Environmental Studies Newsletter

ES Newsletter- Week of April 2

March 23, 2012

Upcoming ES Events: Alewives in the St.Croix: A keystone species spawning international controversy; Deadline for stipend application for summer coming up; Upcoming events
Around Campus:
Wind Energy in Maine: Clean, Renewable and Homegrown; Plastic Ocean, Captain Charles Moore
Beyond Campus: MCHT Land Trust Conference- full scholarships available for students; Win a chance to attend Rio+20; 2012 Tufts Energy Conference; Call for papers anticipating climate disruption;
In the News: 2 Studies Point to Common Pesticide for decline in bees; Potato blight becomes threat
Scholarships, fellowships, graduate opportunities: Beach sister fellowship; Sustainable Tech Fellowship at Oberlin; New masters in tourism management at CSU; Undergraduate eco-practicum in sustainability (NY)
Jobs and Internships:
Environmental Education internship (ME);Season land management intern (MA); Transportation planning intern (MA); Policy internship (DC); Program development intern (MA); Environmental health advocate for Earthjustice Defense Fund (DC); Program Manager (CA); Policy analyst (CA); Aspen Center for Environmental Studies internship (CO); Loggerhead sea turtle internship (Cape Verde)
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Special Department News Bulletin!
- The ES program is pleased to announce that the program was named National Champions in the March Madness Competition for “environmental academics”.
http://www.colby.edu/academics_cs/acaddept/envstudies/_dept_news/2627444

-Belated congratulations to Yiyuan “Jasmine” Qin (ES'12) for receiving a Watson Fellowship. You can read more about her award on the Colby and ES homepages.
http://www.colby.edu/academics_cs/acaddept/envstudies/_dept_news/2624403

-Congratulations to Dan Homeier and Lizzy Schneider who were recently named to the Phi Betta Kappa Society!

Upcoming ES Events
Alewives in the St. Croix: A keystone species spawning controversy
John Burrows, Atlantic Salmon Federation and Landis Hudson, Maine Rivers
Wednesday, April 4
11:30 lunch, 12:00 lecture
For more information
***Counts towards 402

ES Summer Stipend Applications Due on April 6th
The ES Program is happy to announce that once again we have funds available to support summer internships. The application process is competitive but presents a great opportunity to support ES Majors, and in some cases ES Minors, in your efforts beyond the classroom. For more information on the application process visit the Internship page of the ES website or email lmmorris@colby.edu

Upcoming events
The Future is in the Dirt, Ben Hewitt, author and farmer
Tuesday, April 10
7pm, Page Commons
***Counts towards 402

Amphibians and Multiple Stressors, Megan Gahl, Visiting Prof., Bates College
Wednesday, April 11
11:30 lunch, 12:00 lecture, Fairchild
***Counts towards 402

Around Campus
Wind Energy in Maine: Clean, Renewable and Homegrown
Tuesday, April 3, 7pm, Diamond 122
A discussion with Jack Parker, president of Reed & Reed, Inc., one of the main providers of wind turbines in Maine, and Jeremy Payne, executive director of the Maine Renewable Energy Association, including a brief film on wind as a clean energy alternative. 

Plastic Ocean: How a Sea Captain's Chance Discovery Launched a Determined Quest to Save the World's Oceans
Thursday, April 12, 4pm
Ostrove Auditorium, Diamond
Captain Charles Moore was on a return voyage from Hawaii after testing a new mast in the Transpacific Yacht Race when he began to notice scraps of trash floating by every time he came on deck. His now famous discovery led Moore to become a scientist-activist investigating what others had passed over -- the "confetti" created from our floating plastic discards by ultraviolet sunlight and the turbulent waters of a salty sea.

