening urban heat island effect, so interns will be tasked with merging cultural/historic preservation needs and climate-smart planning for future landscape designs. This will include identifying plant palettes compatible with predicted future conditions, and identifying treatments for historic structures that will mitigate carbon emissions while meeting NPS preservation standards.

The interns will also continue pilot-year efforts with the park’s Education team and partners to develop and deliver climate science and climate adaptation public outreach throughout the year.

This program will also have a more nuanced yet important impact on the perception of the NPS as leaders in climate-smart planning, science, and management as well as leaders in training the next generation of climate-smart professionals.

DELIVERABLES

For all BOHA embayed and fringing salt marshes and low-lying flooded natural areas that could be future salt marsh habitats:

GIS-based maps
An archive of photographs seasonally and following high water events
Plans and supporting materials for compliance and installation of water level and salinity (conductivity) wells
Report summarizing carbon sequestration estimates
Educational materials in both digital and print formats about scientific studies relevant to climate impacts and climate adaptation planning at BOHA and BOST
Interactions with public audiences at more than 12 events regarding climate impacts, climate science, and climate adaptation planning across the NPB
Content for BOAF, BOHA, and BOST websites and social media accounts regarding NPB climate assessments and climate adaptation activities
Planning and implementation of climate education materials for at least one of the visitor centers across the NPB
GIS-based map of all woody plant materials at the Charlestown Navy Yard
Report summarizing carbon sequestration estimates of existing and potential future trees at the Charlestown Navy Yard
Report proposing a palette of woody plant materials that will meet the goals of reducing the heat-island effect, sequestering carbon, and providing scenic value while also being consistent with historic landscape character
Recommendations for treatments of historic structures at CNY (e.g. windows) that will reduce emissions and retain historic character.
Other projects that emerge as the NPB-CCC gains momentum through integration with the incoming NPB Climate Response Program Manager, partnerships with existing NPB park partners, and sister climate conservation corps.

DESIRED INTERN QUALIFICATIONS

Education and interest related to climate change impacts and response
Options include environmental engineering, environmental science, landscape architecture and design, horticulture, ecology, geology, oceanography, GIS, environmental planning, sustainability, facilities management, science education, or other relevant field experience.
Knowledge and/or interest in communicating with others about climate change and its effects on ecosystems, humanity, and the environment
Experience with ecosystem or landscape stewardship field work, and/or planning or conducting historic preservation, and/or buildings or grounds management, both in office and field settings.
Experience organizing data in tables and spreadsheets
Experience collecting geographic information
Enjoyment of the outdoors and interest in field work on islands and urban settings
Ability to lift 30+ pounds
Enthusiasm to work on a collaborative team
Demonstrated interest in teaching others (e.g. park visitors, intergenerational audiences) and learning
Interest in representing the NPB Climate Conservation Corps to park staff and external stakeholders
Ability to communicate fluently in English orally and in writing for both technical and general public audiences (a second language is preferred but not required)
Willingness to complete office-based tasks including project reports, data summaries, inventories, planning documents, and/or presentations.
Intercultural competence, including the ability to communicate effectively with people who have different world views, experiences, perspectives, and ways of communicating
Time management skills; capacity to work on multiple projects concurrently
GIS Certificate/degree ideal

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 52 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.

WORK SETTING
The interns will be duty stationed with staff of the National Parks of Boston (BOAF, BOHA, and BOST) at park headquarters in the Charlestown Navy Yard, with some time spent meeting with science, education, and/or management partners both in the field and at local partner offices and sites, as well as some field visits to learn about the parks and observe and/or participate in trainings, park programs and field work. Specifically, interns will be stationed within one of the supporting work groups that support the interdisciplinary Climate Conservation Corps of the National Parks of Boston (NPB-CCC), which include the Science and Stewardship Partnerships Team, the Education, Youth, and Volunteer Engagement Team, the Resource Planning and Preservation Team, and the Facilities and Sustainability Team.

The Charlestown Navy Yard is the home of the United States “ship of state” the U.S.S. Constitution, and the surrounding area is bustling with historic sites such as the Bunker Hill Monument, Faneuil Hall, open spaces such as Boston Common, and hundreds of restaurants and other commercial businesses, and is within walking distance of public transportation subway and ferry stops. Field sites are accessible by a range of boats from a few different piers ranging from the Charlestown Navy Yard, to downtown Boston, to Quincy and Hingham, located on Boston Harbor’s south shore. Weather in Boston is typical of temperate coastal climates in the Northeastern U.S., with hot and humid conditions prevailing during the Summer, cool to cold temperatures with lower humidity in Winter, and intermittent rain throughout the year and numerous days with some snow/sleet from December-March. For field visits to the BOHA sites, the islands are somewhat remote, but are generally small (no more than a 30-45 minute walk across), with terrain ranging from rocky to sandy, with slippery coastal areas, and vegetation ranging from open beaches, salt marshes, and meadows to dense shrub thickets and wooded areas.

VEHICLE AND DRIVERS LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

Applicant will not need to drive a government vehicle.
A personal vehicle is not required for this position.

HOUSING
Park housing is NOT available. The intern will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area. The offices for BOHA, BOST, and BOAF are located in the Charlestown Navy Yard section of Boston, which is a 15-minute walk from the North Station MBTA subway and Commuter Rail station, and there are MBTA buses that stop near the park offices as well. The MBTA system allows park staff and interns access to dozens of neighborhoods and towns in the Metro Boston Area. A room in a shared apartment in this broad area typically costs $1000 - $1500 / month in the safe and lower priced areas of the commuting area, which includes East Boston, South Boston, Fenway/Kenmore, Allston-Brighton neighborhoods of Boston, or the nearby Cities of Malden, Everett, Lynn, or Quincy. Many apartment - seekers use brokers to help find housing in this dynamic but competitive housing market. Typically there are a handful of seasonal staff in the National Parks of Boston that rent apartments in the area, and the park staff would be happy to connect selected interns with seasonal staff to seek apartments together.

Two blog posts about renting in Boston:

KEYWORDS
Climate, conservation, corps, adaptation, education

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/