Water Quality Fieldwork Intern

WHO WE ARE: 

Save the Sound leads environmental action in the Long Island Sound region. We fight climate change and build resilient communities, save endangered lands, protect the Sound, and restore its rivers. We do this in many ways, from legislative advocacy and legal action to engineering, environmental monitoring, and hands- on volunteer efforts. For more than 50 years we have been ensuring people can enjoy the healthy, clean, and thriving environment they deserve—today and for generations to come.

Our Water Quality Team advocates for the health of Long Island Sound through community organizing; data collection, analysis, and visualization; legal and legislative advocacy; engaging and informative storytelling; and targeted pollution reduction campaigns. Our growing team brings a variety of backgrounds, characteristics, and skillsets together to produce tangible outcomes that improve the environs of Long Island Sound. We are highly collaborative, nimble, and innovative in our approach to achieving our shared mission of clean and life-filled waterways

Learn more about us at www.savethesound.org.  

Program Background

Bacterial pollution leading to beach closures is a critically important issue. In 2013, Save the Sound initiated a seasonal community-based water quality monitoring program in Westchester that measures bacteria levels and shares the findings with the public. Save the Sound also coordinates and participates in a Sound-wide study, the Unified Water Study, to measure eutrophic conditions in embayments of Long Island Sound.

Internship Description

As a part of our dynamic seasonal water quality sampling program, you will be working with volunteers from Long Island Sound shoreline communities.  You will learn about, coordinate, and participate in the collection of water quality samples for our lab located in Larchmont, NY.  In-situ sampling will also occur in Long Island Sound and other local waterways.  The position will assist in data analysis and the development of figures, maps, and tables for reports.

The Water Quality Fieldwork Intern will work with about 20-30 volunteers trained in water quality collection protocol from shoreline/riverbank locations.

This position will primarily involve time in the field and office. There will be opportunities to participate in laboratory analyses if the intern is interested.  Laboratory work will include calibration of water quality instruments and bacteria measurements using IDEXX methods.  In the office, there will be research work associated with water quality monitoring, data entry and quality assurance.

This seasonal, educational internship will last from June 2nd, 2025, through August 29th, 2025, with some flexibility around the intern’s current schedule - reporting to the Environmental Analyst. Office and lab work will be conducted in our Larchmont, NY office in Westchester.  Fieldwork will take place along western Long Island Sound.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

We are looking for a highly motivated individual with:

• Excellent organizational skills, experience working with data, and strong familiarity with Microsoft Excel
• Ability to work independently and prioritize daily tasks to meet program goals
• Strong communications skills
• Ability to work with and coordinate all types of people mixed in a group setting
• Science education and a passion for protecting and restoring water quality
• Access to a car and a clean driving record
• Experience with water sample collection (educational and/or professional)
• Comfortable on the water

TERMS & COMPENSATION:

This is a full-time, seasonal internship that provides a stipend of $5,000 for an average work week of 40 hours/week. The intern is required to be in the office 5 days a week. The internship begins June 2nd, 2025, and runs through August 29th, 2025, with some flexibility around the intern’s current schedule. This internship does not include any health or time off benefits. Reimbursement for work-related travel is provided. Some early morning, evening and weekend hours may be required as needed.

Additional Details Common to All Positions 

Save the Sound’s Commitment to Equity and Diversity 

Save the Sound is an equal opportunity employer. We prohibit discrimination based on age, color, disability, marital or parental status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or any other legally protected status in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Our organizational leadership and staff are working to deepen Save the Sound’s diversity, equity, and inclusion. We seek to attract a more diverse applicant pool, and to add and retain more outstanding Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to all levels of our team. We work in diverse communities and landscapes and are actively working to increase our focus on driving environmental justice and equitable outcomes through our work. 

Shared Organizational Job Responsibilities 

• Maintaining positive and productive working relationships with all Save the Sound staff members, including providing and receiving constructive feedback;
• Participating in building productive relationships with Save the Sound's members, external partners, policy makers, and the general public;
• Completing all administrative work on time, such as timesheets, purchase orders, project reports, and planning documents.

TO APPLY:

Interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, and list of references via our career page on BambooHR. Applicants are encouraged to apply early, as applications will be reviewed as they are received. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

We are a thoughtful and thorough organization. We will acknowledge receipt of your application and schedule selected applicants for an interview. Our hiring process can take from 7 to 10 weeks. You will be informed when the hiring process is complete. Please be patient.