Beyond Campus
Maine Land Conservation Conference- Full scholarships available for students (Great networking opportunity!- President of MCHT is a Colby ES alum) Maine Coast Heritage Trust is again hosting the Maine Land Conservation Conference on Saturday, April 28th in Topsham. This conference is attended by over 400 people interested in land conservation, and includes over 30 workshops and presentations. A generous donor has offered to pay for the registration (which includes lunch) of students from any Maine college or university, and we hope that you can spread the word about the Conference and this offer. Complete information about the conference can be found here: http://www.mltn.org/meetings/conservation-conference.php To register, contact Donna Bissett at dbissett@mcht.org, who will provide the students with a code to receive free registration. Complete information about the conference can be found here: http://www.mltn.org/meetings/conservation-conference.php

Win a chance to attend Rio+20
Climate Nexus and the Natural Resources Defense Council have launched a “Win a Date with History” contest as part of the Rio+20 Earth Summit at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. Youth between the ages of 13 to 30 from around the world are invited to submit a short video speech expressing their ideas for how to stimulate decisive action on sustainability. The winner will deliver their speech at the summit. Submissions are due May 6 and online voting continues through May 15
http://datewithhistory.com/#!/home


2012 TUFTS ENERGY CONFERENCE
Check the site (www.tuftsenergyconference.com) for information about TEC 2012, including the announcement of one of our keynote speakers, Dr. Mohamed El-Ashry, Senior Fellow with the UN Foundation and Facilitator of the Global Leadership for Climate Change Action and formerly Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Global Environmental Facility.TEC 2012: April 20-21, 2012, Tufts University, Medford Campus

CALL FOR PAPERS - ANTICIPATING CLIMATE DISRUPTION: SUSTAINING JUSTICE, GREENING PEACE, PEACE AND JUSTICE STUDIES ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Tufts is hosting the international Peace and Justice Studies Association annual conference, "Anticipating Climate Disruption: Sustaining Justice, Greening Peace," on October 4-6, 2012.The conference will explore the peace and justice implications of climate change, a topic that resonates with Tufts' commitment to sustainability. Plenary sessions will focus on water, food, health, security, and energy. In addition, the conference will include roundtable discussions, paper and poster presentations, and workshops on these topics, as well as sessions on other general interests of the PJSA membership. See the call for proposals for presentation at the conference, due April 15, and to make an on-line submission: http://www.peacejusticestudies.org/conference/

In the News
2 Studies Point to Common Pesticide for decline in bees
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/science/neocotinoid-pesticides-play-a-role-in-bees-decline-2-studies-find.html?src=me&ref=science

Potato blight becomes threat
http://www.kjonline.com/news/toxic-helppotato-blightbecomesthreatstate-seeks-federalok-for-treatment_2012-03-31.html

Scholarships, Fellowships, and Graduate School Opportunities
BEACH SISTER PROGRAM FELLOW
The Marine Science Center has an opening for an Americorps volunteer through the Massachusetts Promise Fellowship. The Fellow will be responsible for developing and coordinating a new program, Beach Sister, with school-aged girls at a non-profit center in neighboring Lynn, MA. Fellowship dates: August 2012 through July 2013. Since 1967, Northeastern University’s Marine Science Center (MSC) has generated outstanding teaching and research in the marine sciences. The MSC’s Outreach Program reaches over 5,000 people per year through various programs and events, and has traditionally focused on serving teachers and students in eastern Massachusetts. The MSC and Girls Inc. of Lynn have developed the Beach Sister program in order to address the needs of youth in the City of Lynn by pairing the resources of an informal science education center with a community-based organization. The Beach Sister program will help pave the way for school-aged girls living in an environmental justice community to develop scientific inquiry and citizenship skills, and to learn about studies and careers in marine science. The Fellow will be responsible for expanding the Peer Leader program for teens, developing a more substantial middle school curriculum, providing training and capacity-building opportunities for Girls Inc. staff, and carrying out a formal strategic planning and evaluation effort.

