Five invasive plant interns are needed to assist the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service with invasive plant treatment, monitoring, and mapping at the San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuge (SLV NWR) complex. The complex is composed of three refuges: Baca, Alamosa, and Monte Vista NWRs.

Primary duties include treatment of high priority weed-infested areas of the refuge by applying herbicide on target plant species. ATVs with boom sprayers and/or wands, and backpack sprayers will be the primary mode of herbicide application. In certain instances, hand-pulling or mowing may be required. Interns will keep detailed records of treatment efforts, including chemical used, target plants, amount applied, application period, acres treated, and efficacy percentage. Work will be primarily outside, with a minor amount of office-related duties (mostly focused on data entry). Interns will use GPS units to map treated areas and other target plant areas on the refuges, and work with the refuge biologist to organize the field data and enter into ArcGIS for analysis. Duties also may include light equipment maintenance, environmental education, outreach activities,yard clean-up, and other tasks, throughout the internship.

Training will include: operation and maintenance of ATVs and a 4X4 truck, GPS navigation, ArcGIS basics, and proper herbicide handling, application, and equipment maintenance techniques. All personal protective equipment will be provided by the refuge.

Location Description:

Baca National Wildlife Refuge is located near Crestone, CO. Crestone has two small grocery stores and a few restaurants. Larger cities such as Salida and Alamosa are about a 1-hour drive from the refuge headquarters.

Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge is located just east of Alamosa, CO.

Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge is located about seven miles south of Monte Vista, CO.

Training Includes:

ATV; weed spraying; plant id; GPS/GIS

Educational/Recreational opportunities:

Located in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado, the refuges are surrounded by many other public lands, including the Great Sand Dunes National Park, the Rio Grande National Forest, BLM lands, and state-owned properties. The Sangre de Cristo and San Juan mountains are near the refuges, and offer endless opportunities for hiking, camping, backpacking, climbing, and wildlife observation. The Rio Grande and Arkansas rivers are also nearby. Hiking,mountain biking backpacking, camping, rock climbing, fly-fishing, hunting, and whitewater sports opportunities are all located within a 1-2 hour drive of the refuges.

• US Citizenship
• Valid Drivers License
• Personal vehicle (recommended)
• Must be willing to work in inclement weather, hot temperatures and buggy conditions
• Excellent observation skills, be detail-oriented, and show patience because weed treatment, monitoring, and mapping can get repetitive
• After the initial job orientation, the interns will be expected to work independently with little to no supervision throughout most of the season
• Knowledge or experience in western invasive plants are preferred

SCA’s mission is to build the next generation of conservation leaders and inspire lifelong stewardship of the environment and communities by engaging young people in hands-on service to the land.