Internship Ocean Mapping Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Start/End Dates: November 2, 2026 - October 15, 2027 (50 Weeks)
Compensation: $640 per week, plus park housing, round-trip travel assistance to the site, and gear support. Medical insurance is available upon request.
Application Due: September 4, 2026

 Environment for the Americas in partnership with Golden Gate National Recreation Area seeks to engage young professionals in resource management careers. To participate, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident

• Be between the ages of 18 - 30 (35 if a veteran)

• Undergo a background check if selected

• Have a valid driver’s license to operate a government vehicle

• Have access to a personal vehicle, which is recommended for this position
  

Position Description: 

The San Francisco Bay Area is a globally recognized biodiversity hotspot. Reflecting this diversity, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) is home to hundreds of plant and animal species, some found nowhere else in the world. This internship will support the protection and restoration of biodiversity in the GGNRA through volunteer engagement. The work is mostly field-based and will be focused on ecological restoration of natural areas in San Francisco, particularly those hosting rare plant and animal species. 

The intern will work with National Park Service staff and volunteers in conducting management activities to restore and enhance rare species habitat. Activities may include removal of invasive plants, installation of site protections such as fencing, revegetation using native plants, and the use of technology to track all work. A particular focus of the internship will be planning and facilitating volunteer stewardship workdays including an environmental education component. The intern will also support the monitoring of rare and endangered plants throughout the GGNRA. 

The San Francisco Stewardship team consists of a Lead Biologist, two Biological Science Technicians, a Habitat Restoration & Volunteer Engagement Intern (EFTA), and community volunteers. Work sites include Fort Funston, Lobos Valley, Baker Beach, Presidio Bluffs, Fort Point Bluffs, Crissy Field, Lands End, Ocean Beach, China Beach, and Fort Mason. The team is part of the larger GGNRA Vegetation Branch within the Division of Natural Resource Management & Science.

Work Products: Key deliverables of the internship:

• Vegetation management - Conducting invasive plant control in rugged conditions with hand tools, power tools, and, occasionally, herbicide if qualified, etc.; planting native species and assisting in seed collection.

• Volunteer management – Concurrent with staff mentoring- Helping to plan and lead volunteer workdays. This includes greeting volunteers; directing volunteers on plant identification, field safety, vegetation management techniques, and site history; developing and sharing educational materials; and compiling volunteer data.

• Program support - Tool cleaning and maintenance; coordinating schedules and events; attending relevant meetings and trainings regularly.

• Rare plant monitoring – Assisting park staff with mapping rare plant populations, assessing population size, and managing all associated field data.

• Data entry – Entering data associated with rare plant monitoring, invasive species removal, and volunteer participation into park databases.
  

Qualifications

Required:

• An active interest in plants, habitat restoration, and community engagement.

• Experience working outdoors in challenging environmental conditions; ability to carry up to 30 pounds.

• Strong oral and written communication skills.

• Ability to work well in a team while balancing individual responsibilities.

• Experience working with or leading groups and the ability to supervise, train and inspire others.

• Ability to work with adults and children from diverse backgrounds.

• Ability to use various types of software (Microsoft Office Suite, GIS experience not required but a plus)

Preferred:

• Strong commitment to the preservation and protection of native plant and wildlife communities on public lands.

• Education and/or experience in biological sciences, particularly ecological restoration, environmental science, environmental studies, natural resource management, plant biology, ecology, or horticulture.

•  Ability to work independently with little supervision and self-motivated to complete tasks on time.

Housing

Housing is bunkhouse-style at Fort Cronkhite, Marin Headlands, in Marin County. Housing is rustic. Each intern has a private bedroom with shared common areas. Each housing unit can accommodate ~ 8 people. Housing is walking distance to the main office and other facilities. There are no stores or other conveniences within the park, but they are located nearby in the town of Sausalito and City of San Francisco.

Physical/Natural Environment:

Weather is typical of a Mediterranean-type climate which ranges from warm and dry in the fall, to wet and cool in the winter, windy in the spring, and foggy through most of summer.

Work Environment: We work year-round, along trails and off trail with mitigated exposure to poison oak, biting and stinging insects (such as ticks, spiders, and yellowjacket wasps), steep slopes and otherwise uneven terrain. Field days number from 4-5 per week and can involve carrying tools, backpacks, and water several miles each day, on or off trail, through coastal scrub, coastal dunes, grasslands, freshwater wetlands, tidal marshes, and oak woodlands, and willow riparian habitats.

This position earns 2000 hours towards PLC.

Public Land Corps Non-Competitive Hiring Authority (PLC)
The Public Land Corps Non-Competitive Hiring Authority is a special hiring authority available to qualifying interns. The intern must be between the ages of 18 and 30 years old, inclusive, or a veteran up to age 35 and complete 640 hours of work on an appropriate conservation project to be eligible for this hiring authority. Upon successful completion of the PLC project(s), the intern is eligible for two years to be hired non-competitively into a federal seasonal, term, or permanent position. The applicant must apply to a PLC-eligible position advertised on USAJobs.gov and selected off a non-competitive certificate of eligibility. For more information, see DOI Personnel Bulletins 11-02 , 12-13, and 17-03.

EEO Statement

Environment for the Americas provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Employment Type: FULL_TIME