BRITE Internship - Partner Organization Evergreen Statements

View the BRITE Internship - Partner Organization Evergreen Statements below. Contact partner organizations directly to discuss potential internships. If any internship opportunities are of interest, please contact the BRITE coordinator (biodiversity.brite@ubc.ca) with questions and for organization contact info.

There is no deadline to submit full applications to the committee, however successful applications will be funded on a first-come first-served basis.


BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEMS BRANCH  --  BC MINISTRY OF WATER, LAND AND RESOURCE STEWARDSHIP

The Biodiversity and Ecosystems Branch within the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship is responsible for supporting collaborative stewardship of biodiversity, habitat and healthy ecosystems with innovative policy and applied science.

Contact: Tyler Muhly

Desirable skills may include: field work, research proposal development, literature review, short study/assessment, data collection, data (especially spatial data) science and statistical analysis, GIS analysis, policy analysis, model development, writing, visual and oral communication.

Description of potential internship opportunities:

The branch consists of over 40 staff involved in a diversity of work, from field research on plant and wildlife species, to provincial policy and legislation related to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem health. Prospective interns may contact the Branch to explore potential internship opportunities. Examples of work that the intern may engage in include, but are not limited to: 

  • Supporting the development of conservation prioritization frameworks and tools
  • Developing empirical, spatial models of wildlife habitat and biodiversity
  • Assessing and improving ecosystem and wildlife habitat conservation policy
  • Weaving indigenous and western knowledge to support conservation initiatives
  • Supporting the designation of conservation areas 

Location and terms of employment can be flexible.

 


BIRDS CANADA

Birds Canada is a non-profit, charitable organization built on the enthusiastic contributions of thousands of caring members and volunteer Citizen
Scientists. Our mission is to drive action to increase the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of birds in Canada.

Contact: David Bradley, BC Director

Essential skills required: short study/assessment, data/statistical analysis, policy analysis, model development

Optional skills required: GIS analysis, literature review, field work, research proposal development, data collection, survey design, funding/grant proposal

Description of potential internship opportunities: Birds Canada is looking to host a BRITE student intern to lead a transboundary occupancy analysis of scoters and other seaducks using citizen science datasets spanning 24 years (Canada) and 16 years (USA). The main goal of the analysis is to assess conservation measures taken within the Salish Sea.

 


CANADIAN PARKS AND WILDERNESS SOCIETY (CPAWS) 

Established in 1963, CPAWS has played a leadership role in creating over two-thirds of Canada’s protected areas. CPAWS’ long-term vision is to protect at least half of our public land and ocean in a framework of reconciliation – for the benefit of both wildlife and humans.  

Contact: Anna Pidgorna, National Senior Conservation Coordinator 

Essential skills required: literature review, short study/assessment, data/statistical analysis, policy analysis 

Optional skills required: GIS analysis, funding/grant proposal, model development 

Description of potential internship opportunities: CPAWS is looking to host a BRITE student intern to lead on a project identifying potential terrestrial candidate OECMs (other effective area-based conservation measures) as well as assessing their estimated contribution to conserving 30% of Canada’s terrestrial areas by 2030

 


CAŇO PALMA BIOLOGICAL STATION & CANADIAN ORGANIZATION FOR TROPICAL EDUCATION AND RAINFOREST INITIATIVE

Caño Palma Biological Station is a scientific research station in Costa Rica, operated by the non-profit Canadian Organization for Tropical Education and Rainforest Conservation (COTERC). Our mission is to produce theoretical and application-oriented research on tropical biodiversity, ecology, and conservation. Caño Palma hosts researchers, students, and volunteers to learn about and actively participate in conservation science, maintain and contribute to long-term databases, execute graduate and undergraduate thesis projects, and support local and regional conservation goals. For more information, please visit: https://www.coterc.org/.

Contact: Dr. Emily Khazan

Essential skills required: research proposal development, literature review, short study/assessment, data/statistical analysis, model development 

Optional skills required: field work, data collection, GIS analysis, policy analysis, survey design, funding/grant proposal

Description of potential internship opportunities: 

REMOTE:

1. “Data rescue” of long-term datasets (e.g., caiman, macaw, large mammal, river otter, plant phenology). This internship entails the standardization, organization, documentation and archival of data that promotes its clarity and longevity far into the future while using transparent and reproducible practises.

2. Conservation science data analysis using long-term monitoring datasets. This internship entails developing a research question to be answered using one or more of our long-term datasets, data analysis, and interpretation of results.

