1. Pathways Internships:

Pathways Internships span across all government agencies and are helpful to any and all students looking to work for the Federal government in some capacity. However, they are particularly helpful to those looking to work in the forestry field. These internships are divided into two categories, internships for current students and internships for those that have graduated within the last two years. They offer opportunities to work in the exact position one might work in as a career and they can last as little as one month and as long as a year. The work experience gained through one of these internships is unparalleled for those hoping to work in the forestry field in any capacity.

Not only are these internships paid, they also generally provide housing, travel expenses, and even benefits in some cases. However, the best part about these internships is the opportunity it gives students who complete the internship to be immediately hired into a permanent position without having to compete with anyone else for that position. Permanent positions under these internships are never guaranteed, but they are a lot easier to come by through these internships than any other way.

For a list of current open Pathways internships, click here.

2. Student Conservation Association:

The Student Conservation Association has many open positions in many different fields. They offer positions not only to college students, but high school students and even those not enrolled in school at all. The internships range from four weeks to 12 months long and are offered in all 50 states.

While positions with the Student Conservation Association are mostly considered volunteer positions, they do also offer paid positions. Also, all volunteer positions with the SCA come with living stipend and most offer housing as well. After you have completed an SCA internship, they are committed to offering you assistance in helping you find a permanent career in the forestry field. They have an extremely high success rate with this with 7 out of 10 of their alumni working in careers related to the field. It is estimated that about 12 percent of the current National Park Service started their career as an SCA volunteer.

For a list of current open Student Conservation Association Internships, click here.

3. Local Non-Profit Park partners:

If you look at each major National Park in the United States, you will notice that most have a non-profit partner, who not only fundraises for park, but also run the gift shops, entrance stations, and handle a variety of other tasks for them. For example, Yellowstone has the Yellowstone Association, Grand Teton has the Grand Teton Association, Yosemite has the Yosemite Conservancy, and the Grand Canyon has the Grand Canyon Association etc… Each of these non-profit partners offer not only amazing internship possibilities, but also great career and volunteer positions.

These positions are usually paid unless they are specifically noted as volunteer position and usually come with housing. They offer excellent work experience and in many parks these non-profit partners wear the exact same uniforms as those who are employed by the Park Service directly, with a slightly different badge. Every park is different, so you will have to do your research when figuring out which one you would like to work for. But regardless of where you are at, a non-profit partner internship will look excellent on your resume.