The Land Conservancy of McHenry County launches Conservation Leader Internship Program

The Land Conservancy of McHenry County is launching its Conservation Leader Internship Program in the summer.

The program is designed to be a hands-on learning experience to give participants the knowledge and skills required to navigate the field of conservation as a professional.

The program is a paid summer internship that will provide underserved communities such as women and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) individuals with hands-on professional training in the field of conservation.

Participants will gain experience areas such as: plant identification, land management, GIS/GPS training, prescribed fire training, herbicide use, rare plant monitoring, wildlife/stream surveys, sustainable farming techniques, land preservation techniques, field safety, scientific research/experimental design, art in the natural world, career development and professional networking.

This collection of skills will give each participant a strong understanding of the field of conservation and serve as a springboard for a professional career in the field.

The program includes planned outings to Nachusa Grasslands, Indiana Dunes National Park, Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Glacial Park and McHenry County College.

CLIP is open to high school juniors/seniors and college-aged individuals.

Applicants are not required to be enrolled in a college program, and no experience is required.

The deadline to apply is Friday, Feb. 19.

More details and application instructions are available at ConserveMC.org.

The Land Conservancy of McHenry County is a member-based private nonprofit dedicated to preserving natural, scenic and agricultural land. Follow twitter.com/conservemc.