The Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve (formerly Cedar Creek Natural History Area) of the University of Minnesota has opportunities for students to work as Research Interns in three types of positions; 1) Plant community ecology, 2) Wildlife biology, and 3) Environmental education. Most positions run from June through August, but some interns are needed as early as March and some are needed through December. Your educational institution may be able to approve this internship, with an appropriate independent project, for any field biology requirement of your major. Typical work days are eight hours Monday through Friday, however some projects require weekend and evening work. If you are an undergraduate or a newly graduated student with a background or interest in biology, ecology,environmental science, botany, environmental education, wildlife biology, or related field we encourage you to apply. Below are brief descriptions of the three types of positions available: 1. Plant community ecology. We have two large scale projects that require most of our intern resources throughout the summer. BioCON is one of the large scale experiments where we explore the ways in which plant communities respond to environmental changes such as increased nitrogen deposition, increased atmospheric CO2, decreased biodiversity, and altered precipitation patterns. The other large scale project is the Big Biodiversity experiment that studies how plant diversity affects the rates, dynamics, and stability of ecological processes at the population, community, and ecosystem levels. There are multiple experiments nested within the Big Biodiversity experiment as well, looking at factors such as irrigation and increased temperatures. Throughout the summer we maintain and sample these experiments. 2. Wildlife biology. The starting date will be mid-April to mid-May. The research will be looking at how harvesting resorted prairies for biofuel affects wildlife. The work will include wildlife surveys encompassing birds, small mammals, insects, reptiles, and amphibians. Bird survey duties will include identifying birds by sight and sound. Small mammal survey duties include operating Sherman live traps and species identification. Insect survey duties will include methods such as sweep netting and pitfall traps. Additional surveys will require plant identification skills. Duties may go beyond what is listed. The applicant must have a flexible schedule and be willing to work odd hours including weekends and holidays. The position will entail extensive travel throughout the western Minnesota prairie region and requires a valid driver's license. 3. Environmental education. We are looking for an out- going, selfmotivated individual to serve as an intern for our growing environmental education and outreach programs, including formal K-12 science education programs and informal environmental programs for general audiences. This is a seasonal full-time position, starting mid-May and running through October, 2009. To apply for any of the above intern positions please visit our website, http://cedarcreek.umn.edu/interns/. The deadline for application submission is March 9th, 2009.
