2022 River Access Summer Fellowship

The Fellow will work with staff members from both organizations on two main initiatives:
1. HVA’S River Information & Outreach (RIO) program
2. Community Engagement in Danbury, CT

RIO Program

In 2018, HVA launched the RIO program as a response to increasing visitor density at non-state/ non-federal Housatonic River access sites in northwest Connecticut. These sites have fewer amenities in place and dense crowds can contribute to litter and erosion. The overall goal of the RIO program is to encourage and support Housatonic River recreation that protects the environmental health of the Housatonic watershed, and that ensures equitable, inclusive, welcoming, and safe river access.

The Fellow will work alongside 3 RIO Stewards, traveling in pairs among popular Housatonic River access sites (see map) each Saturday and Sunday throughout the summer. At each site, they will engage with site visitors with the goal of encouraging sustainable site use, in order to avoid temporary site closures. The Fellow and RIO Stewards will also collect data on visitor use, throughout the summer.

Community Engagement

The Fellow will also work with Corazón Latino to develop and implement a community outreach strategy, and work collaboratively to connect with communities in Danbury, with the goal of spreading awareness about on-going conservation work (including river access work) and listening to community members about what environmental issues are important to them. This work will involve creating culturally meaningful multilingual outreach materials, and coordinating at least two community events throughout the summer. We anticipate that the Summer Fellow will have opportunities to brainstorm and collaborate with the 2022 Still River Watershed Connections Program Crew Leader (HVA position).

Other Details

The Fellow will be jointly supervised by Corazón Latino staff and HVA Project Managers. The work will be approximately 50% field based (RIO program), 30% office-based (can be remote work from home), and 20% on-the-ground community work in Danbury. RIO program tasks will be based out of HVA’s Cornwall Bridge, CT office, other work will be done remotely, or in Danbury. The Fellow will have the opportunity to participate in both HVA and Corazón Latino staff and partner meetings, team-building events, and networking and professional development opportunities.

Qualifications

This position would be a great fit for someone interested in conservation, outdoor recreation, environmental education, environmental justice, and/or the human dimensions of natural resource management. The ideal candidate will possess:

• Strong interpersonal skills
• Comfort approaching and engaging with members of the general public
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Experience designing outreach materials
• Experience in digital content creation
• Familiarity with the Danbury (CT) area
• Spanish or Portuguese language skills (however, this is NOT required as Corazón Latino staff are available to help with translation/transcreation).

Requirements

Daily access to a reliable personal vehicle is a requirement of the position
(HVA does not have a field vehicle, so all field work will be done in personal cars with mileage reimbursements.)

How to apply:

Interested candidates should submit the following materials via email:
1. COVER LETTER explaining your interest and qualifications
2. RESUME
3. CONTACT INFORMATION FOR TWO (2) PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES

Questions and applications should be directed to:
Lindsay Larson, HVA Connecticut Watershed Manager
lkeenereck.hva@gmail.com