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ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES PROGRAM NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY 11, 2008
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In this issue:
** UPCOMING ES PROGRAM EVENTS: Mellon Interns Share Their Jan Plan
Experiences
** ALSO ON CAMPUS: Know Before You Vote: Philip Nyhus & Gail
Carlson on the Environment
** CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY: Focus the Nation -- A Success, Colby's
Green Calendar
** GRAD PROGRAMS: SUNY College of Environmental Science &
Forestry: MS graduate research assistantship, Research Assistantships (Master
of Environmental Management) Available at the University of North Dakota
** BEYOND COLBY: Smart and Sustainable Campus Conference Student
Scholarships
** ES COORDINATOR'S SCHEDULE: Now Mondays, Tuesdays, and
Wednesdays
** JOBS & INTERNSHIPS: 2008 Natural Resource Inventory
Internship, SMITHSONIAN TROPICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE, Islesboro Land Trust,
Grassroots Campaigns Inc.
====================================================================================================
** UPCOMING ES PROGRAM EVENTS:
Mellon Interns Share Their Jan Plan Experiences
Wednesday, February 13
11:30 in the Fairchild Room in Dana. Note will be starting at 11:30 not 12:00 to Speaking on their internships will be:
Claire Thompson -- Environmental Health Strategy Center, Steve Erario -- Maine DEP, Rose Becker
-- National Park Service, Eric Hansen -- Masons on a Mission, and Katie
Klepinski
** ALSO ON CAMPUS:
Know Before You Vote: Philip Nyhus & Gail Carlson on the
Environment
Tuesday, February 12
7:00 pm in Diamond 122
Sponsored by the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs and Civic
Engagement
** CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY:
FOCUS THE NATION -- A Success
Thank you to the organizers of Focus the Nation, a dedicated group
of Colby students worked on the national effort to raise awareness about global
warming solutions.
So...WhatŐs next?
* Vote
Vote Vote! Vote for Solutions at Choose Your Future:
http://www.focusthenation.org/chooseyourfuture.php. Voting closes February
12th.
* Visit
your Politicians: Keep the
conversation going! See your member of congress or senator at their local
office on February 19th. Tell them about what you voted for. Tell them about
solutions to global warming. Contact <info@focusthenation.org> with
questions.
*
Schedule a showing of The 2% solution:
http://www.focusthenation.org/2percentsolution.php! ItŐs compelling video,
focused on global warming solutions. Free, on-line now.
* Read
Ignition. The ES Program is bringing author and climate activist Jon Isham to
campus on Tuesday, March 18!
Green Calendar
(from FYI)
Colby's 2008 engagement calendar, featuring the Lunder Collection,
will bring that art work to a wider audience than anticipated. The wall
calendar, designed by Robert Hernandez (communications) working with Sharon
Corwin (museum) and her staff, will be used by Mohawk Paper Co. as a showpiece
for Mohawk Options, its100-percent post-consumer recycled paper that is
manufactured using wind-power. Mohawk had an additional 200 calendars printed
to distribute around the nation as an example of high quality work on its
all-recycled paper.
** GRAD PROGRAMS:
Human-Nature Interactions in Forested Landscapes (MS
Assistantship)
SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry: MS graduate
research assistantship (starting August 2008) is available for a highly
motivated student interested in research on forest ecosystems and their
importance to human communities in the Adirondack Park (NY) and Northern Forest
region (VT, NH, ME). The MS
student will join a new and growing research program addressing sustainability
and change in complex linked systems of humans and nature. Research topics may include: (1)
assessment of carbon-related ecosystem services and potential offset related to
land use practices including wilderness conservation and intensive timber
production; (2) inventory of ecosystem services and modeling of potential
disturbance impacts on provision of services; (3) development of surveys and
coupled GIS models to understand non-market benefits of wilderness landscapes
to people. Students will be
actively encouraged to explore their own research ideas, develop
interdisciplinary collaborations, and take advantage of the research facilities
at SUNY ESF's Adirondack Ecological Center & Huntington Wildlife Forest (
http://www.esf.edu/aec/staff/beier.htm).
Research assistantship provides a competitive stipend, tuition waiver,
health benefits, and the unique opportunity to live and work in the wilderness
landscape of the
Adirondack Park. A
strong quantitative background, good communication skills, and the ability to
function effectively in both field and laboratory settings are essential. Familiarity with plant ecology, soils,
GIS and statistics is highly desirable.
Previous experience and interest in modeling, spatial analysis, and/or
economics is a big plus. Deadline
for applying is April 1 2008; for more information and application
instructions, please contact Colin Beier by email (cbeier@esf.edu).
