Pathways Student Internships
Position Details
Below you can find detailed information for each Pathways position, if available. Read more about the Pathways program and these announcements.
Student Trainee (Program Support)
Series: 0399
Grade Levels: GS-4/5, Full performance level 7
Application Link
| Location | Office | Description of Duties | Preferred Start Month |
| Portland, OR | Oregon Fish & Wildlife Office | The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office (OFWO) in Portland, Oregon, is excited to provide experience with federal administrative and budget work with the intention of showing them what a rewarding career this work can be, supporting the Service’s science-based work. Our Fellow will get experience performing the work of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service administrative and budget positions. There will also be opportunities for the Fellow to participate in biological field work, through which the Fellow will get an appreciation for the Service’s science-based conservation work. The Fellow will have the opportunity to participate in person office days at OFWO, as well as biological field work experiences. (NO EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED) | |
| Atlanta, GA and Frankfort, KY | Wildlife & Sport Fish Restoration Program, Region 4 | ||
| Atlanta, GA | National Wildlife Refuge System, Division of Realty, Region 4 | ||
| Sacramento, CA | Regional Business Office, Region 8 | The Student Trainee will be placed with the Region 8 Regional Business Office in Sacramento, CA. The trainee will be responsible for a number of administrative and analyst tasks, including office space management, property and fleet administration, and safety officer duties. Additional tasks including opportunities to assist with coordination of regional efforts may be available. Mentorship, training, and networking opportunities will be provided for interns. This position will develop critical professional skills in data management, communication, coordination, and customer service. Candidates should be local to the greater Sacramento area and have an interest in the aforementioned topics. All majors and qualifying certificate programs are welcome to apply. | |
| Sacramento, CA | National Wildlife Refuge System, Division of Realty, Region 8 | The Realty Program in California and Nevada is within the National Wildlife Refuge System, and its primary function is to support the acquisition and management of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands, using Migratory Bird Conservation and Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars. The National Wildlife Refuge System grows through the conservation of fee-title and easement acquisitions from willing sellers within approved acquisition boundaries. The Realty Program collaborates closely with the Refuge Planning Program and individual National Wildlife Refuges to prioritize and acquire properties that benefit Refuges. The Realty Program also houses a variety of data types for the Service including geospatial data and land tract data that document the areas of land and water where the Service has legal interest. In general, the Pathways Student Trainee position provides: (1) technical and program support for records and data management; (2) assistance to the Realty Specialists by contributing to various steps in the acquisition process which spans from planning to final acquisition of property. |
Student Trainee (Biological Sciences)
Series: 0499
Grade Levels: GS-4/5/7, Full performance level 9
Application Link
| Location Possibilities | Office | Description of Duties | Preferred Start Month |
| Vancouver, WA | Columbia River Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office | Columbia River FWCO: The Hatchery Marking and Tagging intern will assist in activities related to mandated mass marking of hatchery fish including marking and tagging of juvenile fish, bio sampling of returning adult fish, providing assistance with recording and summarizing data, and associated reporting. The intern will also assist in studies evaluating the effects of the various marking techniques on condition, growth, behavior, and survival of fish to various life stages. (NO EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED) | |
| Orofino, ID | Idaho Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office | The student would assist with a variety of field projects monitoring and conserving native species and assisting with hatchery monitoring and evaluation sampling at Dworshak National Fish Hatchery. A majority of the students time would be spent on a team conducting field work which would include backpack electrofishing surveys and environmental DNA sampling for larval Pacific Lamprey and ESA listed bull trout. Some field work would be conducted in remote wilderness settings and require camping for multiple days. Additional tasks may include PIT tagging adult lamprey and assisting staff constructing/operating a fish weir. Hatchery tasks would include collecting biological data on spring Chinook Salmon during spawning events and extracting coded wire tags. (NO EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED) | |
