Ontario Internship Program

NCC conservation technician, Aidan O’Brien, helps volunteers identify various species at the Minesing Wetlands Dragonfly Count (Photo by NCC)

Working in your backyard

In the late 1990s, the Nature Conservancy of Canada' (NCC’s) Ontario Region pioneered the Conservation Internship Program as a way to deliver even more great conservation results, as well as to train the next generation of environmental professionals. Since then, hundreds of young people have started their careers with the hands-on, real-world training only Canada’s leading land conservation organization can offer.

The forests, wetlands, grasslands and alvars in your backyard serve as offices for our interns where they help:

Cheryl Reyes, 2018 conservation intern, Hudgin-Rose Property, Eastern Lake Ontario Coast, ON (Photo by David Coulson)

• Remove invasive species and restore habitat;
• Monitor properties;
• Conduct biological and cultural inventories of NCC’s lands;
• Assist with volunteer, community and media events;

NCC Conservation Interns also learn important skills by working with local landowners, partners and other conservation professionals. While in the office, they work with NCC’s innovative Land Information System database, hone their communication skills and generate valuable outreach materials and technical documents.

It costs approximately $20,000 to fund a four-month internship and $30,000 to fund a six-month internship. This includes wages, equipment, administration and travel costs, as well as some staff costs to oversee the program. NCC aims to hire up to 20 conservation interns each year.

With your support, NCC can help give tomorrow’s conservation leaders the skills and experience they need to solve our most complex conservation challenges.

Chelsea Marcantonio, 2018 conservation intern photographing a prescribed burn on the Rice Lake Plains, ON (Photo by Cameron Curran)

Many of our past Conservation Interns now hold leadership positions at NCC. Others work in government, environmental organizations and private consulting firms, using the training they received at NCC to advance the mission of biodiversity conservation. Together, through our Conservation Intern Program, we can ensure young professionals gain the experience and skills they need to become our nation’s future conservation leaders.

To learn more or to make a donation, contact Jill Murray-Dimic, NCC's manager, major gifts, 1-877-231-3552 x2261 or email jill.murray-dimic@natureconservancy.ca