Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation: Intern information

INHF's Internships

INHF is currently seeking a graphic design intern for spring 2008 (and beyond). The application deadlne for this position is Wednesday, Dec. 5.
NOTE: We'll be recruiting new communications, land stewardship and program support interns for summer 2008, so check back in early January (land internships) or early March (all other positions) for more information and application deadlines.

Who we are
Who we hire (general)
What we pay
INHF internships (specific internship job descriptions and application deadlines)
How to apply
What past INHF interns say about their experience

NOTE: INHF's internship program is limited to undergraduate or graduate college students who are either from Iowa or attending an Iowa college. If you have already graduated, do NOT apply. If you have questions about your eligibility, please contact us before submitting an application.

Who we are
The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation is a nonprofit conservation organization that protects Iowa's land, water and wildlife "for those who follow." Since our founding in 1979, INHF has protected nearly 100,000 acres throughout the state. Many of these sites are now popular state and county parks, nature trails and wildlife areas. By protecting Iowa's land, INHF protects our wildlife habitat, water quality, recreational opportunities and quality of life. Check out INHF news, Our Mission and other buttons shown on top of this web page to learn lots more about us!

Thanks to funding by the R.J. McElroy Trust, Svare Family Intern Fund, Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust and other sources, INHF hires 12-20 college interns each year. As a nonprofit, we can't afford to waste your time or ours on meaningless tasks. Our interns do professional projects--from writing news releases and grant applications to designing our four-color wall calendar to restoring prairie--that will build your portfolio and your sense of accomplishment. INHF interns receive regular training in their job duties, receive general training in how the Foundation (and other nonprofits) operate, attend staff and board meetings, visit Foundation projects and learn about Iowa's natural heritage.

Who we hire (in general)
12-20 college students over the course of the year. Interns must be enrolled in college throughout their internship (though most interns aren't taking classes during summer term). Non-students are NOT eligible for our internships. Upperclassmen are generally preferred for the indoor positions, but all classes—even freshmen—are welcome to apply for the land stewardship positions.

Students with an Iowa connection. Eligible applicants must have graduated from an Iowa high school and/or be attending an Iowa college.

People with a variety of majors/skills, including environmental studies or related majors, landscape architecture, community-regional planning, journalism, graphic design and others. Different intern jobs require different skills, so check out the position descriptions below.

People who can commit to at least one semester or summer, often longer. Land stewardship positions are summer only, but other positions are available during most semesters. For example, we need one communications intern each semester. We can hire three different people over the course of the year, but we generally prefer to hire people who can work for two or more semesters--which cuts down on retraining time. However, we don't want to cut out students who attend distant schools and can only work in Des Moines during the summer, so we are flexible on this subject. Interns should be able to work a minimum of 12 hours/week during spring and fall semesters. Summer interns generally work 35-40 hours/week.

People who have transportation to our work sites: Except for land management interns, all internships take place in our downtown Des Moines office. Land management interns work statewide, with emphasis on eastern and northeastern Iowa. They generally camp together near their work sites during the week. All interns are responsible for providing their own housing during non-work hours, and transportation during work hours. Interns will need to carpool to camp and work sites.

People willing to work hard, learn a lot and protect Iowa's natural resources

NOTE: If you have questions about whether or not you meet any of these criteria, feel free to contact our Intern Coordinator, Laurie Fenimore, to discuss your eligibility before applying.

What we pay
INHF interns earn $9.00 per hour. These internships are funded by the R.J. McElroy Trust, the Svare Family Intern Fund, Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust and others.

INHF internship postions
Please choose the internship position below that best fits your qualifications and interests. If you have questions, feel free to contact us before completing your application.

1. Graphic design/website (Next opening = Jan. 2008 for spring semester (and beyond, if possible). See application instructions to apply by the Dec. 5 deadline.

Job description: Working from our downtown Des Moines office, this intern designs the INHF calendar (summer only), annual report (spring only), brochures, invitations, ads, T-shirts and other items. This intern also maintains and improves INHF’s award-winning website. Depending on skills/interest, this intern might also perform some of the communications/PR internship duties. Supervised by Cathy Engstrom, Director of Communications, and Nicole Paseka, Outreach Coordinator.

Applicant requirements: This position usually goes to graphic design majors, journalism majors with visual design specialty or others with strong design/website design experience and coursework. Experience with Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and/or Dreamweaver is a big plus. Web experience is also very helpful, but we can train you. Be sure to highlight relevant classroom, internship, job or volunteer experiences in your resume and cover letter! If you have an online portfolio, feel free to include the link in your application. Either way, you can bring your portfolio to the interview.

