Highstead Foundation in Redding, Connecticut, is recruiting a full-time paid GIS intern. This is a remote position with occasional travel and in-office days required in Redding, CT, or the surrounding region. The Conservation Intern will support Highstead’s Conservation Program for 15 weeks from September 2 to December 12, 2025. The intern will receive a stipend of $20 per hour.

Highstead is a regional non-profit conservation organization dedicated to inspiring curiosity and building knowledge about plants and wooded landscapes to enhance life, preserve nature, and advance sound stewardship practices. We envision a healthier, more livable world for all by working with our partners to responsibly conserve the land that sustains us and to steward our natural spaces, resources, and communities thoughtfully and inclusively.

Overview:

The Conservation GIS Intern will work with Highstead’s Conservationist to advance conservation in the region by bringing their writing, research, and mapping skills to our conservation programs. The intern will work on mapping projects across one or more conservation initiatives detailed below. This position will also support an organization-wide conservation conference on November 5 and 6. Participation in this event is mandatory.

Main mapping project:

• Hudson to Housatonic Regional Conservation Partnership (H2H)- Support activities related to land protection planning and community engagement, including supporting new strategic conservation planning and mapping projects for the H2H partnership in 2025.

Potential mapping projects:

• Northeast Bird Habitat Conservation Initiative- Assist Regional Conservation Partnerships (RCPs) and Audubon chapters in the production of mapping projects and analyses to support landscape-scale bird habitat conservation in the Northeast.
• Provide GIS Support to new RCPs- Produce GIS maps to help new RCPs across New England identify their partnership’s boundaries and priority landscapes.

Qualifications:

• Proficient in use of ESRI products such as ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online, to collect, analyze, and manipulate data, and create maps.
• Experience with GIS scripting, such as ArcPy, Jupyter Notebooks, or ESRI’s ModelBuilder are a strong plus.
• Knowledge of cartographic principles for professional map layout and design.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills and ability to convey work to a variety of audiences through written materials, presentations and at meetings.
• Must be self-motivated.

What you'll gain from us:

• Practical workplace experience in conservation, including projects that will enhance your resume
• Introductions to others in the conservation field and opportunities to network virtually
• An opportunity to learn, grow, and ask questions
• Time and space to develop your personal portfolio

What we need from you:

• A recent bachelor’s degree or equivalent lived experience
• An interest in conservation and protecting the environment
• Ability to express new ideas and visual concepts
• Curiosity, ingenuity, perseverance, teamwork, and problem-solving skills
• A collaborative spirit who enjoys both independent and group work