Interviews will take place during April and May of 2012
Hiring decisions will be made on or before June 15th, 2012
Program start date is August 2012
Visit www.masspromisefellows.org

Sustainable Technology Research Fellow
The Environmental Studies Program at Oberlin College invites applications for the position of Sustainable Technology Research Fellow. This is a full-time, one-year position (renewal for additional years contingent on grant funding), beginning as soon as a suitable applicant can be hired, reporting to the Director of the Environmental Studies Program. Responsibilities: The successful candidate will assist in the development and management of a novel technological system of building and bioregional “dashboards” and other devices that provide city and college residents with environmentally and socially contextualized real-time feedback on electricity and water flows through college, residential and commercial buildings and through the City of Oberlin.

More information on the project can be found at: www.oberlindashboard.org . Requirements: We seek an individual with a bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and work experience, with advanced computer skills and leadership potential and strong organizational skills who is excited by the opportunity to develop and manage novel technology designed to motivate and empower citizens to take care of the environment. Reliability, creativity, ability to independently trouble shoot and solve technical problems and to collaborate as a team member are necessary. Desired Qualifications: General hardware and software problem solving skills and experience; scripting (e.g. php); database management (SQL); system administration and system management experience; web design (HTML, XML); project management.  It is not essential that applicants have all of these skills and experiences, but we are looking for someone who has the demonstrated ability to learn and teach themselves new skills as needs arise. Compensation:  Within the range established for this position, salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience and includes an excellent benefits package. To Apply: Applicants should submit a résumé, along with a cover letter describing qualifications and interest in the position and contact information for at least three references to: Dr. John Petersen, Director of Environmental Studies Program, Oberlin College, 122 Elm Street, Oberlin, OH 44074, or john.petersen@oberlin.edu by March 30, 2012. Review of applications will start immediately and continue until the position is filled.

New Masters program - Tourism Management- Colorado State University
We invite you to explore an exciting graduate study opportunity at Colorado State University. The new Masters - Tourism Management offered by the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Department focuses on sustainable tourism management. The one-year program of study features innovative coursework in sustainable practices, business, marketing, and other vital topics. Classroom learning will emphasize interactive discussion and opportunities to connect with professionals and experts with experience from around the world. This opportunity just became available, since the new curriculum was just approved. Therefore, we are accepting applications later than usual. We are currently accepting applications for the 2012-2013 cohort which will begin this fall. We encourage interested students to submit their applications by May 15th. For graduate application requirements please see information on the webpage at http://warnercnr.colostate.edu/masters-in-tourism . For any additional questions feel free to contact us at: mastersintourism@colostate.edu

Jobs and Internships
Do you love nature? Do you love working with children? Are you going to be in Maine this summer? In honor of the 50th anniversary of the publication of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring,” we are looking for two part-time interns to create “Sense of Wonder Science Trunks” full of exciting lesson materials about nature and the environment to be used at public libraries throughout Maine. These trunks are targeted to families and youth age 7-12, and will serve to increase environmental awareness and a love of nature. This internship is based at Colby. Expectation is to work 20 hours per week for approximately 4 weeks. Materials and travel expenses are covered. For more information and to apply, contact Gail Carlson (gcarlson@colby.edu). Sponsoring organization is Cornerstones of Science, a non-profit organization based in Brunswick, Maine, has been bringing science to life in local libraries since 2000.

SEASONAL LAND MANAGEMENT INTERN - TOWN OF LEXINGTON, MA
For details, see: http://www.conservationcommon.org/Contribution.aspx?id=95b2897c-e81c-43d4-a74b-fe5fe85293a0

TRANSPORTATION PLANNING INTERN , HUBWAY - DEPT. OF PLANNING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, TOWN OF BROOKLINE, MA
The Town of Brookline, an urban/suburban community of 60,000 located abutting the City of Boston, is seeking candidates for an internship to work on launching the Town's portion of the regional bicycle sharing system. The position will be approximately 10 hours a week, from April until August 2012.The ideal candidate will have strong technical skills and be able to read plans and interpret basic local, state and federal regulations; should be good with the public and able to clearly articulate complex concepts in accessible terms; and will have strong report writing skills. Applicants should have a bachelor's degree in urban planning or a related field, with some Master's level course work completed. Compensation depends on qualifications. To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to: Jeff Levine, AICP, Director, Department of Planning & Community Development Town of Brookline, 333 Washington Street, Third Floor, Brookline, MA 02445

POLICY INTERNSHIP - ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY STUDY INSTITUTE - WASHINGTON, DC
For details, visit: http://www.eesi.org/policy_intern.  

