[act-ma] Intern Opportunity

[George Mokray]

Intern with Biodiversity for a Livable Climate!
Biodiversity for a Livable Climate (BLC) is a nonprofit based in the Cambridge, MA area. Our mission is to mobilize the biosphere to restore ecosystems and 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.

Our Work: immediate plans include
	• Organizing the First International Biodiversity, Soil Carbon and Climate Week, October 31-November 9, 2014, and a kick-off conference in the Boston area, “Mobilizing the Biosphere to Reverse Global Warming: A Biodiversity, Water, Soil Carbon and Climate Conference – and Call to Action” to expand the mainstream climate conversation to include the power of biology, and to help initiate intensive worldwide efforts to return atmospheric carbon to the soils.
	• Coordination of a global fund to directly assist local farmers and herders in learning and applying carbon farming approaches that not only benefit the climate, but improve the health and productivity of the land and the people who depend on it.
	• Collaboration with individuals and organizations on addressing eco-restoration and the regeneration of water and carbon cycles; such projects may include application of practices such as Holistic Management for restoration of billions of acres of degraded grasslands, reforestation of exploited forest areas, and restoring ocean food chains.

Overall description of internships at BLC:
Depending upon the activity and position, BLC will provide you with an orientation, materials, and training. If you are a student and would like to request course credits in relation to this work, please contact Helen Silver, helen.silver at bio4climate.org.

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.

Interns play a crucial role at BLC.  Interns can expect to jump right in, acquire new skills and knowledge, and work both in committees and individually in an inclusive and supportive atmosphere. All internship opportunities require a minimum commitment of 15 hours a week for 3 months.

Internships are unpaid; college credit is possible. All of the positions listed below could start immediately. Please inform us of your time-frame as part of your application.
To apply:

Please send your resume to Helen D. Silver, helen.silver at 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 that gives us an idea of how it fits in with your experience, interests, and goals.  Please also indicate where you heard of this opportunity.

Current Opportunities

Social Media, Writing, and Online Outreach
Responsibilities
	• co-coordinating BLC’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,
	• website maintenance and development

and, as your skills and understanding evolve,
	• drafting letters to the editor
	• writing blog posts, online Q&A and commenting online.

Intern may also be asked to seek opportunities for BLC to deliver paid services, and attend and help to represent BLC at conferences and events.
Skills needed: excellent writing skills, some understanding of climate change issues, experience with social media and general media campaigns. Training and reading materials will be provided on the current scientific understanding of the role of ecosystem regeneration in reversing global warming.

Graphic Design and Outreach
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 BLC 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 skills, research skills

Crowdfunding Campaign
Responsibilities: work with the outreach and executive directors to create a crowdfunding campaign
Skills needed: ideally, experience with creating/producing short film content and designing a campaign for mobilizing interest, organizing experience, or a serious interest in learning the ins and outs of crowdfunding and launching a campaign.

Scientific Review and Writing
BLC maintains a resource base of scientific information on ecosystem restoration and climate change reversal. This is a great 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 experience of scientific journal research and writing and organizing information.

Conference Intern
BLC is collaborating with the Soil Carbon Alliance to plan the first BLC conference. Responsibilities:
	• event planning and follow-up
	• documentation
	• multi-media coordination before, during, and after the conference
	• other conference-related duties
Skills and interest needed: event coordination, technology, publicity, etc.

Networking Liaison
We are developing partnerships with other organizations and would like to cultivate networking among practitioners working to build their soil carbon and restore ecological integrity. As part of our global carbon farming fund, we will need help identifying and coordinating with local farmer training networks and cooperatives, beginning with initiatives in New England and some key international efforts, and expanding globally.
Responsibilities
	• researching like-minded and locally-based farmer and land manager cooperatives and individuals
	• liaison for coordinated action.
Skills and experience desired: (one or more of these) 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 BLC, please contact Helen D. Silver, helen.silver at 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.