Sustainable Forestry Crews & Interns | Northwoods Stewardship Center

The NorthWoods Stewardship Center Sustainable Forestry Crews and Interns work primarily with Forest Stewardship staff on management projects in the Lydia Spitzer Demonstration Forest at NorthWoods, as well as contract projects with other landowners in northeastern Vermont.

Focus projects during this internship in the past have included pre-commercial thinning and low-impact tractor logging, with approximately 80% of the internship time spent working in the woods with chainsaws and other equipment.

Other projects (approximately 20%) include:

trailwork
forest inventories
management planning
tree planting
NorthWoods education/outreach events
GIS/GPS mapping
invasive plant control
trainings/conferences
visits with other forestry/forest products organizations

Emphasis will be placed on gaining knowledge and understanding during our “boots-on-the- ground” projects. Current forest health priorities such as climate change resilience and invasive species pressure are addressed.

Qualified applicants should have basic knowledge of ecology and/or forestry, ability to identify local tree species, and chainsaw training (Game of Logging, US Forest Service or equivalent; if you do not have one of these certifications, training will be available during the first weekend of the internship).

Preferred qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in forestry or environmental science, GPS/GIS mapping, Wilderness First Aid/First Responder training, and/or forest management experience.

This position is very physically demanding and requires extensive outdoor work in varied weather. Applicants must be comfortable with this work environment and able to navigate in the woods with a map/compass and GPS unit. A positive attitude, strong work ethic, physical fitness, and interest in forest ecology, management and education are essential!

The Forestry Intern or Crew member will gain experience in conservation and forestry, relevant to many future careers. We are committed to making this a valuable experience and will work with enthusiastic, qualified applicants to create an internship that fits your skills and interests.