Graduate Assistantships Available-University of North Dakota,
Earth System Science and Policy
Graduate Student Research Assistantships (Master of Environmental
Management) Available at the University of North Dakota, Department of Earth
System Science and Policy
The Department of Earth System Science and Policy at the
University of North Dakota has numerous openings for students seeking a Masters
of Environmental Management.
Financial support is available to qualifying applicants, which generally
includes a graduate research assistantship and tuition waiver. Funding for
assistantships is provided through a sizable grant from NASA, and students
receiving an assistantship work on a wide variety of research and applications
projects.
The Earth System Science and Policy (ESSP) program is organized
around the field of environmental sustainability and offers three degrees:
Master of Environmental Management, M.S., and Ph.D. Sustainability science has emerged as an intellectually
exciting, growing discipline that is a driving concept for major scientific and
environmental policy efforts around the globe. By bridging theory with practice, global and local
perspectives, and scientific and social disciplines, sustainability science
seeks to meet the needs of society while sustaining the life support systems of
the planet. The mission of the ESSP program is to provide an integrated and
creative learning environment that fosters intellectual growth, critical
thinking, and practical engagement in research and management of the Earth
systems and resources. The ESSP
program is a thematic one, emphasizing practical experience, student-centered
learning, integration of knowledge across traditional disciplinary boundaries,
and active dialogue both in and outside the classroom.
The MEM degree program is a professional degree for those seeking
careers as environmental policymakers.
Graduates of the MEM program will have a comprehensive knowledge of the principles of environmental
and natural resource management,
acquired through practical experience in an internship. ESSP alumni with MEM
degrees have accepted jobs with private industry, non-profit organizations, and
government agencies. The University of North Dakota is located in Grand Forks,
ND (146 miles to Winnipeg, MB, 315 miles to Minneapolis, MN, and 80.9 miles to
Fargo, ND). Some curious facts about Grand Forks include: 1) GF ranks 2nd least
expensive city to own and maintain a car, 2) GF ranks as the 6th best small
city in the U.S. for relocating a family, 3) GF is ranked 12th out of 117
cities for the most safe small cities in the country, 4) GF is in
the top 10 ist of cheapest cities
for car insurance, 5) the population of GF is 53,230, 6) the city area of GF,
including an international airport, is 20.36 square miles, 7) the cost of
living in GF is 19.5% lower than the U.S. average, 8) the unemployment rate in
GF is 2.5% (U.S. average is around 4.6%), 9) there are about 14 students per
teaching in GF public schools, and 0) the median age of GF residents is 32.
For more information, see the following websites:
The University of North Dakota: www.und.edu
The UND Graduate School: http://www.und.edu/dept/grad/
UND Earth System Science and Policy: http://essp.und.edu/
Grand Forks Visitors Bureau:
http://www.visitgrandforks.com/main.php
For students who are interested in applying, see:
http://www.und.edu/dept/grad/.
There is no hard deadline for applications;
however, early applications will receive top priority for
admission.
** BEYOND COLBY:
Smart and Sustainable Campus Conference Student Scholarships
The partnering organizations of the Smart and Sustainable Campus
Conference are pleased to announce a call for conference student scholarship
applications. The scholarship will include on-site registration materials,
attendance at all conference sessions, and meals offered during the event. The
conference will be held March 31 – April 2, 2008 at the University of Maryland,
College Park. 20 scholarships are available for the both undergraduate and
graduate students. Deadline for applications is February 29, 2008.
http://www.nacubo.org/x9904.xml
** ES COORDINATOR'S SCHEDULE:
I have changed my schedule to Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.
You can still find me in Diamond 208.
-- Beth
** JOBS & INTERNSHIPS:
2008 Natural Resource Inventory Internship
Elliotsville Plantation, Inc., Winter Harbor, Maine
During the summer of 2008, Elliotsville Plantation, Inc., a non-profit
conservation foundation working to acquire and preserve wild lands in the
forests of northern Maine, will be conducting an ecological survey and natural
community mapping project on seven properties comprising 73,000 acres along the
East Branch of the Penobscot near Baxter State Park. The goals of the project
are to (1) enable informed appreciation of the unique features of the
properties, (2) highlight the ecological significance of the properties in the
context of the surrounding landscape, and (3) provide baseline data for
subsequent development of stewardship plans.
Interns enrolled in an academic program leading to either an
undergraduate or graduate degree with appropriate background or experience will
be considered. Duties include navigating on foot to preselected sampling sites
using maps, map coordinates, and a GPS receiver; identifying and describing
woody and herbaceous plant composition and structure at the site using a rapid
assessment protocol, and recording data on field forms; identifying natural
community types found en route using a dichotomous key and adding corrections
to a preliminary natural communities map; performing presence-absence surveys
for various animal species; noting and photographing rare or unusual plants,
wildlife sightings and sign, and uncommon natural communities, especially
wetlands, encountered en route to the sampling sites; noting and photographing
important wildlife habitat features; locating and documenting property boundary
lines and corners where encountered; identifying and documenting stewardship
issues and needs where encountered; and support with post-survey data
integration, mapping, and report writing.
