Ecological Restoration Intern

Company: River Partners
Location: Chico
Posted on: February 18, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description Restoration Science Scholar Intern Location: Chico, California Status : Temporary- Full-time, Non-Exempt Start date : June 2026, flexible Duration : 8 weeks with the possibility to extend up to 12 weeks Reports to : Restoration Science Associate, Supervisory Pay : $18.00 Hourly A thriving future for California’s environment and communities requires bold vision, creative problem-solving, and relentless determination. This is a critical decade for action and River Partners is growing our team of talented, tenacious change-makers to meet the challenge head on. Join us! Who We Are River Partners brings life back to California rivers. We’ve revitalized more habitat along impaired California rivers than any other entity in the western U.S., having led hundreds of projects across nearly 20,000 acres throughout California. We restore thriving native forests and ecosystems that support imperiled wildlife, improve flood safety, boost the state’s climate resilience, replenish and improve freshwater resources, create open space for communities, and build stronger local economies. Since 1998, we have pioneered an innovative, entrepreneurial approach to conservation, combining modern farming, cutting-edge science, and diverse partnerships. We are meeting the urgent need this decade to restore our riverways and seek passionate team members to help us grow our restoration footprint at an unprecedented pace and scale. Why You Should Join Us River Partners offers competitive salaries and benefits, including comprehensive health care insurance, flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) plan with immediate employer matching, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance programs, and other well-being benefits. We’re proud of our supportive culture and focus on work-life balance. We strive to create an environment that brings fulfillment to our team members’ personal lives by offering paid time off, an alternative work schedule, and flexible hours. Position Description The Restoration Science Scholar works as part of River Partners’ Science Team to support, implement, and monitor our habitat restoration projects on California’s rivers. This position provides a great opportunity to learn about large scale horticultural restoration, vegetation monitoring techniques, riparian ecology, GIS applications, and riparian plants. Restoration Scholars spend time hiking outdoors collecting and analyzing plant data within our adaptive management framework to help design better habitat restoration projects in the future. This position requires long strenuous days monitoring vegetation in the heat, data entry and management, and a self-directed research project pertaining to riparian restoration. Forty-hour workweeks will be expected and early morning workdays starting at 6 am are not uncommon for this position. During the summer months River Partners works 4, 10-hour days each week. Housing is not provided. Essential Functions and Responsibilities (10%) Project and Team Collaboration Ensure compliance with workplace regulations in collaboration with the Safety & Office Manager. Exercise sound judgment in elevating issues for support by leadership. Regularly travel to project sites and regional offices to complete job duties and collaborate with the larger Restoration Science Team. Foster positive working relationships amongst the Restoration Science team to support excellent project delivery. (75%) Restoration Project Monitoring As part of a team, collect data on past, active, or planned restoration projects within your region. This is primarily vegetation data in the form of plant censuses or releves, but may also include geographic data, camera trap photographs, ARU recordings, pollinator surveys, or other forms of data collection based on site needs and individual skillsets. Become familiar with native vegetation species used in restoration, common native herbaceous species, and non-native herbaceous species found in the assigned region. Travel from regional office to assigned work sites, involving drivetime of up to three hours. Travel may involve carpooling with other staff members. Minimal travel to other regions may be required and may involve plane travel and overnight accommodations. This position is primarily field based, but does include accurately organizing, entering, and vetting data collected daily during fieldwork. Typical days include data collection during the mornings, followed by data entry during the afternoons. Collect field data and perform data quality control to support monitoring of Restoration Project performance with highest integrity. Clearly communicates challenges and pertinent site updates as appropriate with supervisor, other restoration scholars, and members of the science team. (15%) Special Projects At the direction of your supervisor, choose from a provided list and complete an individual special research project related to restoration science and practice. While guidance will be provided, the project is self-directed and it will be the responsibility of the restoration Scholar to ensure timely completion of data collection, analysis, and creation of the presentation and report. Cleary communicate individual research project outcomes to the organization in a final presentation and project report. Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Interest in California plants, riparian ecology, hydrology, soils, and wildlife. Familiarity with plant identification and dichotomous keys. Basic understanding of ecological concepts. Willingness to work long hours in the field, including in hot weather, and necessitating early mornings. Ability to collaborate with diverse team members with poise and respect. Basic understanding of statistics and experimental design. Proficiency in MS Office applications. Excellent verbal, analytical, organizational, and written skills, including data visualization to technical and non-technical audiences. Integrity and ethics beyond reproach. Qualifications Currently working towards a higher education degree in Ecology, Wildlife Management, Restoration, Climate Science, Engineering, or a related field. Valid California driver’s license with no restrictions. Commitment and enthusiasm to carry out River Partners’ mission. Compensation The anticipated rate for this position is $18.00 per hour. Location This position is based in Chico, Modesto, and Bakersfield. Chico and Modesto Restoration Science Scholars report from River Partners offices. A hybrid schedule may be approved after the introductory period. Bakersfield Restoration Science Scholars adopt a hybrid schedule and should anticipate field work in the region 2-3 days of the week. Some travel is required for all locations. To Apply Please submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references to the link below Careers at River Partners Application Deadline: April 3, 2026 Working Conditions/Physical Effort Overall: Office and outdoor working conditions. Does this job have any travel requirements? ? Yes ? No Percentage of time spent traveling: ? 10-25% ? 26-50% ? >50% Travel is by (check all that apply): ? Car ? Airplane ? Other:____________________________________ Describe the specific job duties that require the physical demands selected below: Working on a restoration site with agricultural-type equipment. Working at a computer, using a copier, and reading documents. Does this job require that weight be lifted or force be exerted? If so, how much and how often? Check the appropriate boxes below. Amount of Time% of Work Week None Under 1/3 1/3 to 2/3 Over 2/3 Up to 10 pounds ? ? ? ? Up to 25 pounds ? ? ? ? Up to 50 pounds ? ? ? ? Up to 100 pounds ? ? ? ? More than 100 pounds ? ? ? ? How much on-the-job time is spent in the following physical activities? Show the amount of time by checking the appropriate boxes below. Amount of Time% of Work Week None Under 1/3 1/3 to 2/3 Over 2/3 Stand ? ? ? ? Walk ? ? ? ? Sit ? ? ? ? Use hands to handle or feel ? ? ? ? Reach with hands and arms ? ? ? ? Climb or balance ? ? ? ? Stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl ? ? ? ? Talk or hear ? ? ? ? Taste or smell ? ? ? ? How much noise is typical for the work environment of this job? Check the appropriate level below. ? Very quiet (examples: forest trail, isolation booth for hearing test) ? Quiet (examples: library, private office) ? Moderate noise (examples: business office with computers and printers, light traffic) ? Loud (examples: metal can manufacturing department, large earth-moving equipment) ? Very loud (examples: jack hammer work, front row at rock concert) How much exposure to the following environmental conditions does this job require? Show the amount of time by checking the appropriate boxes below. Amount of Time% of Work Week None Under 1/3 1/3 to 2/3 Over 2/3 Wet or humid conditions (non-weather) ? ? ? ? Work near moving mechanical parts ? ? ? ? Work in high, precarious places ? ? ? ? Fumes or airborne particles ? ? ? ? Toxic or caustic chemicals ? ? ? ? Outdoor weather conditions ? ? ? ? Extreme cold (non-weather) ? ? ? ? Extreme heat (non-weather) ? ? ? ? Risk of electrical shock ? ? ? ? Work with explosives ? ? ? ? Risk of radiation ? ? ? ? Vibration ? ? ? ? Does this job have any special vision requirements? Check all that apply. ? Close vision (clear vision at 20 inches or less) ? Distance vision (clear vision at 20 feet or more) ? Color vision (ability to identify and distinguish colors) ? Peripheral vision (ability to observe an area that can be seen up and down or to the left and right while eyes are fixed on a given point) ? Depth perception (three-dimensional vision, ability to judge distances and spatial relationships) ? Ability to adjust focus (ability to adjust the eye to bring an object into sharp focus) ? No special vision requirements River Partners is an Equal Opportunity Employer River Partners is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, disability, medical condition religion, age, military or veteran status, or any other protected group status or non?job related characteristic as directed by law.

Keywords: River Partners, Redding , Ecological Restoration Intern, Science, Research & Development , Chico, California