I am contacting you on behalf of Towne and Forrester, a US-based non-profit firm that provides environmental consulting and project development services to promote sustainable development in Latin America. (This organization was actually started by two Evergreen alumni.) I would like to share our current selection of internships with you. Please share this with other appropriate departments and let me know if there are other places that I am able to post this on the Evergreen site. There is additional information available here: http://www.towneandforrester.org/internships.html
Internships – Costa Rica
We are now accepting applications for the 2011 Summer (Northern Hemisphere’s Summer) Internship Session. Our Summer Session begins on June 6th and ends August 15th. Interns must commit for a minimum of 6 weeks. This summer we are working on the following projects:
Coffee Buying and Marketing
Interns will work with a cofee importer from the United States to procure coffee from small-scale farmers in the Aguabuena region. Interns working in this group will learn about the import/export process while gaining a deep understanding of the life of a coffee family.
Ecotourism Development
Interns will work with local stakeholders to develop a plan for attracting tourism to the community of Aguabuena. Tourism is the largest sector of the Costa Rican economy, but the region surrounding Aguabuena remains relatively off of the map . A focus on micro-enterprise, community engagement, and economic development planning will guide the initial phases of the project this summer.
Carbon Finance
Interns working on our carbon finance initiative will continue on Finca Project’s carbon strategy. During the summer session, we will be continuing with a life cycle analysis on coffee production to quantify carbon emissions throughout the entire coffee production process.
Summer 2011 Deadlines:
April 15th.
Living Arrangements:
Interns live with local families who provide 3 meals per day and laundry services. All homestay families can accommodate people with special dietary needs.
Dates:
June 6th – August 15th. Minimum of 6 weeks.
Costs:
6 week internship………$1500
Additional weeks………..$250/week
These costs include room and board.
Application Process:
Please send the folowing directly to J’aime Mitchell at mitchell.jaime@gmail.com.
1. A simple resume
2. Letter of intent (including which project your are applying for and why you want to intern)
3. Two references (email addresses are OK)
If you are interested in working with us or have any questions about the internship program please send an email directly to mitchell.jaime@gmail.com
Internship – Ecuador
We are looking for interns to work with Fundación Runa in Ecuador. Interns and researchers have the opportunity to join our Amazonian team as we build a new industry and commercial structure for guayusa. Runa’s work is highly dynamic, collaborative, and exciting at every turn. We invite you to join us in the Ecuadorian Amazon. We are looking for interns and researchers in the following areas:
Agroforestry System Design
Guayusa (Ilex guayusa) is a native holly tree to the Ecuadorian Amazon. Historically, the tree has been wild harvested or cultivated in small quantities. Runa works with indigenous farmers to boost production of guayusa by growing it in agroforestry systems. Researchers on our agroforestry team will work with farmers and Runa field technicians to design a participatory research initiative.
Economics
Researchers on our economic team will investigate the costs and benefits of guayusa production in the Napo region. They will work with our local field team and farmers to calculate net present value of guayusa plantations, opportunity costs, and the social/environmental benefits of production.
Market Development
In addition to guayusa, Runa is looking for other non-timber forest products to bring to market. Interns and researchers will perform a detailed market analysis on various crops that can be grown or harvested from the region.
Community Development
Interns and researchers on our community development team will work with Fundación Runa and the farmers’ association to survey the needs of indigenous communities. The team will work together to design the survey and then spend a considerable amount of time interviewing communities in the field. This information will be gathered for planning of future projects.
Summer 2011 Deadline:
April 15th
Living Arrangements:
Interns and researchers live in Runa’s headquarters in Archidona, Ecuador. Interns and researchers will be responsible for their own food. Ample low costs restaurants and markets are available within walking distance, and interns frequently cook meals together to limit food costs.
Dates:
June 13th – August 15th
Costs:
8 weeks room and program fees………..$1200
Additional weeks……………………………….$150/week
These costs cover room and program fees in Archidona, Ecuador. Travel to and from Archidona is not included. Runa has a limited amount of scholarship funds available to go towards these costs if applicants have exhausted other funding opportunities.
Application Process
Please send the following directly to Eliot Logan-Hines at eliot@runa.org.
1. A simple resume
2. Letter of intent (including which project you are applying for and why you want to intern)
3. Two references (email addresses are OK)
If you are interested in working with us or have any questions about the internship program please send an email directly to eliot@runa.org.