INTERNATIONAL YOUTH INTERN POSITION AVAILABLE

Want to work in Canada and either Mexico or Brazil?

Falls Brook Centre has three new intern positions available for this year!

Posted: April 6, 2001

Applications due by: April 27, 2001

Expected start date: June 4, 2001

These youth internships have been made available through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

The goal of this project is to give young Canadians international work experience and to develop skills in the fields of sustainability and international development. Successful applicants will start and finish their work experience in rural New Brunswick or the Kootenay region of British Columbia.

These positions require determined, self-starting individuals who are willing to work in a team and under difficult conditions. The successful applicant will be given a moderate financial stipend and a unique opportunity to gain experience in an international environment.

Prerequisites - Applicants must:

* Be aged 30 or under;

* Be Canadian citizens or landed immigrants able to work in Canada;

* Be currently under or unemployed;

* Be a graduate of a college or university; and,

If you are interested in one of the following positions, please send a letter of intent and your resume to:

FALLS BROOK CENTRE

c/o Sarah Shima, International Intern Co-ordinator

125 South Knowlesville Road

Knowlesville, New Brunswick E7L 1B1

Tel: 506 375 4310, or Fax: 506 375 4221 or e-mail: sarah@fallsbrookcentre.ca

(Note: If using e-mail, please send resumes as part of the text or as an attachment for MS Word 97, or Word Perfect 9.0. Earlier versions of the

same programs are acceptable.)

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FALLS BROOK CENTRE (FBC) is an environmental community development demonstration and training centre in rural New Brunswick. Located on 400 acres of farm and forest land, FBC demonstrates the practical application and implementation of sustainable development. Appropriate technology applications of solar energy, wind energy, composting and recycling models, as well as 7 km of fully marked forest trails, an arboretum, herbarium and a forest museum bring visitors on a regular basis. With a solar and wind powered conference centre, FBC is able to host small meetings and provide accommodation and certified-organic catering for up to 25 people on-site.

FBC has a variety of land management activities; site specific - species specific tree plantings, windbreaks and erosion control planting demonstrations, several tree nurseries and seed beds of indigenous species of the temperate Acadian forest of this region. Certified-organic farming techniques, seed storage and plant propagation methods are promoted via various applications.

The new British Columbia office of Falls Brook Centre is nestled in Kaslo in the heart of the West Kootenays. The BC office is establishing a number of local projects with the community of Kaslo in alternative agriculture and forest management.

This summer, we are planning a tree fruit mapping project, exploration of a non-timber forest product harvester's co-operative for harvesting in the Community Forest and permaculture and analog forestry workshops. Interns working with FBC in BC will have the opportunity to work on a local biodynamic farm and participate in external workshops in the region. Please note that the BC intern will be required to have basic Portuguese language skills.

Internships at Falls Brook Centre are designed to improve the knowledge, skills, and experience of young professionals and to increase their options for career choices after the internship. During the internship, Interns are exposed to a wide variety of people, workshops, and training sessions, both in Canada and overseas. Work is conducted in Canada and overseas to improve the intern’s awareness of the linkages between national issues and international issues, and to give them the opportunity to learn Canadian skills and pass them on to a partner organization overseas, and vice versa.

GENERAL INTERNSHIP INFORMATION

Activities of Interns

* Assisting in the maintenance of the Acadian Forest restoration nursery;

* Delivering tours of Falls Brook Centre to members of the public;

* General office duties, developing organizational skills;

* Maintaining various signed nature trails; and

* Assisting in the production of certified-organic food.

Work Schedule and Stipend

Language training (possibly in Guatemala for Mexico interns): 2 weeks

Work time overseas: 18 weeks

Falls Brook Centre: 4 weeks

Please note: this schedule is very fluid and is subject to change, within the bounds of a 36 week internship (i.e., the intern may spend only 4 weeks at Falls Brook Centre before travelling overseas, but the intern would spend the remaining 12 weeks at Falls Brook Centre upon their return).

Stipend: $200 per week.

Other Benefits:

* International travel to overseas posting;

* Two weeks of language training overseas;

* Cultural awareness training for working in Mexico or Brazil;

* Job search skills;

* Other potential training courses as opportunities become available.

Please note interns at Falls Brook Centre will be required to pay a weekly room and board rental fee to Falls Brook Centre, if you choose to live on-site. Accommodation Costs at Falls Brook Centre

May 1 - September 15: $65/week

September 16 - April 30: $80/week

Cost of lunches at Falls Brook Centre $30 for 3 lunches provided by the Centre. (All interns who live on-site must take part in this.)

