Internships

Shaping Our Next
Generation’s Leaders

The Internship Experience

Build your resume with an ecology-focused internship! At Nature Collective, you can develop expertise in conservation fields that truly make a difference, today and into the future. Dive into the space where San Diego nature is at a critical juncture – right where the ocean meets our receding coastline.

With mentorship from Nature Collective professionals, your internship can propel you toward an advanced degree – and career – in life science + environmental education.

“It is natural to protect what we love. To fall in love with nature, we need a personal connection.”

ANNIE DUNNE, WILD WISDOM FOUNDATION

Our Internship Programs

Channel your love of nature and science into a rewarding internship program. Choose from the following options – even combine 3 – to focus your efforts on a special project and build an impressive resume.

We offer stipends for our internships.

Intern planting at San Elijo Lagoon

Habitat Restoration

The Habitat Restoration Internship provides enthusiastic and detail-oriented individuals an opportunity to gain experience in habitat restoration, learning how to operate a plant nursery from seed collection to propagation. The internship will also promote Nature Collective’s mission and vision through public engagement at community restoration events.

Intern at Nature Collective's plant nursery

Integrated

The Integrated Internship provides enthusiastic and detail-oriented individuals the unique opportunity to gain experience learning over nine months in habitat restoration, land stewardship, water quality and/or the volunteer program.

Photo of habitat restoration sign in the brush along trail

Land Stewardship

The Land Stewardship Internship provides enthusiastic and detail-oriented individuals with an opportunity to gain experience in land management and monitoring activities. The internship will focus on field GIS data collection, monitoring properties, and reporting.

Intern at San Elijo Lagoon

Volunteer Program

The Volunteer Program Internship provides enthusiastic and detail-oriented individuals an opportunity to gain experience in engaging the community by providing information to the public on how to enjoy the natural world sustainably. In addition, the internship focuses on promoting Nature Collective’s mission and vision through public engagement, tours, restoration, and events.

Water Quality

The Water Quality Internship provides enthusiastic and detail-oriented individuals an opportunity to gain experience in monitoring water quality at six different locations in the San Elijo Lagoon. In addition, the interns will help out with data calibrations, retrievals, and analysis of our continuous data sondes.

Intern Year-Round at
Nature Collective

Session Start Date End date Duration Accepting Applications
Spring January May 4 months August 30 – October 31
Summer May/June August/September 2-4 months November 15 – March 1
Fall September January 4 months May 1 – July 1

Meet Our Recent Interns

  • Emma Bayne

    2025 Spring Volunteer + Outreach Programs Intern, she/her

    Emma Bayne

    2025 Spring Volunteer + Outreach Programs Intern, she/her

    Emma is working toward a Masters in Education with emphasis in Environmental Education, recently graduating from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. She is excited to support the Volunteer + Outreach Programs and engage with the community at Nature Collective events and volunteer opportunities.

  • Olivia Boitano

    2025 Integrated Intern, she/her

    Olivia Boitano

    2025 Integrated Intern, she/her

    Olivia is working toward a Bachelor’s in Sustainability with a minor in Physical Geography at San Diego State University. She is excited to support the Water Quality Program and conduct water quality monitoring at six locations in the San Elijo Lagoon. In addition, Olivia is learning to collect and assess data, calibrate lagoon-based Sondes, and continuously monitor sonde data. As an integrated intern, Olivia will also complete the community habitat restoration and volunteer program internships over the year.

  • Jordan LeGrys

    2025 Spring Water Quality Intern, she/her

    Jordan LeGrys

    2025 Spring Water Quality Intern, she/her

    Jordan recently earned a BA in Environmental Studies with a minor in Science and Mathematics Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is excited to support the Water Quality Program and conduct water quality monitoring at six locations in the San Elijo Lagoon. In addition, Jordan is learning to collect and assess data, calibrate lagoon-based Sondes, and monitor sonde data continuously.

  • Myco Linares

    2025 Spring Habitat Restoration Intern, he/they

    Myco Linares

    2025 Spring Habitat Restoration Intern, he/they

    Myco recently earned a BA in Environment & Sustainability with a concentration in Environmental Justice from Cornell University. They are on the ground with Nature Collective mentors who lead Myco in best practices for conducting community habitat restoration.

  • Chanelle Carney

    2024 Fall Water Quality Intern

    Chanelle Carney

    2024 Fall Water Quality Intern

    Chanelle recently earned a BS in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She is excited to support the Water Quality Program and conduct water quality monitoring at six locations in the San Elijo Lagoon. In addition, Chanelle will be able to assist with data collection and assessment, conduct calibrations of lagoon-based Sondes, and maintain continuous monitoring of sonde data.

  • Ali Civilikas

    2024 Summer Land Stewardship Intern

    Ali Civilikas

    2024 Summer Land Stewardship Intern

    Ali is pursuing a BS in Environmental Science from Clark University in Massachusetts. She is a recent graduate of La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad. She is excited to support the Lands Stewardship Program, which focuses on GIS data collection and reporting, monitoring properties, and fieldwork tasks. Ali will also have the opportunity to assist with annual conservation compliance monitoring and reporting, attend trainings, and use Esri modules and protocols for GIS projects.