FIELD:

1. Contribute to data collection for long-term research and utilize the database for an independent project.

2. Creation of taxonomic lists and guides to document flora and fauna around the station. This would include literature reviews, participation in surveys at the station, species identification, and communication of findings in written and visual format (e.g., lists, field guides, report). Interns would choose a taxonomic group based on current needs of the organization and area of interest/expertise.

 


CITY OF SURREY

The City of Surrey is BC's second largest city and one of the largest by area. Over a third of the City is within the Agricultural Land Reserve and supports hundreds of publicly owned parks, open spaces and natural areas. We were the first city in BC to develop and implement a Biodiversity Conservation Strategy (BCS), and are part of a handful of cities in Canada to have developed such a strategy, as well as a long-term habitat connectivity plan (the “Green Infrastructure Network” or GIN) to support biodiversity values for the long-term. Understanding how well biodiversity goals are being achieved within the City is integral to meeting community expectations around conservation efforts. One of the core objectives of Surrey’s BCS is to develop biodiversity metrics or indices to measure how effective conservation and planning actions have been since the BCS was endorsed by Council (2014) and how effective it will be over time.

Contact: Pamela Zevit, Biodiversity Conservation Planner

Essential skills required: field work, data collection, data/statistical analysis, GIS analysis

Optional/possible skills required: research proposal development, literature review, model development 

Description of potential internship opportunities: The purpose of this position is to support the City of Surrey in its biodiversity monitoring efforts. Specifically, the curation, management and analysis of the City’s growing community science data resources (e.g., iNaturalist and eBird) and related indicator species monitoring. 

Specific objectives:

  • Capture, compile and support the identification of flora, fauna and fungi observations and occurrences through iNaturalist & eBird across various city parks and other city lands
  • Mine relevant reports, management plans and records from staff for species occurrence data and add to iNaturalist
  • Analyze occurrence data for various applications (e.g., spatial distribution and occurrence patterns of biodiversity indicator species, invasive species)
  • Assist the City in refining a beta ArcGIS biodiversity atlas and database.
  • Help with the annual City Nature Challenge and other BioBlitzes (this would be dependent on timing of the positions i.e., if they started early to mid-April).

Optional:

  • Design a pilot wildlife camera trapping program for the City (example projects: Calgary Captured and Metro Vancouver Parks wildlife camera program*).

     


GLOBAL CROP DIVERSITY TRUST

The Global Crop Diversity Trust is a non-profit international organization dedicated to conserving crop diversity and making it available for use globally, forever, for the benefit of everyone.

Contact: Dr. Sarada Krishnan, Director of Programs

Possible skills required: field work, research proposal development, literature review, short study / assessment, data collection, data/statistical analysis, GIS analysis, policy analysis, survey design, model development, funding/grant proposal

Description of potential internship opportunities: The Crop Trust is the only organization in the world that focuses solely on building and supporting a global system of genebanks for the conservation of crop diversity.To be able to maintain their plant genetic material in perpetuity, genebanks must be capable of carrying out a range of essential operations to agreed standards, including acquisition, storage and monitoring, safety duplication, regeneration, multiplication, documentation, and distribution of their material. The Crop Trust funds essential operations of genebanks through our endowment fund and through projects. An internship at the Crop Trust could involve working with our scientists in assessing impacts of our projects and genebanks in general, monitoring and evaluation of genebank programs, genebank data mangement, genebank quality management systems, dissemination of knowledge and others as new projects arise.

 


MINISTRY OF FORESTS

The Ministry of Forests is responsible for the stewardship of provincial Crown land and ensures the sustainable management of forest, wildlife, water and other land-based resources. The Ministry works with Indigenous and rural communities to strengthen and diversify their economies.

Contact: Tanya Hoesing, Program Lead

Skills that may be required: field work, research proposal development, short study/assessment, data collection, data/statistical analysis, GIS analysis, policy analysis, survey design, model development

Description of potential internship opportunities: B.C.’s north is a great place to develop your career in the natural resource sector. Our employees have excellent opportunities in a wide array of work experiences.

 


THE NATURE TRUST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

The Nature Trust of British Columbia is dedicated to conserving BC’s biological diversity through securement and management of ecologically significant lands. Since 1971, The Nature Trust of BC, along with our partners, has acquired more than 500 parcels of land in BC for vulnerable flora and fauna.

