Diversity Outreach Intern - Soil and Water Division

The Virginia Department of Conservation (DCR) is the state’s lead conservation agency, and it takes a diverse agency to work for a diverse commonwealth. DCR protects what people care about – clean water, natural habitats, access to the outdoors, open spaces, and safe infrastructure.

The DCR Division of Soil and Water Conservation works with 47 Soil and Water Conservation Districts, farmers, urban and suburban landowners, and other land managers to reduce harmful runoff in Virginia’s waters. This division works to reduce nutrients and sediment that can impact the quality of Virginia’s waters, including the nation’s largest estuary, the Chesapeake Bay.

DCR has identified minority stakeholder groups that are not currently well represented in the leadership, decision making and implementation of conservation and restoration activities, and is developing meaningful opportunities and programs to recruit and engage them. This internship will expose participants to the types of decisions DCR makes.

Expanding the diversity of the workforce and participants in restoration and conservation activities means to include a wide range of people of all races, income levels, faiths, gender, age, sexual orientation and disabilities, along with other diverse groups.
DCR is currently searching for students interested in becoming one of our Chesapeake Bay Diversity Outcome Management Interns. Successful applicants will be located in Richmond, Virginia, where they will rotate through several programs within the Division of Soil and Water Conservation. This division runs programs that reduce water pollution caused by sediment, nutrients and bacteria that enters waterways primarily in runoff from farmland, unmanaged urban turf, and shoreline erosion.

This intern will work primarily in the field, for a period of 10-12 weeks, working alongside division staff who work on a variety of activities such as; assisting farmers with selecting, designing, or inspecting livestock stream exclusion, livestock watering, stream crossing, and animal waste facilities; conservation, resource management, and/or nutrient management planning; turf management, cover crops, conservation tillage, shoreline erosion control measures; and inspecting the condition of flood-control dams.

This internship offers both undergraduate and graduate college students a great way to develop an interest in environmental protection as an occupation among racial and ethnic minorities by providing both summer employment and mentoring to college undergraduates by professionals in environmental protection in order to influence their future career choices for the purpose of increasing the racial diversity of people providing input and making decisions related to conservation and restoration efforts.

Those accepted into the program will spend 10 to 12 weeks in the summer. The intern will work no more than four days per week, up to 40 hours.

If you’re someone who wants to love what you do and make a difference, DCR is the place for you!