Interns will normally work in small groups and must be in
excellent physical condition, be able to rapidly cover several miles per day
off trail, crossing streams and wetlands, and work under all weather conditions
in the presence of biting insects. Skills desired include the ability to
navigate with map and compass and GPS receiver, the ability to identify woody
plants and the most common herbaceous species of northern New England, and
field experience in quantitative and qualitative plot sampling. Preference will
be given to persons possessing any of the following additional skills: ability
to recognize common northern bird species by sight and sound; ability to
recognize wildlife tracks and sign; ability to locate and identify amphibians
and reptiles present on the property; experience in identifying less common
plant taxa including rare species, aquatic species, and graminoids; experience
in identifying bryophytes and lichens; experience in identifying insects and
other invertebrates. Stipend of $3,200 available for a 10-week field season,
normally Mon. - Wed. each week, for a total of 300 hours from May 19 to July
25. Housing provided near Patten, ME, while in the field, but interns normally
return home when not working. Applicant must arrange for transportation to and
from the site. Proof of health insurance required.
Positions open until filled. Please send cover letter and resume
as soon as possible, preferably by e-mail and before March 15, to:
Bart DeWolf, EPI Science Director
PO Box 515, Winter Harbor, ME 04693
cell: (339) 927-5152
bdewolf@alum.mit.edu
http://keepmebeautiful.org/
SMITHSONIAN TROPICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE:
INTERNSHIP IN ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION & BEHAVIOR OF TROPICAL
TREEFROGS
We are recruiting undergraduate students for NSF-funded summer
internships studying ecology, evolution and behavior of red-eyed treefrogs at
the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. This is a great
opportunity for students to gain research
experience in a biologically rich rainforest environment, and to
interact with a diverse international community of scientists. Students receive
a stipend, travel expenses, and housing. More information about the project is
available online at:
http://people.bu.edu/kwarken/KWLabREU.html
Please encourage any students whom you believe would benefit from
this experience to apply. Applications are due Feburary 10, 2008.
Karen Warkentin
Department of Biology
Boston University
5 Cummington Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02215
kwarken@bu.edu
Internship Opportunities at the Governor's Office of Energy
Independence and Security (OEIS)
Our nation, region and state have become dangerously dependent on
unreliable, insecure and expensive foreign oil, natural gas and other fossil
fuels. According to a vast
majority of the scientific community, combustion of these fossil fuels have
contributed to climate change, damage to our environment and threatened the
health of our families and communities.
The Governor's Office of Energy Independence and Security believes we
need to chart a course to Energy Independence by creating a comprehensive State
Energy Plan, an integrated and holistic Energy Emergency Management Plan and a
Two Year Energy Action Plan. The
OEIS hopes to create a collaborative strategic planning and decision-making
environment to encourage the development of a public/private partnership to
reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.
In addition, we seek to develop and to enact public policies that will
transform our current Fossil Fuel Energy Culture into an environmentally clean
and Energy Sustainable Culture.
Creating a Sustainable Energy Culture: Students will be able to
engage in the following areas of interest:
1. Energy Efficiency and
Conservation
2. Renewable Energy such as wind,
solar, hydro, tidal etc
3. R&D relating to biofuels
4. Electricity Transmission and
Generation
5. Natural Gas Transmission and
Generation
6. Co-generation technologies
7. Biomass development
8. Hydrogen fuel-cells
technologies
9. Development of energy data,
maps and statistics on all energy sources, transmission and uses in Maine
10.
Policies and Programs related to national, state and local organizations
such as FERC and ISO-NE
11.
The New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference
12.
Energy Utility Regulation
13.
RGGI and other environmental issues
14.
Federal, state and local legislation
15.
Assisting consumers and organizations with energy problems
16.
Assisting in developing a comprehensive State Energy Plan
17.
Assisting in developing an integrated State Energy Emergency Management
Plan
18.
Assisting in developing a Two Year Energy Action Plan
19. Working
with federal, state and local governmental officials
20. Working
with the leadership in the private sector
Timeframe: Due to the historic high cost of energy prices and the
acute need for immediate action to assist those in need, the OEIS has up to ten
internships available for spring 2008 semester.
Financial Assistance: The stipend is $2,500 for the current
semester.
Student Qualifications: While a background in energy R&D, IT,
public policy, economic or environmental issues is desirable, we are primarily
interested in securing students who are highly motivated to help others, enjoy
working with teams, intellectually curious and are concerned about the future
of their state.
