Land Conservancy of McHenry County now accepting applications for internship program

Applications are open until Feb. 27 for the Land Conservancy of McHenry County’s Conservation Leadership Internship Program for the summer.

CLIP is a paid, hands-on learning experience designed to give students the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the conservation field as a professional, according to a news release.

The program is available to high school juniors and seniors as well as college students. No experience is needed to apply.

Participants must be able to work in extreme weather conditions and on adverse terrain. The program takes place 40 hours a week from June to August and pays $15 an hour or college credit.

Participants will gain experience in areas such as plant identification, land management, GIS and GPS training, prescribed fire training, herbicide use, rare plant monitoring, wildlife and stream surveys, sustainable farming techniques, land preservation techniques, field safety, scientific research, art in the natural world, career development and professional networking, according to the release.

A number of field trips and networking opportunities are available to those selected for the program, including to Nachusa Grasslands, Indiana Dunes State Park, Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Glacial Park and McHenry County College.

The Land Conservancy of McHenry County also is hiring a seasonal restoration technician from May to August. This person will be the crew leader for CLIP and a stewardship intern.

This is a 40-hour-a-week position and pays $16 an hour.

More information about the internship program and applications are available at coservemc.org/clip. More information on the seasonal restoration technician job and applications can be found at conservemc.org/job-openings.