Intern, Forest Conservation

About Audubon

The National Audubon Society is a leading nonprofit conservation organization with 120 years of science-based, community-driven impact, dedicated to protecting birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Birds are powerful indicators of our planet’s health, acting as sentinels that warn us of environmental change and inspire action. Audubon works across the Western Hemisphere, driven by the understanding that what is good for birds is good for the planet.

Through a collaborative, bipartisan approach across habitats, borders, and the political spectrum, Audubon drives meaningful and lasting conservation outcomes. With 800 staff and over 1.9 million supporters, Audubon is a dynamic and ever-growing force committed to ensuring a better planet for both birds and people for generations to come. Learn more ubon.org.

Audubon Vermont seeks applicants pursuing, or having recently completed a degree in conservation, natural resources, forestry, ecology, ornithology, and related fields to serve as a Forest Conservation Intern. The person in this position will work, both independently and in a team setting, with Audubon’s Healthy Forests Program Senior Associate on a variety of forest-bird conservation projects.

Primary responsibilities will involve assisting with individualized technical support, education, and outreach to landowners and foresters through the Landowner Technical Assistance (Forests) program and the Forester Training and Endorsement Program. Depending on interest and experience level, additional opportunities may include monitoring Vermont forest bird species of conservation concern, creating and managing databases, and developing maps in GIS. The internship is designed to provide a range of administrative and programmatic experiences with a focus on issues facing birds in Vermont and Northern New England.

The position will occur during the summer of 2026 (May‑August) with a time frame that can be adapted to meet a variety of academic schedules. Travel between home office and field sites is reimbursed at the federal rate of 72.5 cents/mile.

Only applications submitted with a cover letter will be considered.

• Length of Internship: 5/11/26 – 8/28/26
• Hours:
  
  35 per week
• Remote:
  This is a remote position for office‑related tasks, with regular travel to field sites throughout Vermont.
• Compensation: $19.00 per hour

• Assist with landowner and forester outreach, communications, and delivery of private lands assessments and resource management guidance to private landowners and/or their consulting forester. This includes communications and scheduling site visits with landowners and foresters, interacting one‑on‑one with landowners and foresters, collecting habitat information during site visits, and writing follow‑up reports for landowners and foresters.

• Conduct bird monitoring at Foresters for the Birds demonstration sites.
• Participate in outreach activities, which may include bird walks, workshops and special events.
• Draft articles, factsheets, blogs, webpages and social media content and other outreach materials to support Audubon Vermont’s conservation programs.
• Attend meetings with public officials, environmental leaders, scientists and volunteers to support Audubon Vermont’s participation and contributions.
• Opportunities to participate in other Audubon Vermont conservation projects including the Green Mountain Audubon Center MAPS bird banding station, Common Tern Recovery Project, and Peregrine Falcon and Bald Eagle monitoring.
• Assist with Audubon staff to ensure that equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging principles are incorporated and followed in all aspects of our work.

• Experience and knowledge of the real‑world application of the principles and practices of ecological forestry in forestland management.
• Knowledge of identifying common forest birds of Vermont by sight and sound.
• Knowledge of habitat needs and conservation concerns for Vermont forest birds.
• Experience interacting with, coordinating, educating, communicating with, and otherwise…