Student Urban Nature (SUN) High School Internship

# Student Urban Nature (SUN) High School Internship The Natural Areas Conservancy's Student Urban Nature (SUN) internship engages New York City high school students in real urban ecology, using a "science identity" framework to build environmental stewardship. Place-based hubs in Forest Park, Queens, and the Staten Island Greenbelt connect interns to the forests, wetlands, and trails in their own boroughs. ## What You'll Do - Collect field data used to assess the health of NYC forests and wetlands - Learn flora and fauna identification plus introductory forest and wetland ecology - Take part in scientific inquiry, monitoring, and restoration projects at the program sites - Design and carry out a research project using ecological data you collected over the summer - Attend professional development on public speaking, networking, and resume building, and get mentorship from NAC staff, NYC Parks, and Urban NEST fellows ## Who Should Apply NYC residents attending an NYC high school in Queens or Staten Island who will be rising juniors or seniors, will be 16 by July 1 of the program year, and live within an hour of the program locations. Applicants need a genuine interest in science research, nature, and outdoor work. ## Outcomes Interns complete a paid summer of urban ecology research at 25 hours per week in July and August, present a research poster - past projects have examined lichen and crown vigor, soil moisture and leaf litter, and human disturbance in urban forests - and build a mentor network across NAC, NYC Parks, and the Urban NEST program.