Back to Natives has a highly successful service learning program, which includes numerous internship opportunities to help students prepare for a career in the “green collar” field. Available internships include Horticultural Intern(Nursery Assistant), Landscape Design Intern, Habitat Restoration Intern, Communications Intern and Administrative Assistant Intern. Here is a little info about the great Interns who are working with us right now:
Trina: “I am a graduate from the University of California, Irvine with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science and a minor in Global Sustainability. I have prior internship experience doing native plant research at California State University of Long Beach as well as being a field and nursery intern at the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy. As a native plant intern at Back to Natives, I hope to continue learning more about restoration to achieve a career in the conservation ecology field. I am passionate about research, reversing environmental damages to our earth, and living sustainably. I’d like to apply these interests during my time at Back to Natives.”
Long: “I am a senior year Landscape Architecture major from Cal Poly Pomona. My emphasis is on ecological design that includes master planning sustainable communities, low-impact development, and habitat restoration. I have taken courses on residential drafting, regenerative studies, surveying, and landscape design. Some of my hobbies include hiking and playing guitar. My goals as a BTN landscape design intern are to learn more about native plants and their applications in modern landscape architecture.”
Brett: “I chose to pursue an internship position with Back to Natives to increase my knowledge of native plant species and the practices of plant care and habitat restoration. I believe it is our duty to look after the earth by maintaining its natural state as much as possible because the Earth has its own inherent value that we have benefited from for our entire existence. I hope to encourage education at the community level while learning as much as I can from everyone at Back to Natives. I am a graduating Senior at Chapman University finishing up a B.S. in Environmental Science and Policy, and I am eager to obtain hands on experience in the environmental field. I see this opportunity as a valuable step towards starting a successful career working with people and wildlife.”
Yoonsu Leila Jo: I am an international student from South Korea and also a senior from California State, Long Beach majoring in Environmental Science and Policy and minoring in Biology. Having taken many ecology and environment related courses, I realize that restoring native plants is a significant way to conserve the environment. I prefer field work and I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty, so I applied for the nursery intern position. I look forward to learning more about strategies to restore, manage, and grow native plants while working as the nursery intern at BTN.
Why do an Internship: Internships are very beneficial when searching for employment, or seeking entrance to college or graduate school. Internships are highly rewarding, work force training opportunities, which provide real world skills pertinent to many future positions and educational fields.
Why complete an Internship with Back to Natives? BTN Internship opportunities include a graduated level of training and experience within habitat restoration, native plant propagation, landscape design/installation/maintenance, and/or general nonprofit/organizational management and administration.
What sort of commitment does it take? Internships are available in 50 hour increments with a minimum of 8 hours required per week. Schedules will be set at the beginning of candidates’ internship cycle with a signed Intern Agreement. After a candidate has successfully completed 100 hours as Intern I they are qualified to apply for Intern II.
Learn more HERE.