Insect Monitoring Intern

The Insect Monitoring Intern reports to the Senior Ecological Monitoring Coordinator and Director of Ecological Monitoring. This is an opportunity for individuals currently studying Environmental Science, Biology, or a related field who are interested in participating in and supporting an extensive ArcGIS-based ecological monitoring program on a diversified working farm, primarily on pastures grazed by cattle, goats, and chickens. As an Intern, your work will help build an understanding of how decisions affect the health of the soil, water quality, plants, and biotic communities we steward. This work will inform creative solutions to food system issues and how our food choices can impact the land.

Working under a variety of field conditions (e.g. sun, heat, insects, rain, and dense vegetation), you will deploy diverse trapping methods to sample insects from across the farm landscape. Sampling will involve both deploying passive traps and more active trapping methods (such as sweep netting). This position will also include some laboratory components; processing, photographing, and analyzing the insect samples and preparing them for archiving or further analysis. While insect sampling will be your primary focus, all interns will be expected to work collaboratively to achieve the overall goals of the monitoring program.

This individual will gain a deep understanding of how the ecological data is used in conjunction with various areas of focus on the farm through collaboration and scheduled check-ins with Stone Barns Center leaders and other interns. This cross-departmental opportunity will allow the individual to obtain valuable professional work experience, knowledge and skills. 

Responsibilities

• Assist in carrying out and documenting standard insect monitoring protocols
• Deploy and monitor insect traps 
• Collect, label, and properly preserve insect samples collected from traps
• Enter data into an ArcGIS based database system and prepare samples for shipment to DNA barcoding facility
• Assist staff with targeted pollinator and gall collection activities
• Conduct basic analysis and summary of the incoming data

• Assist with presentation of information to the team and stakeholders in verbal or written format

• Participate occasionally in pastured livestock activities with the Livestock team

Benefits

Stone Barns Center will provide educational materials at no cost.

Physical demands

This is a highly physical role. While performing these job duties, the individual is regularly required to see and reach. The individual is regularly required to sit, walk, and stand for long periods of time (e.g., up to 8 hours or longer) as well as required to lift and carry up to 50 pounds, bend, squat, kneel, and reach above shoulder level. The individual may be exposed to extreme temperatures, dust, dampness, moving machinery, food allergens, and cleaning agents. Due to the nature of the farming industry, the individual may be required to work longer hours and varying schedules to reflect the business needs, which may include overtime, weekends, and holidays. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job, so long as they do not cause undue hardship.

Preferred Skills / Knowledge 

• Committed to exploring the intersection between food and farming culture
• Able to follow a research project through to the end and to integrate feedback from collaborators and organizational leaders throughout the process
• Interested in learning to use GIS, and basic database software, for data entry and basic analysis
• Able to work effectively in a variety of environmental conditions (heat, rain, insects, etc…)
• Pursuing study in Environmental Science or Biology-related field, with a strong background in entomology, field biology, and/or ecology; a strong background in these fields will be given preference
• Interested in a solution-oriented approach
• Able to work independently and as a part of an academic pod
• Effective in verbal, written and interpersonal communications; able to communicate clearly with various personnel to share/gather information
• Experienced with field work, sample collection, and data organization/entry

About Stone Barns Center

For 20 years, Stone Barns Center and Blue Hill have demonstrated the power of farmer-chef collaborations to inspire change in the food system. We are now poised to deepen our impact and address some of the greatest environmental, health, and economic challenges of our time. We have a bold vision to catalyze an ecological food culture that supports a thriving regenerative food and farm economy.

We will build on our long standing work at the intersection of farmers and chefs to activate critical areas with the potential for exponential impact on ecological and human health, farm viability, and other elements of thriving food systems. In service of this vision, we will reimagine how we use our Lower Hudson Valley campus to serve as the R&D lab for the ecological food culture we seek. 

Stone Barns Center is committed to equity and inclusion. We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this learning opportunity.

To Apply

• Email: humanresources@stonebarnscenter.org or Website: www.stonebarnscenter.org/opportunities