Environmental Technician: Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department seeks two candidates to participate in a seasonal summer position onsite in various locations. This position will be focused on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion as a lens for the work the Department does. Employees will participate in field opportunities with fisheries, wildlife, law enforcement, and outreach, and complete a capstone project at the end of their term.

Job Title: Environmental Technician: Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Start date: June 2022
Number of positions available: 2
Location: Vermont, various locations
Job type: Internship/entry-level

Job description:

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department (VTFW) is dedicated to creating an inclusive organization that provides opportunities that are relevant to cultural and racial communities that are often underrepresented in professional conservation positions.  One of the major barriers prohibiting people from these communities from working in the conservation field is getting the necessary experiences to be competitive applicants.  The necessary experience often comes from unpaid internships.  Unpaid internships are inherently exclusive to only individuals who have the financial and social support to participate in full time work without compensation.  VTFW proposes to provide a temporary position for two individuals between June – September who are members of an underrepresented audience.

Employees will:

• Participate in field opportunities in the wildlife, fisheries, and law enforcement divisions;
• Create video and photo documentation of the field opportunities that can be used on the VTFW webpage, Facebook and Instagram accounts;
• Participate in the one-week Wildlife Management for Educators & Outdoor Education Techniques course administered by VTFW at the Green Mountain Conservation Camp: Buck Lake in Woodbury, VT;
• Complete weekly reports that include activities completed, lessons learned, questions still being considered, and ideas for improvement; and,
• Complete a capstone project, as described below. The primary focus of the capstone project will be the justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) work being done by the Department through the lens of specific conservation-related work already done by the Department.

Capstone project description:

The capstone project will be a deliverable to be decided upon by the employee and their supervisor. The primary focus of the capstone project will be the JEDI work being done by the Department through the lens of specific conservation-related work already done by the Department. Capstone projects could include (but are not limited to): a presentation on the importance of environmental justice in Vermont, a video documentary of the employment experience, creating/delivering a lesson plan on racial equity in the outdoors, develop effective support materials addressing needs of underrepresented audiences, create a summary of recommendations for JEDI work for the future, etc. The employee will work with their supervisor to determine a capstone project and project completion timeline.

Other relevant information:

• Temporary employees may only work 1,280 hours in a 12-month period.
• Temporary employees are not eligible for healthcare coverage through the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.
• Housing is not provided.
• COVID vaccination attestation or weekly COVID testing required for employment. Testing is free to the employee and provided by VTFW.
• Opportunities for professional development trainings, certifications, and networking with conservation professionals.
• Laptop and other work-related equipment will be provided.
• Other questions about this position should be sent to [email protected]

Learn more:

Website: https://vtfishandwildlife.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vtfishandwildlife

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vtfishandwildlife/

How to apply:

Send your resume and letter of interest to [email protected] . Be sure to include why you are interested in this position and how work around issues of JEDI affect you personally/professionally.