Internship Oppertunities

Dear Potential Internship Participant,

Thank you for your interest in an internship with the Northwest Straits Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation.  We would like to give you more background information on our different projects within our chapter, and the guideline list of our internship opportunities (listed below). As a review, the various internship areas include but are not limited to the following: business, marketing, environmental and natural sciences, policy, event coordinating, managing, media, outreach, education, research, bus driving etc.

In order for us to stay organized we would like to ask you to e-mail the following information to nws@surfrider.org (you may also download the excel sheet here):

Your name and contact information,
•    Your specific interest (if any or all)
•    Your expected major(s) and minor(s) and specific interests of internships
•    If you have an interest in pursuing more than one internship topic
•    If you would like to join our local chapter e-mailing list
•    If you would like to join global Surfrider Foundation e-mailing list.
•    And/or if you would like to join our Western Washington Universities Associate Student “Surfrider” Club.

Remember that volunteering for our chapter does not mean you have to intern. We would love any help you can give us. If you are interning and you would like to start a project of your own, we will be more than happy to help you succeed in your project of interest.  Also, if you see a contact e-mail in the descriptions below, feel free to contact them as well with “Internship for (project name)” as the heading.
On behalf of Surfrider Foundation and the Northwest Straits Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, we would like to thank you again for your interest and are looking forward to working with you soon. ☺

Eleanor Hines and Kim Salerno
Chair and Secretary of the Northwest Straits Chapter

Positions

Blue Water Task Force
The Blue Water Task Force (BWTF) was established by the Surfrider Foundation in 1991 with goals and hopes to gather enough data to raise public awareness, increase public participation, and influence national legislation.
Currently BWTF is taking water samples at four locations in Bellingham (Padden Creek mouth, Little Squalicum Beach, Mud Bay, and Larrabee State Park) for fecal coliforms and E. coli presence with the generous donation of laboratory space by Post Point.  BWTF is also in the process of obtaining lab certification, sampling equipment, and equipment for water quality parameter measurements. For more information, please contact Eleanor Hines at eleanorehines@gmail.com .

Native Garden Project
The objectives of the native garden include supporting the existing ecosystem, improving water quality, reducing the occurrence of invasive, non-native plant species, and providing a scenic landscape. Visitors to the garden will gain an understanding of how to garden in an ecologically sensitive manner.
The NWS Chapter is responsible for designing, planting, and maintaining the garden. For more information contact nws@surfrider.org.

Snow Rider Project
The Snowrider Task Force educates the public about the impacts of our mountain watersheds on our oceans water-quality.
The NWS chapter’s Snowrider Task Force is based out of Glacier, and is currently helping support the Baker Bus to decrease the enormous number of cars traveling to Mt. Baker Ski Area. In doing so, the Baker Bus protects the North Fork of the Nooksack River watershed. For more information, please contact Anne Baker at annebaker3@excite.com.

Education Project
Our education project also integrates our various projects to educate the local community. For more information, please contact Mike at mrlevinevt@gmail.com.

We also have other projects and campaigns not directly under any of our chapters main projects. They include:

5th Annual Soundwaves
Every year, our local chapter holds an annual fundraiser to raise money for the various projects. Last year, we had kids event, food, drinks, concert, fashion show and raffling with the support of our many wonderful sponsors at the Boundary Bay Brewery.  This year, we hope to repeat and expand the success of last year. In order to make it successful we need help in every aspect (event planning, marketing, band coordination, outreaching for sponsorship and publicity, writing sponsorship letters etc. For more information, please contact Eleanor Hines at  eleanorehines@gmail.com .

Rise Above Plastics Campaign
Our chapter has joined the global campaign in its fight against single-use plastics and single-use water bottles. Did you know that there are two islands of garbage (called Eastern and Western Garbage Patches) that have an estimated 100 million tons of plastic debris in the Pacific Ocean?  Did you also know that when put together, the combined mass is larger then the size of the continental United States?  Every year, 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals die due to the ingestion of or entanglement in plastics. Our impacts to our oceans is astounding, and we all have power to do something about this problem. Our campaign fights to raise awareness of plastics presence in our oceans, encourage the reduced use and recycling of plastics, and the education of the impact plastics has in not only our local environment but our global environment. For more information, please contact us as nws@surfrider.org

“Drain to Bay” Storm Drain Markers
With help and guidance from the City of Bellingham’s Public Works Department, our chapter received 1,000 “Drains to Bay” storm drain markers from DAS Manufacturing. We are in process of placing those makers to the 1,800 storm drain inlets that drain to Bellingham Bay.  In doing so, the City of Bellingham and the Northwest Straits Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation can bring awareness about water quality and it’s connection to surface water quality and the health of the marine ecosystem.  For more information, please contact Brian Smart at tonupyank@yahoo.com.

Beach Clean-ups
The Northwest Straits Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation participates in the cleaning of our local beaches with environmentally conscious groups such as RE Sources, and REI. For more information, please contact Eleanor Hines at eleanorehines@gmail.com .

Film Premiers
In order to support those who bring awareness about our environment, we coordinate with various organizations by presenting films. Some premiers we have helped promote include “Stacked Footy” (Think Tank), “On My Own Two Feet” (Leeward Cinemas and Protect Our Winters), etc. Please contact nws@surfrider.org

Other events
We also participate in other events with global Surfrider Foundation, including Ski to Sea, Banked Slalom, Environmental Lobbying in Olympia, Earth Day, International Surf Day, Storm the Sound, Clean Water Classic, etc.