Henry's Fork Foundation, Field Work Internship, Summer 2024
Every summer, The Bill Lane Center for the American West offers many opportunities for Stanford undergraduates (including graduating seniors and co-terms) to work with organizations throughout the West. Through these internships, students can explore careers in natural history, conservation, land use, museum curation, resource management, energy and more.
All internships are full-time for nine to ten weeks during the summer. They are fully funded by the Lane Center with stipends ranging from $7,500 to $10,000.
The Lane Center has placed hundreds of interns in positions across the West since 2005. It has developed strong relationships with host organizations and works hard to ensure interns have successful and enriching experiences.
For more information about the internship program, please visit the FAQs page, or email Education Manager Corinne Thomas.
Details about the summer 2023 cohort of student interns and their placements can be found here.
Student reflections about the internship experience can be found by visiting the Out West student blog and the Lane Center Instagram channel.
Stipend Information:
The Bill Lane Center will provide a base stipend of $7,500 with additional funding for student financial aid and location, if applicable, up to $10,000.
Description of the Organization:
Henry’s Fork Foundation (HFF) is a non-profit organization that works to conserve, protect, and restore the unique fisheries, wildlife, and water resources of the Henry’s Fork Watershed and larger Upper Snake Basin. HFF uses a collaborative, science-based approach to achieve its mission and works closely with water users, hydroelectric power companies, government agencies, and other nonprofit groups.
Science has formed the core of HFF’s fisheries conservation approach since it began funding university research in the 1980s. HFF hired its first research director in 1994, marking the founding of its in-house science program. From operating fish ladders to providing real-time water quality data to quantifying recreational use, HFF’s current science and technology team brings the latest information to a broad range of watershed stakeholders and issues. HFF’s scientific knowledge and data are translated into high-quality fishing experiences through collaborations with agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and water users such as hydroelectric companies and irrigators.
Field Work Internship Overview:
This is an in-person internship: 90% field work and 10% office work.
The Field Work intern will be focused on assisting with water quality monitoring and sampling needs at various sites. The intern may be asked to assist with other various Henry's Fork Foundation projects including, but not limited to, restoration projects, water quality monitoring, outreach events, and various other activities.
Field work could include measuring various ecological and physical parameters in the river, using HFF's high-technology water quality monitoring equipment, and working with boats, rafts, and other standard outdoor equipment and clothing.
Duties are expected to include:
1. Water quality monitoring at Conant Creek (1 day a week).
2. The intern will assist with any South Fork needs (1 day a week).
3. Water Quality and reservoir sampling (1 day a week).
4. Assisting other interns with recreational use surveys and fence maintenance (1 day a week).
5. Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) streamflow measurements (1 day/week).
The intern will be mentored by HFF Science and Technology Director, Rob Van Kirk, as well as with HFF’s Conservation Technician, Amber Roseberry.
The intern will also have the opportunity to work with other HFF staff members and the other interns on various tasks.
One of HFF's core values is to be a team player and to be willing to collaborate and pitch in wherever needed, on any task, no matter how big or how small.
Additional Work Expectations:
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The Intern may be asked to assist with other various Henry’s Fork Foundation projects including, but not limited to, restoration projects, water quality monitoring, outreach events, and various other activities.
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As a Henry’s Fork Foundation intern you must assist with fundraising and member events, education, outreach and other projects as needed, including water quality monitoring, field work in hydrology and stream ecology, maintaining fish passage facilities, installing/maintaining livestock fences, and staffing HFF’s interpretive center. Occasional evening and weekend work will be required on these tasks.
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Interns will contribute to the HFF intern blog where they will provide a weekly update on their work to our membership. Interns will also prepare to present what they accomplished during their internship in a seminar session structured like a professional conference, with a 5-10-minute presentation followed by a 5-minute period for questions. This seminar session will be scheduled near the end of the internship period.
Day-to-day Work:
Interns are expected to work 40 hours per week, on average. Work weeks start with a mandatory staff meeting at 9:00am on Monday. The other mandatory event for interns is seminar, which is held from 4:00- 5:00 pm on Tuesday afternoons.
