JOB TITLE:   Resource Interpreter Internships

Dates:  Spring Season: March 11, 2019 – June 28th, 2019 (4 Interns)

Summer season: June 17, 2019 – November 1, 2019 (3 Interns)

APPLICATION DEADLINES: Rolling Deadline, Until Filled Apply ASAP

COMPENSATION: Benefits include: (1) Free housing at the Hatfield Marine Science Center (located 5 miles south of Yaquina Head); (2) a $400.00/week stipend; (3) AmeriCorps education award and 2 years of non-competitive hiring status for federal positions upon completion; (4) professional development opportunities to train and network with employees from the Bureau of Land Management, Oregon State Parks, Hatfield Marine Science Center, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Oregon Coast Aquarium.

WORK SCHEDULE: Resource Interpreters work eight hours/day for five days/week including some holidays, nights, and weekends.

THE AREA:Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, a 100 acre park managed by the Bureau of Land Management, is located on a prominent headland just three miles north of Newport on Oregon’s scenic central coast. Nestled comfortably between the Pacific Ocean and the Coastal Range, the city of Newport offers the convenience of its larger counterparts within the relaxed atmosphere of a small town.

GENERAL POSITION DUTIES: Resource Interpreters at Yaquina Head may find themselves exploring tidepools with elementary school students, describing the migration of gray whales as they swim past, answering questions about the area at the site’s interpretive center, or guiding visitors into the past within Oregon’s tallest lighthouse.

SPRING SEASON DUTIES: Approximately 4000 students (K-12) visit Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area during April, May, and June each year. During the spring, with the guidance of the Education Coordinator, the Resource Educators will:

• Instruct grade-specific intertidal ecology programs for K-12 students (adaptations, zonation, and biodiversity) April-June.
• Assist in developing instructional materials including curriculum for on-site programs and pre/post materials for classroom teachers.
• Staff the Interpretive Center information desk and provide visitor services.
• Provide informal interpretation to the general public focusing on local wildlife using tidepool, seal, whale, bird education kits and spotting scopes.

SUMMER SEASON DUTIES:Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area receives over 450,000 visitors annually.

• Visitation is highest in the summer. During the summer, with the guidance of the Chief Park Ranger and Education Coordinator, Resource Educators will:
• Develop, market, and present interpretive talks/walks to visitors on topics such as: tidepools, geology, birds, wildlife, etc.
• Staff the Interpretive Center information desk and provide visitor services.
• Promote both visitor safety and resource protection in the tidepools.
• Provide informal interpretation to the general public focusing on local wildlife using tidepool, seal, whale, bird education kits and spotting scopes.
• Present 45-minute, costumed living history tours of the Yaquina Head Lighthouse.
• Perform administrative tasks and projects associated with park operations.

QUALIFICATIONS:This position provides excellent career-oriented experience for anyone interested in environmental education, resource education, and natural/historic interpretation.

Applicants must have:

• Demonstrated enthusiasm and interest for working with children, park visitors, and natural and historic resources.
• Ability to regularly climb and descend the lighthouse stairs (114 steps) and the steps (134) leading to Cobble Beach.
• Ability to walk safely on slippery, algae-covered rocks in the tidepool area.
• Capability to live in close quarters with co-workers.
• A valid driver’s license and personal vehicle for transportation to and from the housing area to Yaquina Head – a distance of six miles.
• Ability to pass a federal background investigation and CPR/First Aid training.

Successful applicants have been current college students and recent graduates with degrees in the fields of education, interpretation, natural resources, parks and recreation, and theater.