Native Seeds/SEARCH (NS/S) is seeking applicants for its internship program in crop genetic resources conservation. The emphasis of this program is in training individuals who are positioned to directly implement what they learn from their internship experience within Native American communities in the Southwest. Upon completion of the program, interns will be armed with hands-on experience and tools necessary to implement and strengthen regional seed-conservation efforts in Native communities. NS/S has always recognized the critical importance of Native agriculture and initiated this internship program to help build capacity in Native communities for their own food security and sovereignty. NS/S’ hope is that the interns work to establish and strengthen seed banks or other crop-conservation efforts within their own community upon completing the program.
The 29-week internships will be full-time, paid (40 hour per week) positions with benefits from May 4 to November 20, 2015. Interns should reside in the Tucson, Arizona, area for the duration of the program, but there will be transportation with other NS/S staff to our Conservation Farm in Patagonia, Arizona. Housing is not provided. Two internships are available.
Application deadline is Sunday April 19, 2015.
While assisting Native Seeds/SEARCH’s conservation efforts, participants will:
* Contribute to crop-conservation activities at the NS/S Conservation Center (40% of position) and Conservation Farm (60% of position). Activities will include practical agricultural work such as planting, cultivation and harvesting, as well as seed specific work such as pollination, seed processing, record keeping, and database entry.
* Participate in crop characterization (photos and written records), seed bank sample preparation and curation, and seed germination testing.
* Learn seed-saving protocols through both the two-day NS/S Seed Saving course and hands-on conservation work with NS/S crop accessions grown at the Conservation Center and Farm.
* Gain training and experience in a wide diversity of topics related to crop conservation, from plant biology to arid-land agriculture, and the roles that other aspects of the Native Seeds/SEARCH organization play in supporting the mission.
* Participate in NS/S outreach events such as the annual Harvest Festival and occasional public demonstrations and tours.
* Have the option to perform an independent research project on a topic of the intern’s choosing, in coordination with other staff.
Full job descriptions and application procedures are available here:http://nativeseeds.org/about-us/employment/219-the-ns-s-native-american-internship-program-accepting-applications
In addition to the Conservation Internship positions, Native Seeds/SEARCH is also hiring a Conservation Program Manager and Collections Coordinator this spring. Please share these employment opportunities with those who might be interested. Full descriptions and application procedures for all three positions, including the internship, can be found here: http://nativeseeds.org/about-us/employment.
Questions? Please contact Melissa Kruse-Peeples, Ph.D.
Melissa Kruse-Peeples, Ph.D.
Conservation Program Manager
Native Seeds/SEARCH
3584 E. River Road, Tucson, AZ 85718 Email: [email protected] Phone: (520) 622-0830, ext. 106
Fax: (520) 622-0829