For the first two weeks of the internship, all interns are expected to work more than 40 hours, including some evenings and weekends. These weeks will be filled with orientation and training events - including orientation, CPR and first aid, as well as Henry's Fork Days (a week of HFF's most important outreach and fundraising events). The orientation for 2024 is from June 3 to June 17th so the earlier the intern can arrive after finals, the better.
First Two Weeks & Henry's Fork Days (mid-June):
During the week of Henry's Fork Days (mid-June) all interns will be expected to assist the fundraising and event team with no fewer than three events, including a donor reception, HFF's annual membership meeting, and a fundraising dinner and auction. During that week, June 12th – 17th, all interns will be expected to assist the fundraising and event team with no fewer than three events, including a donor reception, HFF’s annual membership meeting, and a fundraising dinner and auction on Saturday the 18th attended by 600 of HFF’s most dedicated supporters.
Other than June 17th, weekend work will be rare, but it may be necessary to staff the interpretive center and accommodate availability of volunteers and shared equipment, vehicles, or lab space. During the first few weeks, all interns will also participate in educational short courses focused on hydrology and water rights, data analysis and statistics, fundraising, and communications.
Work days during the week of Henry's Fork Days can begin as early as 6:30am and end as late as 10:30pm. Interns will be given extra time off around July 4 to compensate for any additional time worked. Other than the week of Henry's Fork Days, weekend work will be rare.
During the first few weeks of the internship, all interns will also participate in educational short courses focused on hydrology and water rights, fundraising, and communications, which help provide critical background information related to HFF's work.
Week Three & After:
After the business of the first few weeks (which is equally busy for HFF staff) interns will settle into a weekly routine of field, laboratory, and office work, with individual schedules dependent on the particular internship position.
Field work occasionally begins as early as 7:00am. All field work will require driving to/from field sites, usually 20-45 miles one way. Some field work will be done in teams with the intern's mentor and possible other interns, staff, or volunteers, while other tasks may require the intern to work alone.
Tasks could include assisting with water quality monitoring, field work in hydrology and stream ecology, maintaining fish passage facilities, installing/maintaining livestock fences, helping with education and outreach activities, and staffing HFF's interpretive center.
All interns contribute to the HFF intern blog where they will provide a weekly update on their work to our membership. Interns will also prepare to present what they accomplished during their internship in a seminar sessions structured like a professional conference, with a 5-10 minute presentation followed by a 5 minute period for questions. These seminar sessions will be scheduled near the end of the internship period.
Field Work:
Field work can vary between 25% and 75% of the intern’s work hours. Field work occasionally begins as early as 7:00 a.m. All field work will require driving to/from field sites, usually 20-45 miles one way. Some field work will be done in teams with the intern’s mentor and possibly other interns, staff or volunteers, while other tasks will require the intern to work alone in remote, rural settings.
Depending on the internship position, field work could include conducting experiments in farm fields, measuring various ecological and physical parameters in the river, surveying river users, and maintaining fences to keep livestock away from stream banks.
Field and laboratory work will include use of expensive high-technology equipment as well as boats, rafts, and other standard outdoor equipment and clothing.
Weather Conditions:
Field work will be done in all types of weather, aside from lightning and severe thunderstorms. In June, temperatures can be below freezing, and snow is possible at high elevations. During the rest of the summer, temperatures range from 40 degrees to 90 degrees, sometimes spanning that range in a single day.
Expect wind, low humidity, and bright sun, all of which add to the physical stress of working at high elevations, especially for those not accustomed to the climate and altitude of the arid western U.S. At the same time, afternoon thunderstorms are possible on any given day, usually producing some combination of strong winds, heavy rain, hail, dangerous lightning, and sudden temperature drops of up to 40 degrees.
Please note that orientation and training will cover procedures for conduct under these conditions.
Mentor/Supervisors:
Rob Van Kirk, rob@henrysfork.org
Rob first fished the Henry's Fork in 1977, worked for Henry's Fork Anglers from 1981-1987, and was HFF's first research director, from 1994-1998. After 14 years as a mathematics and statistics professor, he returned to HFF in 2013. He has published over 30 peer-reviewed scientific papers and book chapters covering topics ranging from theoretical population biology to groundwater-surface water interactions.