Job availability: We hire one intern per semester in this position, and the position is open beginning in Jan. 2008. There is some advantage for applicants who can take the position for more than one semester--but one-semester applicants are definitely considered.

2. Communications/PR (Next opening = Summer 2008. Watch for application instructions in March 2008.)

Internship description: Working from our downtown Des Moines office, this intern writes news releases and magazine articles about Foundation projects, assists with special projects (like our annual Hagie Heritage Award) and does other miscellaneous communications duties. However, the job is dominated by news/magazine writing, so don’t apply if writing isn’t your thing. You'll also need to have taken some key writing classes (like news writing and/or magazine writing) and have some writing experience (like your college publications and/or a previous internship). Depending on skills/interest, this intern may also help with INHF's website and/or help with occasional graphic design jobs. Supervised by Cathy Engstrom, Director of Communications, and Nicole Paseka, Outreach Coordinator.

Applicant requirements: This position usually goes to journalism majors (news, PR, etc.). Interest in PR and nonprofits is helpful. Strong writing skills and samples are required. Successful applicants generally have experience on their school publications and/or previous internships and may include published clips with their writing samples. Be sure to highlight relevant classroom, internship, job or volunteer experiences in your resume and cover letter!

Internship availability: We hire one intern per semester in this position, and the position is open beginning in Fall 2007. There is some advantage for applicants who can take the position for more than one semester--but one-semester applicants are definitely considered.

NOTE to ISU journalism students: Because this position is generally around 15 hours per week during spring and fall semesters, it's impossible to fulfill your full 400-hour requirement during just one of those semesters. If 400 hours is important to you, you should apply for both fall and spring semesters (or for summer). If in doubt about whether or not you’ll get enough hours to meet your requirements, please contact INHF staff now so we can talk through the options and let you know if we can offer enough hours to make it worth your trouble to apply.

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3. Program support/grant-writing (Next opening = Summer 2008. Watch for application instructions in March 2008.)

Job description: Working from our downtown Des Moines office, this intern helps research and write grant proposals to fund INHF land projects, works with INHF staff on conservation easement program and provides general program support. Supervised by Lisa Hein, INHF Program and Planning Director.

Applicant requirements: In the past we've hired majors from environmental and planning fields who have strong communication skills or communication majors (esp. with grant-writing experience) with environmental interest. GIS/ArcView experience is a big plus. Applicants must also submit a writing sample.

Internship availability: We hire one intern per semester in this position. This position is generally 15 hours per week during the school year and fulltime in the summer.

4. Land stewardship (Next opening = Summer 2008. Watch for application instructions in early January 2008. The application deadline will be in early February.)

Job description: These interns conduct needed land management/maintenance on prairies, wetlands, savannas and other natural areas owned or protected by INHF. On stormy days, these interns might assist with other "farm" chores like equipment or building maintenance (training provided as needed). Supervised by Joe McGovern and Brian Fankhauser (INHF's land stewardship staff).

Applicant requirements: Past interns in this position have included Animal Ecology, Botany, Biology, Environmental Studies or Environmental Science majors and several other majors. This particular internship requires someone willing to work outdoors in all conditions (especially summer heat). It is physically demanding but provides excellent hands-on experience with natural land management. You will work very hard in all weathers, but--especially if you ask questions--you'll gain invaluable hands-on experience and knowledge from two Iowa prairie experts. Driving to various work sites is required so you must have a working car. Any grade level, even freshman, are eligible for this particular internship. Experience and/or farm background helps, but enjoying outdoor work is crucial.

Statewide stewardship crew: Approximately two thirds of the time will be spent in eastern and northeastern Iowa. The crew will focus on lands permanently protected by INHF, whether through INHF ownership or private ownership with an INHF conservation easement. There will be opportunities to work on Iowa's various landscapes, including savannas, fens, cold-water trout streams, goat prairies, Loess Hills, wetlands, Mississippi blufflands, and everything in between!

NOTE: Because of the large coverage area, applicants must have the ability to travel and the willingness to camp outdoors overnight. Job availability: 8 full-time interns for summer semester only.

How to apply

What past INHF interns say about their experience

More questions? Contact Laurie Fenimore, INHF’s internship coordinator. INHF is a laid-back office where we don’t mind answering applicant questions by phone or e-mail. If you have questions, we’d much rather you contact us now rather than waste your time & ours on an application with no chance of succeeding.