Most positions are filled during the summer months, and can often be coordinated with school schedules. Off-seasona and longer-term interships are also occasionally available. Past internships have included:
- Backcountry Intern
- Biology Intern
- Curatorial Assistant
- Education Program Intern
- Exotic Plant Management Team
- Geographic Information Systems
- Geologist-in-Parks Intern
- Geomorphologist
- Junior Ranger Ambassador
- Mount Rainier Recovery Corps
- Natural Resources Planning Intern
- Plant Propagation Intern
- Restoration Crew Leader
- Restoration Documentation Intern
- Restoration Planning Intern
- Trail Crew
- Trail Management Intern
- Vegetation Mapping Intern
- Visitor Services Intern
Goal: Interns help park rangers to understand and preservation the natural and cultural resources of Mount Rainier National Park, and to provide excellent service to its visitors, while gaining valuable experience in their area of study or career interests.
Duties: Duties vary according to the position, but may include visitor services, field research, trail construction, computer work, or volunteer management.
Qualifications: Qualifications vary according to the position, but generally include a background in the subject area of the internship being filled, good communication skills, and a commitment to excellence, hard work, and learning.
Benefits:
- Training and experience in your area of study, working alongside professional park rangers.
- Most positions come with free housing in or near the park.
- The sponsors of most internships provide a living stipend, reimbursement of travel expenses, and eligibility for education grants on completion of your term of service.
- The experience and contacts provided by a summer internship can be of great benefit when you apply for similar paid positions later.
- The satisfaction of being part of a great team of people who are contributing to the preservation of one of the most extraordinary places in North America!
Time commitment: Varies according to position. Most internships last 12 weeks, but some may be as short as 8 weeks or as long as a year.
Resources:
- Visit the websites of the Student Conservation Association (SCA) and the Geologic Society of America (GSA) for information about these two primary sponsors of Mount Rainier National Park's internships.
- Your supervisor will provide you with all of the training and resources you need to do your job safely and effectively.
- Our Volunteer Blog provides general information about volunteering at Mount Rainier National Park.
- Our photo page has many pictures of volunteers in action, including SCA and GSA interns.
How to get involved: A full list of internships currently offered through the Student Conservation Association may be found on their website. Note that most positions are advertised in the early spring to begin sometime in June. Their site can also be searched for positions at other parks and land management agencies. The Geologic Society of America usually advertises their Geologist-in-Parks positions on their website in December. In both cases, you may complete and submit an application for any position online.
Supervisors:
- Interns are supervised by rangers throughout the park. If you are interested in a particular area of work, contact the manager of that program for information about possible upcoming internship opportunities.
- The park's Volunteer Program Manager and internship coordinator is Kevin Bacher (360-569-2211 ext. 3385).
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