Rob is known for his expertise in the latter subject among hydrologists and water managers in the Intermountain West. Although he lives and breathes hydrology 24/7, he finds time to catch wild trout in the waters near his home in Ashton every month of the year and compete in bicycle road races. He and his wife Sheryl also enjoy gardening, canning, and backyard bird-watching.
Amber Roseberry, amber@henrysfork.org
Amber started with the HFF as an intern in 2019. After her internship, Amber was asked to stay and be a part of the WaterSmart Project. She now works as a Conservation Technician and Modeling Assistant. She has put her computer skills to use when working with real-time data transmission technology and ArcGIS. Other field work she has helped with includes sonde installations, ADCP measurements, invert sampling, and installing pressure transducers.
Amber grew up most of her life in Ashton, Idaho. She graduated from North Fremont High School in 2018. In her free time, she enjoys hunting, camping, video games, and spending time at the river with her dog.
Internship Work Environment: What to Expect
*Past interns have asked about specific things that are useful to know, and those items are italicized.
The Watershed:
The 3,200-square mile Henry’s Fork watershed lies at the headwaters of the Snake River in eastern Idaho and western Wyoming. The Continental Divide, Yellowstone Plateau, and Teton Range form the watershed’s northern and eastern boundaries. Elevations range from 4,300 feet above sea level at the bottom of the watershed to over 10,000 feet along the Teton crest. Irrigated farms of potatoes, grains, and hay dominate land use in the lower half of the watershed. At higher elevations, National Forest and other public lands provide outstanding outdoor recreation, including hiking, climbing, camping, fishing, hunting, cycling, and snow sports. The watershed is very rural, with a total population of around 70,000 people. Agriculture and tourism are the largest economic sectors; HFF’s work seeks to maintain a balance between water use for agriculture and streamflow to support world-class fishing and related ecological resources.
Housing:
Interns from out of the Henry’s Fork area will live in a co-ed dorm space at HFF’s campus in Ashton, a farming community of 1,000 people. The campus is housed in Ashton’s old community hospital, which was completely refurbished in 2017 to house HFF’s offices, laboratory, interpretive center, and intern/graduate student housing.
The dorm space consists of two bunk rooms, two large bathroom/shower facilities, a large open kitchen, laundry facilities, and a living room. Bunk rooms and bathrooms will be gender-separated, but all other living space is shared. Housing, including linens and all kitchen implements, is provided by HFF, but interns are responsible for their own meals.
Please note: If any intern would like to live in separate housing, it is their responsibility to find and pay for separate housing arrangements before the internship begins. They will also be responsible for driving to and from HFF in their own vehicle without fuel reimbursement.
Location: Ashton, Idaho
Other than businesses oriented primarily toward tourism and agriculture (auto parts and repair, hardware, etc.), services in Ashton are limited to a small health clinic and pharmacy, one grocery store, a dollar store, and five small eating establishments (Mexican, three traditional American diners/drive-ins, and a pizza/sandwich shop).
The grocery store is well stocked for a small town but does not carry much in the way of organic and natural foods and is difficult to access from HFF’s campus because of a busy highway crossing with no stoplight or pedestrian facilities.
The nearest large supermarkets, Walmart, drug stores, and other business are located in Rexburg, about 25 miles southwest of Ashton. There are a few restaurants with broader menu options located in the tourist area of Island Park, 20-30 miles north of Ashton. The closest natural-food stores and restaurants, “finer” dining establishments, and “night life” (e.g., weekly outdoor concerts) are located in Teton Valley, 40-50 miles southeast of Ashton.
The closest regional airport is located in Idaho Falls 53 miles southwest of Ashton. The closest international airport is located in Salt Lake City (SLC) 220 miles south of Ashton. The Salt Lake Express shuttle runs from the airport Salt Lake City International Airport to Rexburg several times a day, but should be booked in advance.
The west entrance to Yellowstone National Park is a one-hour drive from Ashton, and Jackson, Wyoming is about a 90-minute drive. The best climbing and hiking opportunities are 45-60 minutes from Ashton, although outstanding fly fishing can be found 5 minutes away from the campus. An out-of-state fishing license costs $108. Some of HFF’s boats and rafts are available for intern recreational use after hours and on weekends, when not being used for HFF’s field work.
