Job Title: Summer Internship in Coastal Resiliency and Marine Subsistence Resources

Project Description:

For generations, the indigenous peoples of Southeastern Alaska have relied on abundant and nutritious foods from their coastal ecosystems. Traditional marine subsistence foods such as halibut, kelp & seaweed, salmon, marine mammals and invertebrates are a staple of Alaska’s indigenous cultures, providing social resiliency and a common sense of heritage. Traditional foods and other organisms that inhabit rocky coasts are projected with high confidence to change in abundance and distribution due to climate change, ocean acidification, and other stressors. These stressors can impact marine ecosystem services and interfere with the ability of Alaska native communities to achieve food security with locally available food resources.

Higher rates of food insecurity in Alaska native communities add to an already difficult public health situation. Hoonah has much less food security when compared to the rest of Alaska, with 31% of our population reporting low or very low food security and 19% living in poverty. Subsistence foods are more important than ever. Ensuring the sustainability of local native foodsheds is a complex and complicated task and requires a holistic approach that considers multiple stressors over space and through time. However, very little local scientific and traditional knowledge on these foundational ecosystems has been synthesized.

Over the course of 8-weeks, you will immerse yourself in the cultural and natural history of Southeast Alaska. You will work alongside dedicated professionals to perform an intertidal shoreline resources inventory, accompany scientific SCUBA divers performing habitat assessments and baseline data gathering, gather and prepare traditional subsistence foods, and learn about the culture of the Hoonah Tlingit, among other activities. You will work occasionally with our environmental / natural resources youth program on field activities to develop your leadership capabilities. You will be responsible for a 12-page report (including pictures) that will be instrumental to your portfolio and will summarize your experiences, findings, and results. You will contribute to the development of a funded coastal resources planning and management initiative and present your work to the community.

Location: Hoonah, Alaska; Hoonah Indian Association

Length: 8-weeks, flexible start date beginning in late May – early June, 2019

Pay Rate: $12 per hour, full-time (37.5 hours weekly)

Qualifications:

  • Current upperclassman (sophomore-senior) college student in good standing enrolled in a natural resources, oceanography, environmental or related degree program
  • Basic knowledge of scientific data collection and recording
  • Basic knowledge of safe conduct and travel in bear country
  • Willingness and ability to work outside in potentially adverse conditions, collecting data, lifting and carrying up to 50 lbs.
  • Basic skills in journaling, blogging, report writing, and photography
  • Basic skills in effective communication in a variety of social situations
  • Ability and willingness to train and certify as a PADI Open-Water Scuba diver (training costs provided).

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Work in a small group of 2-3 people to perform a shoreline / intertidal resource inventory
  • Perform lab work for biological inventorying of coastal species and data management (kelp, seaweed, urchin, etc.)
  • Assist scientific divers engaged in nearshore biological habitat classification
  • Identify, gather, and prepare traditional subsistence foods
  • Assist with our environmental / natural resources youth program (funding dependent)
  • Assist with ocean acidification / harmful algal bloom monitoring
  • Collect grass-roots data on community wants and needs for coastal resources management
  • Write a small report or multimedia project on a related environmental / coastal topic of your choosing
  • Write 12-page report (with pictures) or multimedia project summarizing your activities over the course of 8-weeks

Requirements:

  • Faculty mentor / advisor to be involved in recruitment, assignment, and closeout
  • Ability to provide for self with minimal supervision (cooking, normal chores, etc.)

Unusual Physical requirement or restrictions:

A significant amount of work is performed in the field, and in underwater environments, performing physical activities requiring considerable swimming, walking, climbing, bending and stooping, and routinely carrying items weighing up to 50 pounds. Travel on small aircraft, boat, automobile, or other mechanized equipment, such as ATV/UTV or snowmobile may be required. Performing General Physical Activities – Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as swimming, climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials, hiking in the woods 2-3 miles per day.

Native Preference applies to applicant(s) who meet minimum qualifications.

Hoonah Indian Association is a tobacco and drug-free organization. Applicants are required to pass a pre-employment drug screening.

Please see the following link for relevant attached documents: https://coenv-media-gene1ufvxiloffjq.stackpathdns.com/2019/02/AIHEC-Hoonah-Indian-Assc-Internship-Application.pdf#new_tab