Contact: Leanna Warman, Conservation Ecologist

Possible skills required: field work, literature review, short study/assessment, data collection, data/statistical analysis, GIS analysis, survey design, model development

Description of potential internship opportunities: The Nature Trust of BC is interested in partnering with a BRITE intern to further explore our assessment criteria for identifying important conservation areas within BC. We currently use several criteria based on province-wide data to aid in our conservation related decisions. The Nature Trust of BC has other project options that would benefit from working with a BRITE intern. For instance, we have been collecting photo points within some of our conservation areas over several years. There may be methods to assess change over time based on the images, which could aid in stewardship of these lands. Other possibilities depending on our needs at the time, could include field surveys and/or research related to species at risk and their habitats within our conservation areas, such as identifying the effects of public uses. Depending on the intern’s interest and expertise, we could also consider other projects that aid in our conservation securement and stewardship decisions.

 


STANLEY PARK ECOLOGY SOCIETY

Registered as a charity since 1988, the Stanley Park Ecology Society is the primary provider of land-based education interpretive services, conservation research and monitoring, and stewardship programs within in Stanley Park. SPES also advises the Park Board on conservation issues within the Park.

Contact: Dacyn Holinda, Conservation Projects Manager

Essential skills required: field work, data collection, data/statistical analysis, survey design

Optional skills required: policy analysis, literature review, research proposal development, short study/assessment, GIS analysis, model development, funding/grant proposal

Description of potential internship opportunities:The Stanley Park Ecology Society has the potential to host two internships:

  1. Assisting SPES with our Coyote Trail Camera monitoring program, which would include processing, retrieval and data management / analysis on a 24-camera grid within Stanley Park.
  2. Design a study assessing and monitoring wildlife feeding within Stanley Park.

     


VANCOUVER AVIAN RESEARCH CENTRE

The Vancouver Avian Research Centre (VARC) is a Canadian Registered Charity dedicated to education, outreach and research related to birds and bird habitat.

Contact: Jason Jones, Director

Essential skills required: data/statistical analysis

Optional skills required: field work, research proposal development, literature review, short study/assessment, data collection, GIS analysis, policy analysis, survey design, model development, funding/grant proposal

Description of potential internship opportunities: VARC are interested in a partnership with a BRITE intern to further advance our understanding of local bird population dynamics in the Lower Mainland of BC. In addition to our broad education mandate, VARC has been operating a bird migration monitoring station at Colony Farm Regional Park since 2009 and has amassed a large, and largely un-analyzed, data set on birds captured or otherwise observed during our monitoring activities. In addition to furthering our understanding of how local bird populations have fluctuated over time, many ecological questions remain. For example, can we use rates of mass gain during migratory stopovers as an index of habitat quality? Students with an interest in statistical analysis, coding, conservation, and science communication will find an enjoyable home at VARC. VARC board members and volunteers are experienced biologists, statisticians, educators and conservation practitioners/enthusiasts with a wealth of information and experience to share.

 


YELLOWSTONE TO YUKON CONSERVATION INITIATIVE

Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative strives to support people, all wildlife and natural systems in the region between the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and Canada’s Yukon Territory  

Contact: Libby Ehlers & Erik Olsson

Essential skills required:Previous experience using GIS

Optional skills required:GIS analysis with vector datasets (geoprocessing tools, georeferencing old maps, creating polygons using legal land descriptions); knowledge of environmental legislation and park management plans; interest in biodiversity conservation. 

Description of potential internship opportunities: This internship, in collaboration with the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative and conservation experts from other organizations, will contribute towards research concerning whether the Yellowstone to Yukon region, a 30-year binational landscape-scale approach to conservation, has impacted the durability of state-designated protected areas (PAs). Recent research has identified many cases of PA downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement (PADDD), legal changes that temper, reduce, or eliminate protected areas around the world (see PADDDtracker.org). Globally, PADDD has increased over time and has had numerous implications for biodiversity and conservation, including deforestation, carbon emissions, and habitat fragmentation. We are now examining the degree to which the Y2Y region has experienced and been shaped by PADDD since the first PAs within the region were established.

The intern will have the opportunity to engage in one or more aspects of this research in accordance with their skills and interests: (1) Conducting archival research to piece together legislative timelines and identify PADDD leads at the provincial level, particularly in Alberta and British Columbia; (2) Collecting spatial data for PAs or generating spatial data for PAs from legal land descriptions; and (3) Building a database of PADDD events to inform the manuscript analysis. In addition, the student will have the opportunity to be included as a co-author of the resulting manuscript and participate in the subsequent manuscript analysis and writing which will begin during and continue after the fixed term of the internship.

Deliverable(s) by the end of term (6 weeks full time or multiple months part time, up to student):

  • Completed tabular database of provincial PADDD events informed by archival research
  • Completed spatial database of boundaries that correspond to PADDD events

Additional activities: 

  • Descriptive statistics, graphs, and maps
  • Potential to contribute to a manuscript for submission to a peer-reviewed journal.

 


 

 

 

 

 


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