Internships
Biodiversity for a Livable Climate (Bio4Climate) is a nonprofit based in the Boston, Massachusetts area. Our mission is to educate on restoring ecosystems to reverse global warming. Education, public information campaigns, organizing, scientific investigation, collaboration with like-minded organizations, research and policy development are all elements of our strategy.
Background
Soils are the largest terrestrial carbon sink on the planet. Restoring the complex ecology of soils is the only way to safely and quickly remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the ground, where it’s desperately needed to regenerate the health of billions of acres of degraded lands. Restoring carbon to soils and regenerating ecosystems are how we can restore a healthy hydrologic cycle and cool local and planetary climates safely, naturally, and in time to ensure a livable climate now and in the future.
An internship with Biodiversity for a Livable Climate is a great opportunity to learn about global warming and the central role that ecosystem restoration can and must play in addressing climate change. Ideal for current college students or recent graduates who are looking for experience with an environmental non-profit, as well as anyone from high school age to senior who wants to participate in an exciting regenerative approach to global system problems. We work closely with interns to ensure an exciting and positive learning experience.
Interns play a crucial and creative role at Bio4Climate. Interns can expect to jump right in, acquire new skills and knowledge, and work both in groups and individually in an inclusive and supportive atmosphere. Depending upon the activity and position, Bio4Climate will provide you with an orientation, materials, and training. Internships are unpaid; college credit is possible. If you are a student and would like to request course credits in relation to this work, please contact staff@bio4climate.org. All internship opportunities require a minimum commitment of 10 hours a week for 3 months, preferably longer.
All of the positions listed below start immediately. Please inform us of your time-frame as part of your application. If you have skills you would like to offer that aren’t listed here, please include that information when you apply.
To apply:
Please send your resume to Adam Sacks, adam.sacks@bio4climate.org. Indicate in the subject line of the email the title of the internship for which you are applying. Include a statement of around 500 words and give us an idea of how the internship of interest fits in with your experience, interests, and goals.
Social Media, Writing, and Online Outreach
Responsibilities:
- co-coordinating Bio4Climate’’s Facebook, Twitter, Meetup, Linkedin and other social media accounts,
- identifying opportunities (such as in the general media) where raising such an awareness is necessary,
- drafting letters to the editor
- writing blog posts, online Q&A and commenting online
Skills needed: Excellent writing skills, some understanding of climate change issues, experience with social media and general media campaigns. You will receive training and reading materials on the current scientific understanding of the role of ecosystem regeneration to reverse global warming.
Graphic Design
Responsibilities: collaborating with outreach director and presenters to develop digital and hardcopy materials for events, presentations, and general outreach. Intern could attend and help to represent Bio4Climate at conferences and events.
Skills needed: experience with and interest in graphic design and communications.
Fundraising and Development
Assist in the identification of and outreach to potential funders, including individuals, foundations, and businesses.
Responsibilities:
- potential funder research and assessment
- drafting grant applications
- development of outreach materials
Skills/interest needed: grant-writing, presentation, research.
Crowdfunding Campaign
Responsibilities: work with the Outreach Director and Executive Director to create a crowdfunding campaign.
Skills needed: Experience with creating/producing short film content and designing a crowdfunding campaign and/or organizing experience and/or a serious interest in learning the ins and outs of crowdfunding and launching a campaign.
Scientific Review and Writing
Bio4Climate maintains a resource base of scientific information on ecosystem restoration and climate change reversal. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the scientific underpinnings of holistic management and other restorative approaches, and to gain research and writing experience.
Responsibilities:
- reviewing scientific research, annotation of existing sources
- corresponding with scientists and ecosystem restoration practitioners
- drafting responses to scientific articles.
Skills needed: some familiarity with scientific journal research, and writing and organizing information.
Conference Intern
Bio4Climate is collaborating with the Soil Carbon Alliance to plan the First International Biodiversity, Water, Soil Carbon and Climate Conference.
Responsibilities:
- event planning and follow-up
- documentation
- multi-media coordination
- other conference-related duties
Skills and interest needed: event coordination, technology, publicity, etc.
Organizational research and liaison intern
Responsibilities:
- researching like-minded organizations and locally-based farmer and land manager cooperatives and individuals
- liaison for coordinated action.
Skills and experience desired: one or more of following: education or training in international development, organizing/networking experience, hands on land-management experience and/or experience working in the farming community, knowledge of issues relevant to land and resource managers.
If you do not see a suitable internship position posted here but believe that you can otherwise make a contribution to Bio4Climate, please contact staff@bio4climate.org. Please title your email “Internship: Letter of Inquiry” and include a description of 500 words or less of your proposed internship position along with your resume.