<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html><head><meta id="_moz_html_fragment"> <title>Interning With Blue Mountains Biodiversity Project</title> </head><body style="background-color: rgb(29, 149, 29); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" alink="#ee0000" link="#0000ee" vlink="#551a8b"><h1 style="background-color: rgb(29, 149, 29);">INTERNING WITH THE BLUE MOUNTAINS BIODIVERSITY PROJECT</h1> WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW <br> <br> <br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Our Issues: </span><br>The Blue Mountains Biodiversity Project accepts volunteer interns from May through September. Interns help with our work in stopping destructive timber sales, herbicide use proposals and contributing to greater public awareness. Our outreach, educational and advocacy work focuses on turning the trend of environmental and community destruction in such issues as Animal Damage Control species eradication, oil and gas leasing, unethical and unsustainable predator hunting and protection. Exposing and ending the corporate dominance over society is key to resolving many of these problems. <br>Our greatest needs for help are in the areas of field-checking timber sales, writing comments on agency proposals, filing, and information coordination. No prior experience is necessary, although it is helpful. <br> <br> <br><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Skills You Could Learn: </span><br> identification of native wildlife and plant species in eastern Oregon, how to evaluate habitat qualities and viability, understanding how the Forest Service and other agencies operate, knowledge of environmental laws, map and compass skills, research and writing skills, organizational skills, greater knowledge of ecological processes (including fire, insects, disease, tree species succession, soil dynamics, etc.) and greater knowledge of the issues we address. <br>Skills useful to have: prior experience with Forest Service planning, legal background, office skills, photography or video skills, writing and typing skills, filing experience, hiking and map and compass skills. <br> <br> <br><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Natural Attractions: </span><br>Our land has a magnificent view of canyon-lands below us, lots of stars visible at night, choruses of coyotes, hooting of owls, tapping of woodpeckers. There is abundant and diverse wildlife on our land and in the National Forest behind us and where we go field-checking timber sales. Interns commonly see elk, deer, coyotes, woodpeckers (including Pileated), wild mushrooms and sometimes bobcats, badgers, porcupines, rattle snakes, bears, a cougar and a pine marten have all been seen. Other attractions include the John Day River, local ponds, rock formations, fossils, Native artifacts (which we leave in place), magnificent lightning shows, edible mushrooms (there are also highly poisonous ones, so full keying out and erring on the side of caution is needed) and medicinal and edible plants. <br><br> <br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Natural Risks and Hazards: </span><br>As we are far from rich, everything in which you participate is at your own risk. Natural hazards include: lightning, potential wildfire, rattlesnakes, falling trees, ticks, poisonous mushrooms, falls, sunstroke, hypothermia, etc. So far every one of our interns has come out alive and well, but be prepared for a wide range of conditions, know your physical limits (and let us know what they are) and be responsible for yourself. <br><br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">What You Need to Bring: </span><br>First, it is essential that you are self-sufficient in food and money for your own personal needs. We cannot pay everyone and we also cannot feed everyone. Meals can be cooked and shared cooperatively (we are vegetarian and about half the time vegan or more) but everyone must contribute their fair share of food. Plan to have at least two weeks food supply with you when you come (more in bulk foods if you are staying longer) and to be able to resupply at about 2-3 week intervals. Warning: There are no good stores near here  the nearest organic and vegan food stores are two hours driving away, the nearest big organic/vegan food stores are three to four ½ hours drive away. Other things to bring: You need your own camping gear: sleeping bag, pad, tent, water bottles, daypack, backpack for longer trips if possible, a camping stove and fuel. You ll need clothes and sleeping bag for weather ranging from potential lows of 20 degrees to highs of 100 degrees F. You need good, broken-in hiking boots and rain gear. <br><br> <br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Living Conditions: </span><br>We limit internships to May through September because we do not have enough intern space and woodstoves to provide for people s needs in the winter. We expect you to camp out on our land. So it is best to bring a tent, although a hammock, a tarp and a rope may work. We have one small kitchen space with a propane stove and oven that can be used for communal cooking and a picnic table for outside eating. We expect fair and consistent help with dishes and keeping the kitchen clean. We have no electricity or running water. We do have excellent spring water for drinking and we expect help in hauling water for drinking, animals and gardens. The  bathroom is an outhouse. Lightning is candles. We live in a high fire risk area and have already burned out once (most of our trees are now snags), so it is essential that there is great care with fire, including cigarettes. (We don t smoke -- there is no smoking allowed inside our kitchen, vehicles and other buildings.) Alcoholism and drug abuse are not o.k. Minor amounts of alcohol are all right. <br>We have animals: 1 dog, 2 cats and some chickens. We prefer that you do not bring dogs. Talk to us if this is a problem. One of our neighbors has shot dogs dead without warning if they come onto their property. Our other animals are free-ranging, so you need o be able to live around them and not mind cats. No chicken-killing dogs. We have an underlying animal rights ethic (with our own interpretations eg. We eat our own chickens eggs and sometimes organic milk products. <br><br> <br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Helpful Things to Bring: </span><br>Personal items (towel, etc.), sunscreen, a compass, a long wind-up tape measure and your own camera, if you have one. Brining your own vehicle (esp. a 4 wheel drive truck with high clearance) is terrific, but not necessary. Bring food for hiking that you don t have to cook. <br><br> <br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Weather: </span><br>Weather out here is variable and you should come prepared for anything. We have field-checked in snow in June. However here are rough guidelines: May-June: rainier (though very beautiful time of year with lots of wild flowers) July: usually hotter (up to 100 degrees F.) but can be rainy late July, August and September: typically hot and dry (it may not rain at all during August and September) Lightning is most prevalent in June and July but may continue throughout the summer. High winds occur periodically and wildfires may occur in later summer (August especially). <br><br> <br> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Physical donations that we can use: </span><br>We welcome donations of pallet boards and metal fence posts (recycled only, not new). We could also use plastic buckets and lids, hemp and other alternative fiber paper or 100&amp; recycled paper with high post-consumer content and a good quality manual typewriter. Protocol for hooking up with us: Call or write first. We like to meet you in person first if possible. Then let us know at least two weeks before you are able to come, arrange transportation, and we will then send you a map. It is very helpful if you have your own vehicle, but not necessary. However there are no bus, train or air routes directly here (not even close). We often arrange rides for interns to come in and out again at the end. <br><br> <br> Contact Information: <br> Blue Mountains Biodiversity Project<br> 27803 Williams Lane<br> Fossil, Oregon 97830<br> (541) 385-9167<br> </body></html>