| Newport, OR | Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex | A National Wildlife Refuge Complex is a group of two or more refuges, wildlife management areas, or other refuge conservation areas that are managed from one central office. The Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex is a group of six terrestrial and oceanic refuges spread out along 320 miles of the Oregon Coast. The Complex is managed from our headquarters in Newport, Oregon. Two additional refuge offices are located at the Bandon Marsh NWR in Bandon, Oregon (south coast) and at the Nestucca Bay NWR near Pacific City, Oregon (north coast) (NO EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED). | |
| Cheney, WA | Inland Northwest National Wildlife Refuge Complex | The biological technician Pathways student at Turnbull NWR will primarily focus on habitat management and vegetative health through invasive species invasive species An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars. Learn more about invasive species control. In addition to habitat management at Turnbull NWR, the position will be a part of a partnership with Fairchild Airforce Base to assist in meeting their habitat goals and managing the endangered Spalding's catchfly. Additional responsibilities will include biological surveys of Spalding's catchfly, migratory waterfowl, and other surveys conducted at Turnbull NWR. (NO EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED) | |
| Longview, WA | Abernathy Fish Technology Center | The Seabird Intern will be assisting the Complex’s Wildlife Biologist and others to implement seabird productivity monitoring on near-shore islands up and down the Oregon Coast. The Intern will travel to and from islands by boat or kayak during the nesting season. The Intern also may help to locate and trap mammalian predators on islands during the seabird nesting season, perform invasive plant treatments, nesting burrow surveys, and other actions that contribute to the conservation of seabirds on the Oregon Coast (NO EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED). | |
| Lacey, WA | Washington Fish and Wildlife Office | This project will give the intern a broad range of experiences in the field collecting data, learning about the Endangered Species Act and how it’s implemented, and networking with a multitude of partners. Potential field work includes, but is not limited to, surveys, plant and wildlife monitoring, surveying for species in different ecosystems, and habitat restoration. Potential non-field work experiences include gaining hands on experience creating outreach products for our agency, conducting environmental education, and learning about Section 7 Section 7 Section 7 Consultation The Endangered Species Act (ESA) directs all Federal agencies to work to conserve endangered and threatened species and to use their authorities to further the purposes of the Act. Section 7 of the Act, called "Interagency Cooperation," is the mechanism by which Federal agencies ensure the actions they take, including those they fund or authorize, do not jeopardize the existence of any listed species. Learn more about Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. The intern will have the opportunity to work with several people from our office directly as well as other USFWS programs and external partners. By the end of the summer, the intern will expand their professional networks and learn more about roles and responsibilities for multiple programs in the USFWS and other conservation agencies (NO EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED). | |
| Portland, OR | Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office | The intern will be involved in a variety of activities in the areas of endangered species recovery, ESA listing, and ESA consultations with federal agencies in order to contribute to the conservation of threatened and endangered species in Oregon. The intern will be working in the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office's Endangered Species Division with additional opportunities in our Aquatic Conservation Division. Work will be mostly in the office with some opportunities for field work from time to time (NO EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED). | |
| Green Bay (New Franken), WI | Green Bay Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office | This position will support priority work for lake sturgeon at the Cedar River streamside rearing facility in Michigan. This is a high priority project with the Michigan DNR for continued rehabilitation of lake sturgeon in Lake Michigan. The position will also be asked to assist with lake sturgeon with our tribal partners across the basin, but the majority of the work will be in the care and feeding of young lake sturgeon until they are of length to be stocked into the Cedar River in late summer or early fall. (NO EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED) | May 2024 |
| Onalaska, WI | Whitney Genetics Lab | Pathways intern will work alongside geneticists and biologists to support fish and wildlife conservation efforts. Onalaska is located near La Crosse, WI and is located within the unique Driftless Area surrounded by steep bluffs and rugged landscape. (NO EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED) | June 2024 |
