Mesa Verde National Park Seeps and Springs Internship
Timeline: January 2017- April 2017 Location: Durango, CO Schedule: 8-12 hours per week
Project: Mountain Studies Institute (MSI) will partner with Mesa Verde National Park (MEVE) to further development of a database containing information describing the park’s seeps and springs. The database will aid in understanding changes in hydrology, vegetation, and other characteristics; and improve understanding of climate change risks to springs in the Colorado River Basin within the Southern Rockies Landscape Conservation Cooperative (SRLCC).
Description & Responsibilities: The Seeps & Springs intern will support the development of the seeps and springs database project for Mesa Verde National Park. The MEVE database project is part of the Springs Stewardship Institute’s online database, which was developed specifically to compile information describing seeps and springs resources in western North America. The intern will organize existing data documenting MEVE seeps and springs, enter data into the online database, and export information in the form of reports, tables and maps.
The Seeps & Springs intern will receive training on how to use the Springs Stewardship Institute’s online database, how to understand the inventory metrics used in the historic and current data sets, methods for national park archives, and data storage. The intern will use these tools to organize historic and current datasets, enter the data into the SSI database, and develop a digital archive for the park. The intern will help with quality assurance and quality control review of the data. If the intern has GIS skills, there are opportunities to use GIS to generate maps and reports summarizing the data in the archive. The intern will attend an orientation tour with Mesa Verde National Park resource specialists and discuss the existing data collection and organization process. Day-to-day work will be overseen by MSI staff at our office in Durango, Colorado.
This internship offers an opportunity to learn about seeps and springs, how they are surveyed, and how historic and current data are integrated into a regional assessment. The intern will gain skills in interpreting historic data, database management, and survey metrics for assessing resource health.
Desired Skills/Qualifications:
· Coursework in a related field (GIS, ecology, biology, hydrology environmental science, etc.)
· Able to follow written and oral instructions
· Experience with recording data, using GIS, and mapping software
· Ability to operate independently and on collaborative teams in both office and remote settings
· Good organizational skills
Training Provided: Orientation, introduction to federal careers, natural resources and issues in the Four Corners, seeps and springs inventory methods, database management, archive development
Compensation: $10/hour
To Apply: submit resume, cover letter, and contact information for three references via email to Anthony Culpepper at anthony@mountainstudies.org. Please use "MEVE Springs Internship" in the subject line.