  • Thomas McCaa

    2024 Summer Land Stewardship Intern

    Thomas McCaa

    2024 Summer Land Stewardship Intern

    Thomas is pursuing an Ecology Evolution and Biodiversity degree at the University of California Davis.  He recently graduated from Mesa Community College and Kearny High School in San Diego.  He is excited to support the Lands Stewardship Program, which focuses on GIS data collection and reporting, monitoring properties, and fieldwork tasks. Thomas will also have the opportunity to assist with annual conservation compliance monitoring and reporting, attend trainings, and use Esri modules and protocols for GIS projects.

  • Lizzy Perry

    2024 Summer Water Quality Intern

    Lizzy Perry

    2024 Summer Water Quality Intern

    Lizzy recently graduated from San Dieguito High School Academy in North County, San Diego. She aspires to be an environmental scientist. She is excited to support the Water Quality Program and conduct water quality monitoring at six locations in the San Elijo Lagoon. In addition, Lizzy will have the opportunity to assist with data collection and assessment, conduct calibrations of lagoon-based Sondes, and maintain continuous monitoring of sonde data.

  • Caroline Sullivan

    2024 Summer Water Quality Intern

    Caroline Sullivan

    2024 Summer Water Quality Intern

    Caroline recently earned a BA in Environmental Science from the University of California Santa Barbara. She is excited to support the Water Quality Program and conduct water quality monitoring at six locations in the San Elijo Lagoon. In addition, Caroline will have the opportunity to assist with data collection and assessment, conduct calibrations of lagoon-based Sondes, and maintain continuous monitoring of sonde data.

  • Emma Holland

    2024 Integrated Intern

    Emma Holland

    2024 Integrated Intern

    Emma is pursuing a BS in San Diego Marine Biology from the University of California, San Diego. As an integrated intern, Emma is on the ground with Nature Collective mentors who teach best practices for conducting community habitat restoration, water quality monitoring, leading volunteer community events, and more.

  • Matt Ely

    2024 Spring Habitat Restoration Intern

    Matt Ely

    2024 Spring Habitat Restoration Intern

    Matt recently earned a BA in Visual Communications from the University of Arizona Tuscon. He’s on the ground with Nature Collective mentors who lead Matt in best practices for conducting community habitat restoration.

  • Nick DiNucci

    2024 Spring Water Quality Intern

    Nick DiNucci

    2024 Spring Water Quality Intern

    Nick recently earned a BS in Environmental Geographic Analysis from Towson University. He’s on the ground with Nature Collective mentors who are leading Nick in best practices in conducting water quality.

  • Steffany Chavez

    2022/23 Integrated Intern

    Steffany Chavez

    2022/23 Integrated Intern

    Steffany is currently studying for a BS in Environmental Systems/Ecology, Behavior and Evolution from the University of California, San Diego. She looks forward to learning about the native flora and fauna in San Elijo Lagoon while completing her Integrated Internship.

  • Brett Stoner-Osborne

    2023 Volunteer Intern

    Brett Stoner-Osborne

    2023 Volunteer Intern

    Brett has a BA in Environmental Science from Willamette University, Oregon. He is excited to support the Volunteer Program and engage with the community at Nature Collective events and volunteer opportunities.

  • Serena Herold

    2023 Habitat Restoration Intern

    Serena Herold

    2023 Habitat Restoration Intern

    Serena currently pursuing a BA in Environmental Studies and Spanish Cultural Studies from Tufts University, Massachusetts. She will be on the ground with Nature Collective mentors learning best practices in conducting community habitat restoration.

  • Kelly Fuller

    2023 Land Stewardship Intern

    Kelly Fuller

    2023 Land Stewardship Intern

    Kelly holds an MS in Conservation Biology from the University of West Alabama. She will be helping monitor Nature Collective’s lands while focusing on invasive vegetation control and habitat restoration.

  • Raylene Rivera

    2023 Water Quality Intern

    Raylene Rivera

    2023 Water Quality Intern

    Raylene is currently working towards a degree in Biology and is excited about the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and experience through the water quality internship program.

  • Finn Schwartz

    2023 Habitat Restoration Intern

    Finn Schwartz

    2023 Habitat Restoration Intern

    Finn is currently pursuing a BS in Environmental Systems/Ecology, Behavior and Evolution from the University of California, San Diego. He’s on the ground with Nature Collective mentors who are leading Finn in best practices in conducting community habitat restoration.

  • Micaela Rodriguez

    2022/23 Volunteer Intern

    Micaela Rodriguez

    2022/23 Volunteer Intern

    Micaela is currently working towards a BS in Environmental Systems/Policy at the University of California, San Diego. She looks forward to supporting the Volunteer Program by engaging with the community at Nature Collective events and volunteer opportunities.

  • Lili Sanders

    2023 Outreach Intern

    Lili Sanders

    2023 Outreach Intern

    Lili holds a BS in Environmental Management and Protection from California Polytechnic State University. She is excited to use his knowledge of the natural world to drive a passion for nature through community outreach