| Genoa, WI | Genoa National Fish Hatchery | The intern will perform a variety of tasks in support of daily work operations at Genoa National Fish Hatchery, performing a full range of standardized support duties required at the hatchery. The pathways intern will work alongside fish and mussel biologists to support fisheries operations at the hatchery. The fish hatchery is located in Genoa, WI about 20 minutes south of La Crosse, WI along the Great River Road. (NO EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED) | May 2024 |
| Stanton, TN | West Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge Complex | ||
| Augusta, AR | Cache River National Wildlife Refuge | ||
| Atlanta, GA | Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration, Region 4 | ||
| Ripley, TN | West Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge Complex | ||
| Decatur, AL | Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge | ||
| Hadley, MA | Migratory Birds, Region 5 | The Division of Migratory Birds is seeking an enthusiastic and flexible Pathways Student to primarily assist biological analysis to support permitting and issuing permits. Additional opportunities may arise to work in the field or assist other MB staff with ongoing projects. | July/August 2024 |
| Hadley, MA; Orland, ME; or Smyrna, DE | Migratory Birds, Region 5 | Primary duties would include the management of the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture project inventory of coastal marsh restoration projects from Maine to Florida. This includes outreach to ACJV partners via email, Teams, phone, review of existing documents and updating of project inventory entries to reflect changes in project status, and inputting this information into the ACJV future projects spreadsheet as needed. This position will include skills development in ESRI's Survey 123, partner outreach experience, and database management. The pathways student will report directly to the ACJV Science Coordinator. | ASAP |
| Hadley, MA; Orland, ME; or Smyrna, DE | Migratory Birds, Region 5 | Primary Duties will include the collection and analysis of data on saltmarsh sparrow nesting behavior on Monomoy NWR, Massachusetts. This incudes a full-time seasonal component of field work from June - August. This position will include skills development in songbird field data collection, data entry, analysis, and reporting. The pathways student will report directly to the science coordinator. | May |
| Laurel, MD | Patuxent Research Refuge | Primary duties would include support of four distinct programs involved in operating a National Wildlife Refuge: management, biology, visitor services, and facilities maintenance. Responsibilities may include staffing the North Tract visitor information station, hunting and fishing program support, coordination and delivery of special public events, mapping and management of invasive species, trail maintenance, and assisting with improvements and/or demolition of structures. This position is a year-round position and involves teamwork with a wide variety of people (managers, scientists, rangers, volunteers, partners and the visiting public). | December 2023 |
| Arcata, CA | Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office | This position is located in Arcata, CA. Major duties include surveying of rare and listed pollinators throughout northern coastal California, coordination of volunteer events, native plant material collection and harvest, data collection, and data entry. This position will focus on working with threatened, endangered, and rare butterfly species with the intent to increase the frequency and coverage of surveys for Oregon silverspot butterfly, Behren's silverspot butterfly, lotis blue butterfly, and others. Surveys for other pollinators may also be completed based on duty station needs and availability. Other duties may include harvesting plant material for use in captive rearing programs at Sequoia Park Zoo, assistance with coordination of an annual volunteer restoration event, and data management. Ideal candidate competencies include the ability to identify butterfly species native to Northern California, the ability to identify native and non-native plant species in Northern California, and experience conducting protocol-level surveys for rare species. This position will require a driver's license and the ability to traverse uneven terrain off-trail. | |
| Sacramento, CA | Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office | The Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office works on a variety of projects under the Endangered Species Act, such as listing, recovery, consultation with government and private individuals, and conservation banking. The Pathways intern will have an opportunity to learn and participate in all parts of the Endangered Species Act through interaction with the various parts of our office. The position will be in the Military and Waterway Planning Division where we work with both flood and military partners as they work on their missions. We are looking for applicants in the greater Sacramento area that are excited about conservation and willing to learn new things. (NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED) | |
