Overview
Through the UO Natural Areas Program, students gain hands-on experience caring for local ecosystems while building skills they can carry into their future careers. Students develop foundational skills in land stewardship, outreach, research, leadership, and project management.
Students leave the program ready to tackle their future by taking ownership of meaningful projects; connecting their work to their academic and career goals; and seeing the tangible impact of their contributions through restoration and community engagement.
The UO Natural Areas Program accepts less that 5% of the students that apply due to capacity. Students are most likely to be accepted if they have already gained skills while volunteering. If you are not accepted, please continue to gain experience and try again.
Academic Internships
Faculty Advised Internship
- Students find faculty advisors specializing in their project area (Ex: Communications or Landscape Architecture)
- Steward provides support by aligning projects with Natural Areas priorities and, when appropriate, a project location.
Process: Determine faculty advisor first then reach out to steward by week 5 of the term prior to project initiation.
Individual Natural Areas Internship
- 12 hours per week (4 credits)
- Design and implement project under guidance of Natural Areas Steward
- Between 1-3 students are accepted annually
- Process: Applications are due in Week 6 of the term prior to internship initiation.
- In email answer the following prompts:
- How does this internship align with your future career?
- Tell us about a time you led a group towards a common goal.
- What experience do you have with habitat restoration, outreach or research?
Describe your proposed project in one paragraph and timeline for the quarter.
- In email answer the following prompts:
Professional Development Internships
UOAdmin Internship
- Three-term internship designed for students interested in learning how universities work
- Each term the student is hosted by a different department (one of which could be the UO Natural Areas Program in the Office of Sustainability)
- Includes Monthly Stipend
Process: Review program, timeline and application here. Make sure your application expresses your interest in working with the UO Natural Areas.
UO Strategic Finance & Administration Accelerator Internship
- 10 hours per week for an entire school year
- Includes Stipend
- Process: Spring/Summer
- Process: Review program, timeline and application here. Make sure your application expresses your interest in working with the UO Natural Areas.
Assistant Natural Areas Stewards - Paid student positions
- 15–20 hours per week
- Gain diverse hands-on experience by implementing natural resource projects under the guidance of the UO Natural Areas Steward.
- Extensive fieldwork in the Willamette River and Millrace Natural Areas
- Process: Positions are usually posted to start summer or fall term and can be found on handshake the term prior to when position starts. Check Instagram @uo_natural_areas for updates on application opening and closing dates.
Upcoming Opportunities – Watch for launch updates on Instagram
Weed Team Apprenticeship
- Most likely Spring or Summer term
- Apply term before class (ex: apply winter term for spring term)
- Competitive Application Process
- Learn only about invasive species and removal methods
- Proper tool use
- Prioritize projects
- Decide weekly what the species and location priority is
Volunteer Certification Trainings
- Modular training for individual skills that students gain certifications for
- Once training certification is complete, students have the agency to tackle restoration on their own
- Short online training courses in fields such as:
- Restoration (identifying specific invasive species)
- Engagement events (learn to lead nature walks)
- Learn to document and publicize project success