GIS Mapping Internship

Greenbelt Alliance is seeking individuals with an interest in regional open space planning for an exciting internship though our Policy Research Department.

About Greenbelt Alliance
Greenbelt Alliance is the Bay Area's land conservation and urban planning nonprofit. Our mission is to make the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area a better place to live by protecting the region's greenbelt and improving its cities and towns. Since 1958, Greenbelt Alliance has helped to permanently protect over 1 million acres of the Bay Area’s natural areas and working farms. Our Research Department is located in downtown San Francisco.

Responsibilities
Help protect open space and revitalize existing cities and towns by providing mapping assistance to a few ongoing research projects. Greenbelt Alliance is using map-based analysis to create a long-term strategy for our work. What would a fully protected greenbelt look like? What cities and towns have high potential to add homes and jobs, so development doesn’t happen out on the hills and farmland? Which parts of the greenbelt are already protected and which need protections? Help us answer these questions, by building databases and maps we can use to record and analyze relevant information, create strategies, and communicate visually about these issues.

Commitment
This position requires a commitment of two to four days a week for three to six months.

Qualifications
The candidate for this position should possess basic GIS skills, as well as some knowledge of city planning or open space protection.

GIS interns will use mapping skills to help with Greenbelt Alliance's research work. The GIS skills needed for this position are basic to intermediate. (Candidates with advanced skills may wish to check for internship or volunteer opportunities at GreenInfo Network (http://www.greeninfo.org/html/jobs.html). The interesting and challenging questions are about how to translate real-world complexity into mappable data, use the available data to answer questions, and make maps that clearly communicate that information.

Superior organization, record-keeping skills, and a good eye for detail are also essential. The internship is most successful when interns have an ability to work independently -- to take initiative, manage project timelines, be resourceful in solving problems, and seek help when needed.

Benefits
This position is an excellent opportunity to participate in exciting projects that will create a vision of open space in the Bay Area. Greenbelt Alliance interns are a part of an organization that is doing deeply rewarding work to improve the quality of life for the entire region. Interns will get a feel for the functioning of an established, effective nonprofit organization. The intern will meet open space professionals from around the Bay Area and will learn about environmental issues as well while developing a network of contacts in the non-profit field.

To Apply
To apply for this opportunity, please send a resume and cover letter. Cover letter should include the following information:
• Your interest in this volunteer opportunity
• The experiences that have prepared you for this opportunity
• Your availability (times and days, length of commitment)
• Where you heard about this volunteer opportunity

Please send application and inquiries to:
• volunteer@greenbelt.org
or to
• Greenbelt Alliance
Attn: Volunteer Coordinator
631 Howard Street, Suite 510
San Francisco, CA 94105