Audubon Arizona Student Internship Proposal STEM Program, Maricopa Community Colleges
Audubon Arizona Student Internship Proposal STEM Program, MaricopaCommunity Colleges, PhoenixCollege
Proposal Cost: $25,500 and Five Student Interns for 10 weeks during summer 2012.The budget does not include compensation for the interns, who would be paid by PhoenixCollege.
Audubon Arizona is the state office of the National Audubon Society. Its mission is to further the conservation of birds, other wildlife and their habitats in Arizona through education, science and advocacy programs. Among its many programs, Audubon Arizona manages the Appleton Whittell Research Ranch south of Elgin, Arizona and owns and operates the NinaMasonPulliamRioSaladoAudubonCenter, a major center for environmental education, particularly for inner city youth, in Phoenix. Audubon Arizona is also responsible, in partnership with Tucson Audubon Society, for the identification of Important Bird Areas (habitats that are critical to specified bird species) in all parts of the state.
Our Director of Bird Conservation, Vashti “Tice” Supplee is an adjunct faculty member at PhoenixCollege in the Bioscience Department. She is able to be the faculty administrator for a STEM internship program between PhoenixCollege and Audubon Arizona.
Audubon Arizona proposes that we can accept five student interns during the summer of 2012. We have three programs that will provide science based work opportunities.
We are also interested in having three interns continue into the fall semester, one located here in Phoenix and the other two stationed at the Appleton Whittell Research Ranch.
Program #1: Educational Internships at Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch of the National Audubon Society, ElginAZ
Mission Statement: The Research Ranch is a living laboratory that formulates, tests, and demonstrates methods to restore and safeguard the southeast Arizona grasslands bioregion; and provides assistance to citizens and policy makers in the protection and steward ship of or native ecosystems, natural resources, and quality of life.
Successful applicants must be dedicated to the protection of our environment, demonstrate high levels of motivation and enjoy interaction with a wide range of people. All interns are expected to live on site, and may share accommodations with other interns, researchers and visitors. The Research Ranch is somewhat remote (60 miles SE of Tucson, AZ) and it is strongly suggested that an intern have motorized transportation, although this is not a requirement for the position.
Duties: Interns will work with professional staff to develop at least one special project that will enhance the intern’s professional skills. Recent intern projects have included:
- Mapping invasive plant populations with GPS/GIS
- Mapping large animals ranges with GIS
- Protection of native fish species
- Establish permanent mesquite monitoring transects
Along with the intern’s special project, he/she will be expected to support the mission of the Ranch. Duties may include maintenance of facilities such as construction or repair of wildlife friendly fence, exotic species control; education/public relations via newsletters, webpage, tours; and research support including data entry and equipment maintenance. In addition to appropriate documentation of the intern’s special project, each intern will be required to submit a short (1 pg) summary of his/her experience as an intern at the Research Ranch
Housing: Provided in the bunkhouse.10 Weeks at $100 each per week X 2 = $2,000
Field Supervision and Training: 10 hours per week, 10 weeks, $70/hour = $7,000
Travel Expenses reimbursement for students: $500 per student = $1,000
Valid driving license required.
Program #2: Urban Hummingbird Project
In partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the City of Phoenix, Audubon Arizona has launched a new outreach program called the Urban Hummingbird Project. The objectives of this exciting program are to educate elementary school children about central Arizona’s hummingbirds. Specifically students learn how to identify common species and discover interesting natural history facts about these amazing birds. In addition, kids learn how to help hummingbirds by planting native plants and by participating in kid-friendly citizen-science monitoring programs.
To accomplish program objectives, Audubon Arizonahas developed an in-class presentation including a PowerPoint show, workbook and hummingbird migration game. Participating classes receive a free “Arizona Hummingbird Box” containing a hummingbird feeder, an attractive hummingbird identification wheel, pencils, stickers and directions for collecting and submitting classroom hummingbird observations to the National Phenology Network, a national database that tracks animal migration timing and other natural events.
Classes are invited to visit the NinaMasonPulliamRioSaladoAudubonCenter for a follow-up field trip focused on the important role that pollinators, including hummingbirds, play in maintaining healthy habitats. Children are also invited to visit the AudubonCenter with their families to take part in free week-end or evening programming and to visit our wildlife and pollinator garden.
Two interns would be trained to make a prepared presentation to secondary school students at summer school programs in the Phoenix metropolitan area about hummingbirds and the importance of pollinator species. Work would include out-of-town trips to City of Phoenix managed Camp Colley north of Payson, Arizona. Interns would need to provide personal transportation and mileage would be reimbursed at $55.5 per mile. Valid driving license required.Students would need to pass a background check to work with youth. Additional duties:
- Assist with data entry
- Participate in summer avian surveys at Important Bird Areas
- Assist with youth summer programming at NinaMasonPulliamRioSaladoAudubonCenter
Supervision and training: 10 hours per week, 10 weeks, $70/hour = $7,000
Vehicle mileage reimbursement for students: $750 per student = $1,500
Program #3: Avian monitoring at Important Bird Areas
One intern would be trained to be a crew leader for summer field surveys for Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo on the Agua FriaNational Monument, lower SanPedroRiver and nearby Bureau of Land Management administered lands. The field crews will include high school summer interns and citizen volunteers. This position requires camping over night and hiking in rough terrain and during summer high temperatures. This intern would also assist with data entry and analysis. A Valid driving license required. Student would need to pass a background check to work with youth.Additional duties:
- Assist with data entry
- Participate in summer avian surveys at Important Bird Areas
- Assist with youth summer programming at NinaMasonPulliamRioSaladoAudubonCenter
Supervision and Training: 10 hours per week, 10 weeks, $70/hour = $3,500
Transportation Expenses: $3,000
Field equipment: $500