Stations: Toucan Ridge Ecology and Education Society (T.R.E.E.S)
Location: 27.5 miles Hummingbird Highway, Stann Creek
Country: Belize, Central America
Last date to apply: January 7, 2025
Position dates: Open from January 20 – August 1, 2025 (2 week minimum)
Description:
The T.R.E.E.S Farm has been established as a Farm-to-Table organic operation and regenerative agriculture demonstration farm. Its primary purpose is to serve the original needs of the NGO’s operations which are wildlife conservation through research and education. This is accomplished through the layout of the farm which provides extensive wildlife habitat and foraging opportunities, increasing the local faunal biodiversity as well as acting as an educational demonstration to local subsistence farmers and visiting students.
Interns will learn by assisting in implementation and evaluation of management practices, cropping, and record keeping on the farm with this vision in mind while we endeavor to maximize the products coming from the farm with the existing design and layout using sustainable and regenerative practices specific to the Mesoamerican uplands. Within this broad framework, intern projects can include several basic Agricultural Education disciplines including Tropical Agriculture, Sustainable/organic Agriculture, Farm Management, Waste management, and Agricultural Economics.
In addition to planting crops, we also have free range chickens and ducks for eggs and meat. We are looking to increase our revenue generation from the farm either in the form of increased accountable products entering our kitchen for use in our restaurant, or for sale to the Mobile Market or in a proposed road-side café which would be managed by T.R.E.E.S kitchen and hospitality staff. Thus, interns would also assist us with marketing strategy for existing products and/or planting.
By the successful conclusion of this internship, the student will be able to apply practical methods for planting and maintaining various typical and exotic tropical crop species, basic free range poultry operations, evaluate different treatments using objective measurements of biomass, yield, and costs/returns, and become familiar with sustainable management practices such as no/low till, cover cropping, waste management, mulching, marketing, Farm-to-Table, etc.
Requirements:
No prior tropical agriculture experience required. Interns can be current undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in a program with their University/College for credit however non-students can also apply; but preference will be given to students enrolled in an accreditation program. Experienced tropical agriculturalists and/or agroforestry professionals are also welcome and will be treated according to their experience level and are eligible for *discounted rates.
Internship Responsibilities:
Applying practical methods for planting and maintaining various typical and exotic tropical crop species and basic free range poultry operations.
Evaluating different treatments using objective measurements of biomass, yield, and costs/returns.
Work on Inga Alley-cropping and other regenerative cropping practices, and using intercropping, organic fertilizing and pest control practices.
Assist with innovative marketing strategies for existing products accompanied by reviewing projected budgets for the farm and their products and exploring cost/profit ratios for poultry husbandry.
Planting and selling new products for the farm.
Opportunities are also available to observe and participate with concurrent intern and wildlife educational activities such as mist-netting, observing and recording measurements of bats, birds, herps, invertebrates, water quality, and much more.
Interns will assist with creating captions for social media posts to engage and update followers on what has been going on at the field station and various projects that are being done.
Internship Period:
Interns can choose to do a minimum of 2 weeks to a maximum of 5 weeks during this Apprenticeship program, though 4 weeks is the recommended duration.
Costs:
This internship has a fee of $184 USD/week which includes room and board (meals included Monday-Friday), full access to lab equipment, and training by professional on-site biologists. Food is not provided as part of the internship program. Interns can also purchase their own basic food supplies from nearby vendors that can be prepared simply on-site without access to a full kitchen OR interns can order meals from the on-site Toucan Café restaurant that is open daily and caters to all dietary restrictions Lodging at the research center signifies a shared dormitory-style rustic cabins with other same sex interns with full access to other facilities such as showers, restrooms, and kitchen. The nature of this program allows interns to carry out most of the work independently after the training period is done. Fees do not include airport transfer, flights, travel medical insurance, or $100 USD visitor permit fee if remaining in country for more than 30 days.
We are hoping to expand our internship program beyond North America. Citizens from Latin America and the Caribbean will be charged at a discounted rate of 50%. Belizeans will get another discount. For more information, kindly email Scandia Cruz with the email provided above.
Schedule:
Interns are required to work for 35 hours/week minimum. The typical schedule runs from Monday through Friday, from 6:30 am until 12:30 pm and 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Weekends are free time for interns; therefore, you can do as please (travel, hike, relax). No refunds on food and lodging will be available if the intern decides to leave the station. Projects may sometimes run into the weekend; in which case the days will be returned to them during the week.
The intern supervisor(s) will be responsible for designing a schedule with the intern each week that is reasonable and includes work on the various projects.
Application:
To apply register on the Ecorana website (https://www.ecorana.ca/internship-application-form/) and e-mail your curriculum vitae/resumé, cover letter, and short video to the T.R.E.E.S Internship Coordinator, Scandia Cruz, at scruz@treesociety.org once you have submitted your application form.
For more information on our organization and facilities please visit our website: www.treesociety.org *To apply for discounted rates, please contact us directly to discuss your qualifications.
Belizeans seeking an internship with us must email the Internship Coordinator with the email provided above to get further information.
To apply for this job email your details to scruz@treesociety.org