The Housatonic Valley Association is seeking applicants to fill three River Information & Outreach (RIO) Stewards positions, available for summer 2022. RIO Stewards will each weekend approximately 12 weeks (June 18 to September 4, 2022). Please note that start and end dates AND hours worked per work can be flexible – email us for details!

The goal of the RIO program is to promote safe, sustainable, and equitable access to Housatonic river recreation areas in northwestern Connecticut.

Position Description

The work is almost entirely field based, as the RIO Stewards travel among priority river access sites, with approximately 10% office work (data entry and cleaning). RIO Stewards will be based out of the HVA office in Cornwall Bridge, CT.

Each weekend, RIO Stewards will travel as a team, visiting river recreation areas along Route 7 (New Milford to Salisbury, CT, see map). While at the sites, Stewards engage with site visitors, answer questions, and promote sustainable site use and Leave No Trace practices. Stewards also collect data (e.g., car counts), which will help us better understand how sites are being used.

Additional tasks will include litter clean-up, invasive plant removal and identification, and helping with community engagement events. There may also be opportunities to work with community partners to develop more effective outreach materials and strategies, and also to conduct environmental fieldwork, based on the interest of the applicant.

Qualifications

This position would be a great fit for someone interested in outdoor recreation, park management, and/or the human dimensions of natural resource management. Candidates should be passionate about conservation and able to succeed as part of a two-person team. In addition, the ideal candidate will possess:

• Strong interpersonal skills;
• Ability to approach and engage with strangers;
• Familiarity with recreation management and/or previous experience related to high visitor density in natural areas;
• Ability to represent HVA in a professional manner;
• Ability to work weekends
• Spanish and/or Portuguese fluency is a plus

Requirements: Daily access to a reliable personal vehicle is a requirement of the position (HVA does not have a field vehicle, so all field work will be done in personal cars with mileage reimbursements.)

Compensation: The intern will be compensated at a rate of $15/hour, for the course of the internship. Work-related travel using personal vehicles will be compensated based on mileage. Housing is not provided, but HVA will assist successful applicants in finding lodging near the HVA office, if necessary.

Application Procedure: Submit the following materials either on SimplyHired or via email to LKEENERECK.HVA@GMAIL. COM (as a single PDF, titled “[YourLastName]_RIOSteward”):

1. BRIEF COVER LETTER explaining your interest and qualifications

2. RESUME

3. CONTACT INFORMATION FOR TWO (2) PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES

Deadline: Applications will be reviewed and positions filled on a rolling basis, so we encourage interested individuals to apply early. We intend to fill all positions by June 10th, at the latest.