| Lodi, CA | Lodi Fish and Wildlife Office | These positions are part of the Lodi Fish and Wildlife Office. As a Pathways Student Trainee, you will be responsible for providing technical support and assistance to biologist participating in multiple activities that support the conservation, restoration, protection, enhancement and management of the Central Valley’s aquatic resources. Interns will conduct a field-based aquatic investigations for fish species, habitat analysis, and habitat restoration. Interns will also manage species data and maintain records filed under a central database to standardize field data. This is an excellent opportunity to build fundamental biological skills that are directly applicable to a number of vacant permanent positions in the agency. | |
| Ventura, CA | Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office | The Pathways biologist would create of a Habitats of the Watershed video series, highlighting the benefits of conserving our native species and their habitats, and integrate the video series within a lesson plan to support local schools in communities adjacent to the Santa Clara River in Ventura County. Although we prefer to bring students to the field, educators often face many limitations (including financial, access to transportation, inclement weather, and staff availability) that limit opportunities for students to learn about local ecosystems. The Pathways biologist (intern) would work with educators and Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office (VFWO) biologists and provide an accessible resource that brings students on a virtual tour of a local watershed, to communicate the importance of the habitats along the watershed. The intern would select a minimum of three species (e.g., California red-legged frog, least Bell’s vireo, tidewater goby, California least tern) found within various habitats throughout the watershed, research their life history, and draft a lesson plan that describes the listed species, the habitat they occupy and how it relates to the watershed, and the threats they face. The intern would develop a video script for a short two-minute film for each species, coordinate with species’ experts to schedule an in-habitat interview, and edit the footage into a two-minute video. If possible, the intern may create bilingual (i.e., Spanish and English) videos for each video. The intern also would develop an accompanying lesson plan (or alternatively, an ArcGIS story map) that “walks” students along the watershed and through each habitat. Finally, to gain experience implementing the Endangered Species Act, the intern would work on at least two regulatory documents (e.g., author section(s) of a regulatory document or informal consultation document) that is related to the listed species present within the watershed. | |
| Calipatria, CA | Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge Complex | The Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge Complex (Refuge), duty station in Calipatria, California, is seeking to fill a summer season multi-disciplinary biological science internship to assist with managing waterfowl habitat, monitoring nesting bird populations, and entering and organizing data in the Refuge’s GIS and Excel databases. The position also affords opportunities to engage in public outreach and environmental education depending on scheduling and availability. Managing the Refuge waterfowl habitat involves operating a variety of heavy equipment machinery, primarily agricultural tactors, for up to 6 hours at a time, invasive species removal involving herbicide application, manipulating water levels in permanent deep-water wetlands and cattail marshes, and assisting with irrigating the seasonal shallow water wetlands. Estimated work time allotment: • 65% Waterfowl habitat management • 10% Bird surveys • 20% Data entry and management • 5% Outreach/miscellaneous The farm-style Refuge is located on the southern end of the Salton Sea outside Calipatria, California. The summer months are exceptionally hot with average temperatures maintaining over 110 degrees with highs reaching 120 degrees. Due to the heavy farming within the Imperial Valley and surrounding desert landscape, dust and dust storms caused by monsoon and Santa Annas are common and may cause respiratory issues in some people who are sensitive to poor air quality. The internship will require the selected individual to mostly work outside with minimal time in the office. An ideal candidate is someone who will be able to tolerate the extreme desert heat, poor air quality, and work well both independently and with a supervisor to accomplish tasks. It is preferred if the candidate has some experience in farming practices and the use of agricultural tractors. Shared communal housing is available in fully furnished bunkhouses. |
Student Trainee (Biological Science)
Series: 0499
Grade Levels: GS-9, Full performance level 9
Application Link
| Location | Office | Description of Duties | Preferred Start Month |
| San Antonio, TX | Regional Office, Region 3 | This position will support various collaborative efforts of Science Applications throughout the Midwest Region, as well as possibly with other regions and nationwide, on our priority conservation issues. The Pathways intern will work alongside conservation professionals in Region 3 Science Applications, the US FWS, state and tribal conservation departments, and other conservation organizations. The position will be located at the University of Texas – San Antonio (UTSA), in support of a national Memorandum of Understanding between USFWS and UTSA. | ASAP |
| One of: Tuskegee, AL; Starkville, MS; Asheville, NC; Stillwater, OK; San Antonio, TX | Migratory Birds, Region 4 |
