ACRES Land Trust seeks summer interns
ACRES Land Trust is seeking applications for four full-time land management internships for the 2021 summer season.
The program, now in its 11th year, is supported by the Olive B. Cole Foundation to help northeast Indiana retain workforce talent.
“The internship program helps ACRES put boots on the ground, and it helps the interns explore possible careers in land management,” said Emily Pichon, president of the Foundation.
Summer interns help care for ACRES’ ever-increasing number of permanently-protected areas by assisting with invasive species management and supporting the maintenance of more than 50 miles of trails. This work directly benefits natural communities by reducing invasive pressures and encouraging native biodiversity. Well-defined trails encourage preserve visitors to stay on the trails and keep habitats undisturbed.
Interns from ACRES’ 2020 cohort join Stewardship Manager Evan Hill during a massasauga rattle snake survey on a property in LaGrange County. Photo by Reena Ramos 
Interns join the Land Management crew every summer season to fight off invasive and aid in restoration 
ACRES interns and DNR staff fight Japanese stiltgrass during a 2016 partner workday.
“Interns gain field work experience by working alongside experienced stewardship staff, industry professionals and academic instructors throughout our service area,” said Casey Jones, Director of Land Management at ACRES.
The program engages local students with an interest in the field of natural sciences to inspire an appreciation of the region’s natural landscape so they don’t take their conservation work elsewhere, Jones said.
“These students directly experience and gain a more intimate appreciation for the full catalog of habitats that northeast Indiana provides. The relationships that are formed with these places are not easily lost,” he said.
ACRES is looking for candidates who find satisfaction in challenging conditions. Working and learning outdoors during the summer months requires tenacity and perseverance, but it comes with its own rewards:
“We experience a far greater proportion of biting bugs, sweat and poisonous plants than we do Blanding’s turtles, lakeside breezes and orchids. The former makes the latter even sweeter though,” Jones said.
Qualified applicants must reside in DeKalb, LaGrange, Noble or Steuben counties. Preference will be given to applicants pursuing a degree related to natural resources.
