Cape Fear River Watch, USA

Cape Fear River Watch
Cape Fear River Watch is a non profit organisation working towards protecting and improving the water quality of the Lower Cape Fear River Basin in Wilmington, North Carolina, USA, through environmental education, advocacy and action.

Internship Programme:
We have places for 6 interns to join for 3 month periods in 2012 to take part in the following projects:

• Greenfield Lake Eco-Tours - interns will be trained to take visitors out on ecotours on the lake, and identify to wetland birds and tress to the visitors on boats.
• Enviroscape Programme - interns will go into schools and give presentations on cleanups and water quality monitoring alongwide environmental leaders in Wilmington.
• Paddle Series - interns will go out on the lake on canoes to paddle a different stretch of the region's diverse waterways. The Cape Fear River watershed is a paddler's paradise with stretches of water for nearly every taste.
• Water Quality Monitoring - interns will carry out water quality monitoring alongside Professors and scientists from the University of North Carolina.
• Rain Garden Education and Maintenance - building and maintenance of the rain garden.
• River Semester - interns can help to design and then conduct a summer programme with students.
• Camp site maintenance - the camp is only accessed by water, interns will have to paddle to the campsite once a week to carry out maintenance if necessary.
• Office renovation and assistance
• River Cleanups - mostly done on canoes and kayaks.  

Click here to read detailed descriptions on the above programmes.

Dates:
We have places for 6 interns to join for 3 month periods:

1st May to 31st July 2012 - 2 places available
1st August to 31st October 2012 - 3 places available

Free time
In your free time, amongst many things, there are two great opportunities for interns:

Surfing Lessons
Wrightsville Beach surfing has grown tremendously in the past few years. One of the world’s top surfers, Ben Bourgeois, once called Wrightsville Beach his “home break”. The warm Gulf Stream waters, mild air temperatures and gentle sand bars produce a friendly break for first-timers and more experienced surfers. The Wrightsville Beach surfing community includes several surf shops and outfitters.

By joining this programme, you can get free surfing lessons at Wrightsville Beach, which is 15 minutes from downtown Wilmington.  Qualified surfers will work with the internship coordinator to work in times when lessons can be given.

Wednesdays on the Water
In an effort to introduce members of the region to the Cape Fear River, CFRW offers ‘Wednesdays on the Water.”  We can take up to 7 guests in the RIVERKEEPER patrol boat for a 50 mile tour of the water shed. We cover 5 rivers on the 5-6 hour trip and invariably see numerous examples of wildlife species that call the Caper Fear home. We provide lunch and drinks for all guests. These trips would be a great activity for you to participate in. We frequently have extra space and as volunteers on this programme, you would be welcome to join the trip whenever you wish.

Location - About Wilmington, North Carolina
This charming city, also known as the Port City, is located in the southeastern corner of North Carolina between the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean. Although not just a tourist town, Wilmington, NC has many attractions such as the Battleship North Carolina, Airlie Gardens and Screen Gem Studios where TV shows such as Dawson's Creek and One Tree Hill were filmed. 

In addition, the nearby Wrightsville, Carolina and Kure Beaches are a mecca for boaters, surfers, sunbathers, beachcombers and seafood lovers and round out the wide variety of attractions in the Wilmington, NC area.

The city has more than 99,000 residents and is home to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and Cape Fear Community College. It is also home to a regional visual and performing arts center, a regional medical center and to Screen Gems Studios - North Carolina, one of the largest motion picture and television studios outside of Hollywood.

Wilmington offers the perfect environment for many outdoor activities such as surfing, canoeing, sailing and biking.  For those wanting some nightlife, downtown Wilmington is host to many establishments offering late night activities and live music.

Lodging and Food
One of the board members of CFRW is offering two bedrooms within her home to the interns chosen for this programme, with shared bathroom.  Rooms are private if 2 interns join, or shared if 3 interns join (same sex rooms or can share if couple).  The house is on the bike path leading into town and the beach and also near bus routes.   The house is one of the first "Green Built" homes in Wilmington.  As part of the programme fee, interns will receive an allowance for food, which they will need to purchase and can cook at the house either alone or with the other interns. 

Type of interns needed:
You should be 20 years old and over, fit, healthy and capable of working in all conditions in a hot climate.  No specific skills are needed, but those with previous experience of manual conservation work, trail work, gardening, river restoration etc. would be particularly useful, as well as those who are self-motivated, as you will get more out of the project if you are.  In addition, those who are either students taking a year out, or who have graduated in the domains of environmental science, or ecology will greatly benefit and will gain lots of relevant field experience.   The project will especially appeal to those with an interest in conservation, rivers, canoeing and paddling, surfing and ornithology.

Cost
The 3-month internship programme fee is £1335, which covers all costs, including all food for 3 months, housing, truck use for interns, gas for the truck, drinking water, all training and supervision by internship coordinator,  pickup and drop off from airport, project t-shirts, WorkingAbroad Projects backup and placement support, etc.
 
Training and support
Interns will work directly under the Cape Fear River Watch Internship Coordinator.  The CFRW Internship Coordinator will be responsible for scheduling, training, communication, monetary dispersement, and addressing any concerns that you may have.

This programme will provide training and lots of field work for any recent graduate needing to gain applied experience in the conservation domain.

Visas
Interns can travel for less than 90 days on a Visa Waiver Program. 

Travel
The airfare to Wilmington, North Carolina, travel/medical insurance and personal expenses are not included within this price.  It is mandatory for you to take out travel and medical insurance for the duration of the project.  In general, you can travel from your home country to Wilmington (with US Airways, Delta, United - check www.expedia.co.uk or www.cheapflights.co.uk ) - you will be picked up from the airport on arrival.