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Volunteer Information

Oregon: Volunteer information - environmental volunteering in Oregon

Practicum Opportunities

©Bob Main
Groundwater well monitoring at Gearheart Bog Preserve.

"Practicum: supervised, practical, hands-on application of theory previously studied in the classroom."

The Nature Conservancy is pleased to offer a limited number of Oregon practicum opportunities to students. If your environmental studies or ecology program offers you school credit for applied, hands-on experience, consider pursuing your academic goals with us, working with our ecologists and other professional staff.

Students at all levels (including associates, undergraduates, graduates, etc.) are welcome to contact us. While the majority of our practicum students conduct outdoor field projects during the spring and summer, we do offer outdoor placements for the fall and winter months as well as some indoor, office-based placements.

The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.

If you believe your interests and ours are compatible, please contact us so we can explore whether a mutually beneficial partnership is possible. (Regrettably, placement with our Oregon office is not guaranteed.)

Past practicum students have made incredibly valuable contributions to The Nature Conservancy through their work and have used their experience to further their academic and professional careers in the environmental field.

If our goals are well-suited, we will work with you in tailoring placements to complement your studies. A few examples of past placements include projects conducting invertebrate, amphibian, and avian inventories and surveys on Conservancy preserve lands throughout Oregon and projects researching and mapping the abundance of invasive, exotic species.

The Nature Conservancy is not able to offer a stipend for these positions. If you are interested in paid seasonal fieldwork, please visit employment section of The Nature Conservancy's web site, nature.org/careers, or call our National Job Hotline at (703) 247-3721.

[NOTE: Please get in touch with us at least two months before you would like to begin a placement if pursuing an Oregon practicum through The Nature Conservancy interests you. If you and another student share compatible interests, you may want to consider collaborating on a cooperative project.]

To receive more information about practicum opportunities at The Nature Conservancy in Oregon, please contact:

Molly Dougherty
Director of Volunteer Programs
mdougherty@tnc.org

c/o The Nature Conservancy in Oregon
821 SE 14th Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97214-2537
(503) 802-8100

The Nature Conservancy is committed to diversity in the workplace, with particular emphasis on areas in which minorities have been historically under-represented in the environmental professions. We strongly encourage African-Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Asian/Pacific Islanders and Native Americans to contact us about these opportunities.

THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY ORGANIZATION

We welcome you to propose a praticum on any subject you believe would benefit both our mission and your academic interests.

Below are some sample practicum positions. For more information, contact Molly Dougherty at 503 802-8100 or mdougherty@tnc.org.

Sandy River Restoration Field Assistant / Volunteer Program Assistant
Dedicate time to two Nature Conservancy priorities: the Sandy River Riparian Habitat Protection Project and management of our statewide volunteer program. The Sandy River Project is an ongoing project led by Nature Conservancy staff to control the spread of invasive Japanese and giant knotweed within the Sandy River Watershed. The project includes eradication, monitoring and public education and outreach.

As a member of the volunteer programs team, the Volunteer Program Assistant will coordinate and manage field and restoration volunteers during the busiest part of our field season. More information about this exciting practicum opportunity.

Ecological Field Technician
Assist Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center staff with field surveys to inventory plant communities in eastern Oregon's John Day National Monument and the Willamette Valley. Good physical condition, ability to work and camp in variable and inclement weather conditions, and an interest in conservation and ecological research are preferred. Training, equipment and transportation are provided, and meal costs while in the field will be reimbursed. Camping will likely be required for several days at a time, and workdays will last eight to 10 hours each, including travel. A full-time assistant is preferred..

Volunteer Management (Portland)
Assist Conservancy staff in managing our statewide volunteer programs, which include more than 800 volunteers who contribute nearly 25,000 hours of time and effort to our conservation work each year. Develop volunteer program outreach materials, administer volunteer program database and assist with recruitment, orientation, placement, and recognition for both new and returning volunteers.