Maryland Oyster Restoration Intern

Description

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation seeks a Maryland Oyster Restoration Intern in the Advocacy and Restoration Department to be based in Maryland. 

THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION 

Established in 1966, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is the largest regional nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to saving the Chesapeake Bay, its rivers and streams, and the wildlife that call it home. Through our education, advocacy, litigation, and restoration efforts, we work together toward our vision of a healthy and resilient Chesapeake Bay ecosystem where people, plants, and animals thrive together.
 

CBF has a staff of approximately 200 employees working in offices in Annapolis, Maryland; Richmond and Virginia Beach, Virginia; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Washington, D.C. as well as 15 field education program locations. Our staff and volunteer corps work throughout the region educating students and adults, advocating for clean water policies, restoring waterways, and litigating when necessary.
 

CBF’s headquarters office in Annapolis, Maryland is the Philip Merrill Environmental Center, the world’s first U.S. Green Build Council’s LEED platinum building. In 2014, CBF opened the Brock Environmental Center—one of the world’s most energy efficient, environmentally smart buildings—in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

DEPARTMENT DESCRIPTION

Advocacy and Restoration

CBF’s Advocacy and Restoration department defends and restores the Chesapeake Bay by protecting the Bay’s natural resources from pollution and other harmful activities by fighting for strong and effective laws and regulations; restoring the Bay’s essential habitats and filtering mechanisms; and involving citizens in CBF’s environmental efforts by recruiting, training, and incorporating them as effective partners and leaders.

CONTEXT OF THE POSITION

The Maryland Oyster Restoration Intern will support the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s (CBF) oyster restoration program and staff in Maryland. The role will consist of both administrative aspects of the program, such volunteer engagement and event planning, as well as a great deal of emphasis on field work. The interns will also support other programmatic needs of the oyster restoration program, such as oyster gardening (a community-based program that teaches hundreds of people how to grow and care for oysters to use in restoration projects throughout Maryland) and shell recycling (partnering with restaurants to keep oyster shells out of the trash and to recover them for use in restoration). 

 This internship will take place in approximately September - November of 2026. The exact start and end dates during that time frame are negotiable 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Assist with hands-on restoration activities including oyster planting, shell recycling, etc.
• Assist with managing volunteer events associated with the program.
• Help CBF Oyster Team staff with general office/administrative support, including data entry and filing, digital and material organization, among other tasks.
• Attend relevant meetings with CBF staff and other restoration partners.
• Help CBF Oyster Team staff manage the oyster gardening and shell recycling programs
• Help prepare materials for any events including advocacy asks, spat-on-shell, cages, spreadsheets, etc.

Requirements

•  Currently enrolled in a degree-granting program (undergraduate or graduate) or a recent graduate of such a program
•  Students obtaining or who have obtained degrees in environmental science, biology, marine science, or other, similar subject is preferred but not required
•  Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills; an ability to work effectively with staff and volunteers, as well as independently; and an ability to be a self-starter
•  Previous experience with fieldwork and data collection is preferred but not a requirement 
•  Excellent time management skills needed to handle multiple, concurrent projects 
•  Familiarity with Excel, Word, and Outlook required
•  We seek creative thinkers interested in learning about the Chesapeake Bay as well as furthering the Foundation’s mission to "Save the Bay” 
• Must have reliable daily transportation for travel in Maryland. The majority of the work will take place in Anne Arundel County but travel to other areas within the state such as Baltimore, the Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland is required. In addition, this position may involve working some evenings and weekends.