Transportation & Having a car:
HFF provides company vehicles for work but does not provide vehicles for interns to use on their personal time. Although not required, a personal vehicle is strongly recommended to allow full enjoyment of the area’s recreational opportunities (fly fishing, hiking, biking, Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park, etc).
Due to the nature of how rural Ashton, Idaho is, there are limited grocery and dining options within the town of Ashton, and interns without vehicles would need to rely on those with vehicles for transportation to and from shopping and activities.
HFF is committed to supporting a diverse and inclusive workplace and to promoting careers in the environmental and natural-resource sciences among groups underrepresented in these professions.
*To see HFF’s full policy on nondiscrimination diversity and inclusion please click here.
If you have questions about field work and physical requirements of this internship, please request more information before you apply.
For additional information on HFF’s Summer Seminar Series and what it entails, please visit https://www.henrysfork.org/internship-program and click on the link under the Summer Seminar Series section.
- Conduct water quality monitoring at Conant Creek (1 day a week)
- Assist with any South Fork needs (1 day a week)
- Collect water quality and reservoir samples (1 day a week)
- Assist other interns with fence maintenance (1 day a week)
- Help take streamflow measurements with the Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler - ADCP (1 day a week)
Bill Lane Center internships are part of Cardinal Quarter opportunities and students from all disciplines are encouraged to apply. The opportunities are full-time (35-40 hours a week) for 9-10 consecutive weeks during the summer.
Specific start and end dates can be coordinated directly with the supervisor.
All undergraduates of any year, including graduating seniors, are eligible. Graduating seniors are eligible only if they are graduating in spring quarter. Students who have already graduated, e.g., fall or winter quarter of this academic year are not eligible.
Coterms are eligible only if they hold undergraduate status.
For more application advice, please visit the BLC’s FAQs page.
Please note:
- Students are not permitted to engage in another full-time internship, job, or volunteer opportunity (whether funded by Stanford or otherwise) during this full-time, summer internship.
- Student athletes should confirm the impact of any awarded stipend on their athletic eligibility by contacting the Compliance Services Office prior to committing to an internship.
- New Stipend Policy per the U.S. Department of Education: A stipend is considered a resource and it may have an impact on a student’s financial aid. To comply with US Department of Education regulations, student payments, awards, prizes, and gifts that are made available to the student because they are a Stanford student, must be reported to the Financial Aid Office. The Financial Aid Office is responsible for the disbursement of stipend funds to undergraduates. For more information, please visit the Financial Aid Office's webpage about the student stipend policy.
Application Guidelines for this Internship:
It is preferable for the intern to have a basic background in environmental science or related fields.
Required Skills:
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The student should have a basic knowledge of statistics, hydrology, and/or fish habitat (or a willingness to learn)
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General interest in watershed management and conservation from the perspective of a non-profit organization
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Ability to swim and work comfortably outdoors in and around water: The student should feel comfortable working outside, hiking, walk in rugged terrain and along rivers, swim and snorkel in rivers for data collection, etc., in a variety of weather conditions
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Ability to work well in a team
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Ability to work independently on some tasks and as a member of team on others
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Good written and oral communication skills
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Good time management skills
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Flexibility in work assignments
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Ability to share living space with four other interns
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Valid driver’s license
Preferred Skills:
- Experience in and around rafts, drift boats, and/or jet boats
Selection of applicants:
Complete applications are screened and finalists are contacted for a first-round interview with staff from The Bill Lane Center for the American West.
The top candidates for the position are then forwarded to the organization for second-round interviews with their potential supervisor and other staff.
Host organizations will then notify the Lane Center of their preferred candidate and that applicant will receive an internship offer from the Bill Lane Center by email.
The applicant is expected to respond promptly (within 48 hours) via email to the offer or the offer will be rescinded.
Once an applicant accepts an offer, they are required to promptly notify all other Stanford and non-Stanford programs to which they have applied that they have accepted another offer and withdraw their candidacy from those other opportunities.