The Recreation Resource Assistant (RA) will work on the Public Services team on the LTBMU, supervised and mentored by the Conservation Education/Interpretive Services staff. This position will support the annual Conservation Education youth employment and engagement programs such as: Generation Green, Blue Waters Exchange Program, and YCC Overnight. Additionally, this position will support the highly visited FS sites such as: Taylor Creek Visitor Center and Tallac Historic Site. During the local school district’s academic school calendar, this position will also support Kokanee Salmon 3rd grade local ecology programs and Wonders of Water program K – 8 grade water conservation. This position will be heavily involved with the established South Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition (STEEC), a group of local environmental partners that provide environmental education programs to all Lake Tahoe Unified School District K – 12 grade students.

The RA may be required to do backpacking trips, work outdoors at Taylor Creek Visitor Center and Tallac Historic Site during the months of June - October. Additionally, the RA will be responsible for and be able to independently lead environmental education pogroms for K – 12 grade students. Office work at the main supervisor’s office is also required. Driving on and navigating forest roads and backpacking/hiking may be required. Requires working throughout the day in high temperatures, rain/snow, and exposure to the elements.

The internship is located in northern California, in the community of South Lake Tahoe, an all-season highly visited and popular tourist destination mountain town, known for the beautiful blue waters of Lake Tahoe. The area is a recreation hub including: backpacking, hiking, picnicking, beach-going, fishing, boating, horseback riding, camping, rock climbing, winter skiing/snowboarding, snowmobiling, and many more. The town is nestled in between the state of California and Nevada, with surrounding large metro areas of Sacramento, California, Reno, Nevada, and Carson City, Nevada.

• Assists with the visitor center’s program operations working at the information desk and at the entrance station by dealing with such issues pertaining to picnic facilities, visitor control, and fee collection.
• Develops and conducts scheduled interpretive talks for general visitors and conservation education programs for youth. Defines the significance of the site and its background. Answers recurring questions that require knowledge of a limited variety of facts, events, circumstances, personalities, and natural characteristics identified with the site.
• Lead contact for coordination, collaboration, and facilitation for our 3 flagship youth engagement programs Generation Green, Blue Waters, and YCC Overnight.
• Support and staff 2 of the most highly visited sites on the LTBMU: Taylor Creek Visitor Center and Tallac Historic Site, during peak visitation season.
• Attend meetings with South Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition (STEEC), a group of local environmental partners that provide environmental education programs to all Lake Tahoe Unified School District K – 12 grade students. Work to improve and deliver in-person environmental education programs.

• Direct experience working with youth, including and not limited to, pre-school, K – 12 grade, and college level students, and adults.
• Experience in providing interpretive guided walks.
• Experience in a customer service role with high interaction with the public.
• Direct experience working outdoors.
• Experience with backpacking and hiking, including arduous work.
• Experience working in teams, including different demographics and a diverse audience.
• Interest in California native cultures

• Available to work full-time (40 hours per week) for 52 weeks/12 months starting June 11, 2023
• Ages 18 and up
• Driver's license required; RA will be required to drive a personal vehicle
• Undergraduate students, Recent grads, or young professionals
• Agriculture, Biological Sciences, Communications, Ecology, Education/Environmental Education, Natural Resource Management, Outdoor Recreation, Physical Science, Wildlife Biology, and other related degree preferred
• US citizenship or permanent residency required. Interns must undergo a government background check if selected

Stipend + Benefits:

• $750 weekly pay stipend based on a 40-hour workweek*
• $1000 monthly housing stipend
• $50 monthly commuting stipend
• Optional health care benefit provided by the RAP partner at no cost to the resource assistant
• Up to $2,750 available for Forest Service work travel, orientation, trainings, professional development opportunities that align with RA role and goals
• Paid Federal holidays
• 80 hours of paid time off for a 12 month internship
• Direct Hiring Authority Eligibility – after completing a minimum of 960 hours (excluding orientation week), DHA status provides special non-competitive hiring status when applying for Forest Service positions.

• Interns are hired as temporary employees; taxes may be withheld from stipends.

• Resume
• Unofficial Transcript
• Two References, not recommendation letters