IN-25048 Heart of Conservation Undergraduate Intern

WWF Overview

World Wildlife Fund (WWF), one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, seeks a Heart of Conservation Undergraduate Intern.

For 60 years, WWF has worked to help people and nature thrive. As one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, WWF works in more than 100 countries, connecting cutting-edge conservation science with the collective power of our partners in the field – more than one million supporters in the United States and five million globally, as well as partnerships with communities, companies, and governments.

Our vision for diversity, equity and inclusion at WWF is an organization as diverse as the world we protect; where the richness of all our unique views, experiences, and backgrounds combines to create the most sustainable and inclusive conservation outcomes possible — bringing the greatest benefit to the planet and every person who lives on it.

Across the many cultures and individuals that represent WWF, we are unified by one mission, one brand, and one common set of values: Courage, Respect, Integrity and Collaboration.

Context for the Internship

The GEF-8 Heart of Conservation Initiative (HCI) is being launched at a time of profound ecological degradation and biodiversity loss driven by land conversion for agricultural and urban use, intensifying climate change-related events, direct exploitation of natural resources, pollution, and invasive species. These factors are exacerbating pressures and threats to Indigenous Peoples and local communities, their territories, lands, waters, resources, and the biodiversity they conserve. In tandem, recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ contributions to Global Environmental Benefits (GEBs), commitments to support them in securing land and tenure rights, and the use of their traditional knowledge to steward their territories, lands, waters and resources, are growing yet remain insufficient. This is resulting in Indigenous Peoples and local communities being under-supported at this important time as threats continue to grow and when their solutions are critical to achieving global biodiversity and climate goals. The GEF-8 HCI seeks to directly address this nexus of issues.

The GEF-8 HCI’s objective is to increase resources, organizational strength, and recognition for Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ governance and stewardship of territories, lands, waters and resources to deliver global environmental benefits. This will be achieved by directing eighty percent of the project grant’s support to Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and their organizations, including for their self-determined priorities and self-strengthening activities under Components 1 and 2.

Taking a systems change approach, GEF-8 HCI will enhance the capacities of key actors within the ecosystem of Indigenous and locally-led organizations, as well as help strengthen the overall functioning of the system of funding for Indigenous Peoples and local communities organizations, which together will promote the long-term durability of the project results.

Position Summary

This position will support a range of activities relating to the HCI, including supporting workflows across the project, managing expressions of interest to become partners of the HCI and undertaking research relating to Components 2-5.

Responsibilities

The relevant responsibilities include research (30%), managing documents, event planning, logistics, and communications (70%).

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements:

Preferred Qualifications: