Organization Description
From sandy beaches and salt marshes to freshwater swamps and farmland, the Coastal Conservation League is working to respond to rapid growth and development, as well as impacts from a changing climate on the South Carolina coastal plain. We work from our headquarters in Charleston, our legislative office in Columbia, our South Coast office in Beaufort, which covers Beaufort, Jasper, Colleton, and Hampton counties, our North Coast office, which works across Georgetown, Horry, Marion, Williamsburg, and Florence counties, and our food hub, GrowFood Carolina, in Charleston. Our team of professionals works across the coastal plain to promote clean energy, protect land, water and wildlife, build strong cities and towns, and support local food and farmers to build healthy, resilient communities.
Our mission is to protect the health of the natural resources of the South Carolina coastal plain and ensure a high quality of life for all of the people who live in and love this special place.
Summary
This is a part-time, 15 hours/week position, operating in-person, for 16 weeks, based in Charleston, SC. Candidate will aid and support the Land, Water, Wildlife Program’s work on all issues, but primarily focusing on the oysters and salt marsh conservation projects. This includes, but is not limited to, conducting a literature review on intertidal living shorelines materials in the southeast Communicating with industry partners to better understand these materials, their cost, function, uses, etc. Supporting the work on the South Atlantic Salt Marsh Initiative by identifying the timelines for local and state plans to be updated and working with the Land, Water, and Wildlife Project Manager to draft language for these plans. In addition, the intern will be responsible for providing support and additional research to other projects currently in process.
Essential Functions
- Conduct a literature review of the living shorelines materials used in the southeast
- Communicate and coordinate with industry professionals within the southeast to gain insight on what materials they are using for living shorelines projects in the southeast
- Produce a comprehensive document incorporating the literature review and insight from industry professionals on intertidal living shorelines materials in the southeast.
- Identify and catalogue local plans and studies that the South Atlantic Salt Marsh Initiative’s conservation plan could be feathered into
- Identify timelines for partial updates and full updates to state and local documents such as comprehensive plans, resilience elements, marsh studies, stormwater management plans, hazard mitigation plans, etc.
- Conduct a news search once a week to monitor the news related to oysters, salt marsh, and coastal land conservation
- Participate in weekly meetings
- Provide support for all other needs of the Land, Water, and Wildlife Program
- And other duties as assigned
Competencies
- Self-motivated, able to work on projects independently with exceptional research skills.
- Strong communication skills, both verbally and in writing.
- Must be comfortable calling, emailing, and meeting with diverse industry professionals.
- Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues with a willingness to learn and engage with our work
- Strong research and organizational skills
- Strong interest and commitment to furthering estuary habitat conservation
- Strong analytical skills
- Organized with attention to detail
Required Education and Experience
- In your junior or senior year of bachelor’s degree in marine biology, environmental studies, or related field
- Solid working knowledge of Microsoft Office programs
Preferred Education and Experience
- Graduated with bachelor’s degree in marine biology, environmental studies, or related field
- Background knowledge of the estuary habitat and an understanding of local geography
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, sit, use hands, and climb stairs. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
Benefits
The Coastal Conservation League offers a competitive suite of benefits, including medical, dental and vision insurance; short- and long-term disability; life insurance, 403(b) retirement and generous paid time off policies for full time and benefit eligible part time positions.
Compensation
$15/hr