Program Development Intern, GreenerU
GreenerU seeks an upper-level undergraduate student or recent graduate to assist in multiple campus sustainability projects potentially spanning solid waste, green building, environmental education, energy behaviors and more. This is a paid full-time position for 10-12 weeks over the summer.
http://www.greeneru.com/

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATE - EARTHJUSTICE, WASHINGTON, D.C.

Environmental Health Advocate sought for Earthjustice, a non-profit public interest law firm. Major responsibilities include advocacy for, and analysis of, federal legislation and policies affecting toxics, pesticides and hazardous waste. Position requires a Bachelors or Masters Degree, minimum of two years legislative or legal advocacy experience and knowledge of administrative rulemaking. Position requires excellent analytical, writing, and oral communication skills; ability to work with a team and independently also required; ability to handle multiple issues, projects, and deadlines. Media experience and JD are pluses. Salary DOE. Generous benefits package. Earthjustice is an equal opportunity employer and highly values diversity. Please send cover letter, resume, and writing sample to jobs@earthjustice.org. Please include "Environmental Health Advocate" in subject line. No phone inquiries. For details see: http://earthjustice.org/about/jobs/14644/environmental-health-advocate

PROGRAM MANAGER - THE 11TH HOUR PROJECT, PALO ALTO, CA

The 11th Hour Project seeks a Program Manager to lead funding strategy in energy & climate. The 11th Hour Project is a working program of the Schmidt Family Foundation, based in Palo Alto, CA, and is committed to promoting a responsible relationship with the planet's food, water and energy resources. We are a small, dynamic team that is looking for a truly exceptional person to lead our activities related to accelerating sustainable energy, reducing fossil fuels and minimizing environmental impacts. We are highly collaborative, but much work is independent & autonomous. Our grant-making focuses on message communication, grass-roots building, policy, science and public education. We are seeking a bright, talented individual with passion for these areas and demonstrated success in renewable energy and climate change. Position duties include: Developing & executing a strategic plan; Identifying high-leverage opportunities for strategic grant-making in renewable energy & climate change for the U.S.; Analyzing grant proposals & reports; Mentor/evaluate partner & grantee organizations; Travel to grantee organizations, conferences and meetings; Speaking engagements & presentations; Maintaining/sharing knowledge of current events, environmental movement, energy industry, and political landscape as it relates to environmental issues;Building strategic relationships with other foundations & organizations. This position will report to the Executive Director of the Foundation. To Apply: Email resume and cover letter to careers@theschmidt.org.

Policy Analyst- Heal the Bay
http://www.healthebay.org/about/jobs

Aspen Center for Environmental Studies summer naturalist positions
http://jobs.oriongrassroots.org/job/naturalists-aspen-co-aspen-center-for-environmental-studies-ea58dbd739/?d=1&source=site_home_featured

Internship in Loggerhead Sea Turtle Project, Cape Verde
http://www.wfsc.tamu.edu/jobboard/display.cfm?Jobno=29998

Eco Practicum: Intensive Summer Environmental Sustainability and Action Program
Application Deadline April 15 Unit 1: May 27-June 3 | Unit 2: June 3-10 | Unit 3: June 10-17 | Unit 4: June 17-23
Eco Practicum is a summer environmental sustainability and action program for undergraduate students interested in engaging with the most urgent regional socio-environmental issues. Participants meet with representatives from more than 20 of the region's most effective environmental organizations, engage in short field work excursions with each of them, and practice various farming and animal husbandry techniques on a facility in Sullivan County, New York. Partner organizations include Sullivan County Division of Planning, Catskill Mountainkeeper, Gorzynski Farm, and NY State Department of State. It is a four-week program, and each week has a different environmental theme. Participants can sign up for any or all of the weeks. Website: www.ecopracticum.com