Student Requirements:
10 work hours a week required with a final research paper on an assigned
topic. Students required to spend some time in the OEIS office in Augusta.
Contacts: John M.
Kerry, Director, Governor's Office of Energy Independence and
Security,jkerry@maine.gov, 207-592-2030
or Jennifer Puser, Energy Policy Analyst, Governor's Office of
Energy Independence and Security 287-6250, Jennifer.puser@maine.gov
Summer Land Trust Position Available
Islesboro Islands Trust, a successful, 23 year-old land trust in
midcoast Maine, is seeking a well-rounded individual to help with our programs
during the summer of 2008. This part-time, temporary position will involve
environmental education, preserve stewardship, and other responsibilities.
IIT offers a nature day camp each Tuesday for children ages 3 to
11, as well as two sea kayaking and camping trips for kids ages 12 to 15. The
successful applicant will work with a staff member to organize and teach our
nature day camp programs, and will also be a co-leader on both sea kayaking
trips. Primary job responsibilities for this portion of the position include
helping with the development of day camp programs, leading games and
activities, teaching sea kayaking to kids, leading overnight camping trips,
maintaining a safe and respectful camp environment, and some logistical work as
needed. In addition to the environmental education work, the successful
applicant will assist with a wide variety of stewardship tasks. Areas of focus
may include volunteer training and management, preserve monitoring, ecological
inventory, GPS/GIS mapping, digital photography, trail maintenance, and
invasive species control. This part of the position will require flexibility,
initiative, and an interest in working on a wide variety of stewardship
programs.
We seek a responsible individual who is experienced working with
children and able to make a commitment for the entire season. Paddling and
camping experience, excellent leadership skills, and a working knowledge of the
Maine outdoors are very important. Maine Trip Leader or Registered Maine Guide
certification would be a big plus, as would experience with any of the
stewardship tasks listed above. This position is located on Islesboro, an island
community in Penobscot Bay separated from the mainland by a 20-minute ferry
ride.
This position will begin on June 16th and continue through August
22nd when day camp programs end, with a total of 30 days of work during that
time period. Half of the work days are firmly scheduled in advance: day camp
programs each Tuesday, two sea kayaking trips, and two kayak training sessions.
The remaining 15 days of work are relatively flexible and will be agreed upon
in advance by IIT and the successful applicant. IIT offers a competitive
stipend, a great working environment, and free overnight accommodations on
working days. To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to Islesboro
Islands Trust at P.O. Box 182, Islesboro, ME 04848 or iitaaron@gmail.com. This
position is open until filled.
Grassroots Campaigns, Inc. (GCI)
GCI is a national firm specializing in building grassroots support
for progressive causes, political candidates, public interest campaigns, and
non-profit fundraising operations. We are currently hiring graduating seniors
to staff Presidential Election campaigns to elect a Democratic President in
'08. The positions we are hiring
for will afford new staff the opportunity to impact the world around them by
winning a monumental Presidential Election while learning invaluable skills.
Our campaign staff is trained on all aspects of running a grassroots campaign -
from recruiting, training, and managing staff/volunteers to overseeing the
finances associated with running a local campaign office. Grassroots Campaigns'
current and past clients include MoveOn.org, the Democratic National Committee,
the ACLU, and the League of Conservation Voters.
Position: Citizen Outreach Director
Citizen Outreach Directors and Assistant Directors manage
grassroots fundraising offices.
They work with a team of other directors to recruit, train, and work
with a staff of up to 100 paid canvassers to build support for the 2008
elections and a wide range of nonprofit organizations.
Position: Field
Organizer
Field Organizers work in targeted Congressional districts and
major metropolitan areas around the country. They will recruit, train, and work with volunteers to build
the support needed to win on critical issues and get good candidates
elected. In fall 2008 Field
Organizers will help run one of the largest get-out-the-vote drives in the
country.
Qualifications:
Sound communication and motivational skills, work ethic, and
desire for political change are essential. Previous field organizing or canvass
management experience is a plus, but not an absolute pre-requisite, although
prior leadership experience is critical.
Salary/Benefits:
Annual salary begins at $24,000 and increases commensurate with
experience. Staff may opt into our health care plan.
Locations:
Nationwide
National Recruitment Office:
59 Temple Place, Suite 402 Boston MA 02111 (617) 338-7812
Fax: 617-482-6885 National Recruiter: Lindsay Harkins
lharkins@grassrootscampaigns.com
................................................................................................................................................................
Beth Kopp
Coordinator, Environmental Studies Program
Colby College
5356 Mayflower Hill Drive
Waterville, Maine 04901
Office: 208 Diamond Building
207.859.5356