Latvian Fund for Nature (LFN) offers two internship positions for natural sciences Bachelor students interested in working with grassland habitat inventories, monitoring and management. Interns will have an opportunity to participate in the LFN projects dealing with EU grassland habitats (WoodMeadowLIFE, LIFE MarshMeadows, GrassLIFE2 and urbanLIFEcircles).
Interns will be provided with the initial training in plant identification upon starting the internship and afterwards tasked with independent work under the supervision of an experienced grassland habitat expert. The work will involve intensive fieldwork, working outdoors in various weather conditions. Expected fieldworks:
• preparation of vegetation descriptions;
• mapping and marking of trees, bushes and other landscape elements that should be saved during restoration works;
• removal of invasive species;
• collecting seeds of grass plants;
• distribution of green-hay,
• an inspection of fences on grazing sites (LFN has mobile grazing unit) etc.
We offer a unique opportunity to participate in the hands-on habitat management and restoration work and become a part of a grassland restoration and management team. The interns will acquire practical skills in identifying grassland plant species, mapping and identifying EU grassland habitats, management planning and monitoring.
Duration: 3 months
Period: May 20 to August 20, 2024
Commitment: 4 - 5 days per week (~ 35-40 hours)
Field of studies: Natural sciences / Environmental sciences / Geography
Level of studies: Bachelor
Detailed description of the main tasks
Task 1: fieldwork in grassland habitat mapping and monitoring
Intern duties will focus on assisting in the field surveys in before-restoration mapping and monitoring: description of vegetation structure according to the EU habitat mapping methodology of Latvia and filling in the vegetation monitoring questionnaires in permanent and semi-permanent plots (standard methodology for vegetation description).
Task 2: fieldwork with habitat restoration
Intern duties will focus on assisting in the practical field works for restoration planning - like mapping and marking of trees, bushes, and other landscape elements that should be saved during restoration work, cutting of expansive species, collection of local seeds for the enrichment of species composition, distribution of green-hay, inspection of fences on grazing sites, etc.
Task 3: fieldwork with the removal of invasive species
Intern duties will focus on the limitation of invasive and undesirable species such as Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis, Bigleaf Lupine Lupinus polyphyllus, warty-cabbage Bunias orientalis, etc. in urban meadow sites.
Task 4: fieldwork with collecting seeds in grasslands and road verges
Intern duties will focus primarily on particular plant seed collection in semi-natural meadows, road verges, and field edges. The supervisor will provide plant identification in different plant development stages.
Possible additional tasks:
5. Participation in organizing LFN’s public events (excursions, restoration events, etc.).
6. Soil sampling.
7. Data entry into database and data analysis (office work).
Skills required:
• Good English skills
• Drivers licence (EU category B) and driving experience, as the project areas are outside Riga
• Basic knowledge in plant species determination
• Knowledge of ecology of semi-natural grassland ecosystems
• Research skills
• Basic Computer Literacy (Excel, Spreadsheets, databases, GIS for mapping tasks)
• Interpersonal skills - being able to work in team, as well as working independently, adaptability
• Working knowledge of scientific (Latin) names for plant species identification would be an advantage
Additional information:
• The internship is UNPAID, priority will be given to applicants who are part or are planning to apply for Erasmus+ or other scholarship.
• Legal eligibility to work in the EU is a must.
• Foreign students should be covered by health and travel insurance from their home country. We will provide accident and liability insurance.
• We will help to find an apartment for rent in Riga.
• We will cover the transport and accommodation costs while working in the field (if Erasmus or other scholarships would not cover those costs).
• Once a month we will organize a 1-2 day trip around Latvia!
HOW TO APPLY
Deadline to apply: January 31, 2024
1. Record a short (max. 3 min.) video about yourself: brief presentation, your study area, why you want to come here, everything that you would like to tell us! Upload the video on any video sharing platform you use - Dropbox, YouTube, Vimeo, WeTransfer, etc.
2. Prepare your CV.
3. Apply by sending a link to the video and your CV via the Erasmus internship portal or to Latvian Fund for Nature e-mail: ldf@ldf.lv
About Latvian Fund for Nature
Latvian Fund for Nature is a non-profit non-governmental organisation working in the field of nature protection and habitat/species management in Latvia. The organisation was established on 1991 and our mission is to preserve biological diversity in Latvia. To achieve this, we are engaged in practical activities to preserve the environment and to educate society about the importance of biodiversity. We implement various national and EU-level projects dealing with habitat restoration and management and engage society in nature protection via citizen science and other activities. Our office is located in Riga, the capital of Latvia.
More information about Latvian Fund for Nature: www.ldf.lv
Here you can read internship stories from 2021 - 2022.
Here you can read internship stories from 2023.
For more information, please contact internship coordinator Nora Rustanovica at nora.rustanovica@ldf.lv
Blaumana st. 32-8
Phone: +371 67830999
E-mail: ldf@ldf.lv