Title: Communications Intern

Supervisor: Emily Segura Maze, Communications Manager

Location: 40% in-person at the Whatcom Land Trust Bellingham office, 60% field visits to Whatcom Land Trust properties

Stipend: $1500 total

Hours/week: 8-10 (flexible work hours)

Timeframe: April –  June 2025

Application: Please email a resume, cover letter, and creative portfolio to emily.sm@whatcomlandtrust.org

Application Deadline: April 1st, 2025

Whatcom Land Trust seeks an intern to join our communications team for Spring 2025. The intern will work under the supervision of the Communications Manager to update photography portfolios for select Whatcom Land Trust properties. You should be experienced in landscape photography and a self-starter who is comfortable with independent fieldwork and can meet deadlines. Your work will provide content for updates to our website and campaign materials and represent the Whatcom Land Trust brand.  

Duties:

• Develop shot lists and travel to select reserves to take high-quality photos and video footage of reserves and other conserved lands.  
• Develop and edit photos and footage in Adobe Suite that are aligned with brand guidelines and supervisor expectations.
• Write and edit short descriptions of reserves and protected lands for the website, based on technical language in conservation and stewardship reports.
• Weekly check-ins with the Communications Manager to review deliverables and receive guidance.

Required Skills:  

• Valid Washington State Driver’s License
• Proficiency in or experience with DSLR and mirrorless photography
• Experience with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom
• Able to work independently and consistently meet deadlines
• Willing to work outside in variable conditions  
• Positive attitude and excitement about connecting the community with Whatcom Land Trust’s mission!

Whatcom Land Trust Statement:

Whatcom Land Trust is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected status. Interns bring a welcome perspective to our organization. An internship at Whatcom Land Trust empowers you to confidently move forward in your career path, having a valued voice in our organization.  

About Whatcom Land Trust  

Whatcom Land Trust, a 501c3 nonprofit corporation, was founded in 1984 to protect natural and agricultural lands in a rapidly developing county. Since then, Whatcom Land Trust has protected more than 20,000 acres through a combination of owned and managed lands, conservation easements, and facilitated transfers and exchanges.  Whatcom Land Trust conserves Whatcom’s natural heritage – its fish and wildlife habitat, marine and freshwater shorelines, parklands for recreation, forests, farmlands, and scenic and culturally significant areas. The Trust accomplishes this in three general ways:

• Legal protection of land throughout Whatcom County
• Stewarding and restoring to health the 80-plus land trust owned reserves (approximately 4,000 acres) and 78 conservation easements (6,500 acres) that the land trust holds
• Engaging people in conservation actions – 400 volunteers contribute more than 1,500 hours of field and organizational work annually, helping Whatcom Land Trust manage its lands, advocating for public funding for parks and habitat and strong public policies to conserve Whatcom’s natural heritage.

What is a Land Trust?

Land trusts are private, independent, entrepreneurial nonprofit, non-governmental organizations that have joined with landowners to protect private land in the United States. There are over 1,600 land trusts operating across the U.S. protecting more than 9 million acres of farmland, wetlands, ranches, forests, watersheds, and river corridors. There are about two dozen land trusts in Washington. Land trusts all have some attributes in common, but each land trust has its own unique working area, priorities, missions and goals.