Interns working in Kaslo will be assisted to find cheap accommodation in the community. If you have a student loan, it may be possible to defer payment during the course of your internship. Supervision at Falls Brook Centre: Jean Arnold (Executive Director) and Sarah Shima (International Intern Co-ordinator)

What You Should Expect 

Falls Brook is a very remote, rural environment. We try to "live simply, so that others may simply live". You must have the ability to feel comfortable with wood heat, spring water, lots of physical labour, and a very remote rural living experience. 

General Qualifications Required:

* Proven ability to work as a team with minimal resources;

* Ability to learn quickly and on your own initiative;

* Understanding and experience in working on sustainability and environmental issues;

* Proven computer skills including word processing, e-mail, internet familiarity and ability to operate in a Windows environment;

* Initiative to create own projects during gaps between assigned projects;

* Must be available to travel and work on a few evenings and week-ends;

* An ability to be flexible in new situations and to deal well with change;

* Excellent health and fitness;

* The ability to communicate in French and/or Spanish would be an asset;

* An ability to design and maintain websites would be an asset;

* Some previous travel experience, especially in Latin America, would be an asset;

* Interns having their own laptop computer would be an asset.

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SPECIFIC INTERNSHIP INFORMATION

Community and Social Forestry Internship - Canada and Mexico

Country of Internship: Mexico

City and region: Oaxaca, Oaxaca

Name of overseas hosting organization: Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)

Overseas host organization’s mandate:

Founded in 1993, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an

international,

independent, non-governmental organization promoting environmentally

appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the

world's forest. FSC accredits certifying organizations, who in turn,

certify

forestry organizations that meet FSC developed Principles and Criteria and

other specific standards identified at the national and/or regional levels.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Canadian component:

Developing markets for FSC certified wood and wood products in the

Maritimes that encourage local value-added manufacturing. This will

involve

promoting FSC certification at all levels, from wood producers, processors

and manufacturers, to consumers in the region. Promote Chain of Custody

certification to develop local markets for products from all levels of

processing. Assist professional forester in developing forest management

plans for certification.

Overseas component:

Management of the FSC Trademark is essential to the continuation

and

credibility of the organization. As a market-based initiative, consumers

must have confidence that the FSC logo indicates that the product comes

from

a well-managed and certified forest.

The intern will assist with website and layout design, writing and

policy

development. Specific projects would include preparing information for

Logo

Packs, editing the Logo Guide for certification holders, developing a

Licensing Agreement for Non-Commercial Users, and developing a proposal for

Chain of Custody for wholesalers, retailers, and brokers. Other work would

include monitoring uses of the FSC Trademark internationally to ensure

compliance with trademark regulations.

Professional and personal skills developed will include:

The young professional will develop better communication and

organizational

skills while learning about community forestry in the Mexican context.

Through working with woodlot owners in Canada and in Mexico, the young

professional will develop skills in individual and group certification, as

well as interview skills and professional report writing skills.

Required education and experience of candidates:

This position calls for an individual with a university degree in

forestry

or environmental science. The intern will have an interest in the effects

of international trade and certification systems.

Employment prospects upon completion of program:

Forest certification is an increasingly necessary step to quantify

and

verify good forest management practices. Home Depot, IKEA, and other large

retailers are demanding timber from certified forest operations. All large

forest companies are moving toward certification.

Interns with exposure to forest certification and skills training

in this

area are in high demand, both in Canada and overseas.

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Analog Forestry and Community Nurseries Internship - Canada and Mexico

Country of Internship: Mexico

City and region: Capulálpam, Oaxaca

Name of overseas hosting organization: Union de Comunidades Forestales

Zapoteco y Chinantecos (UZACHI)

Host organization’s mandate:

UZACHI contributes to the development of communities through the

sustainable use of natural resources. Most of these communities work in

forest management or agriculture where the focus of the work is the use of

natural resources in an environmentally, socially, and economically

sustainable manner.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Canadian component:

As the Canadian member of the International Analog Forestry Network

(IAFN),

Falls Brook Centre plays a key role in the promotion of analog forestry and

in implementing AF techniques in a northern climate.

Analog Forestry is a system of forest management that seeks to

establish a

tree dominated ecosystem analogous in architectural structure and

ecological

function to the original climax or sub-climax vegetation community. It

seeks to empower rural communities both socially and economically, through

the use of species that provide marketable products.

The intern will assist in the development of Forest Garden

Products, a new

certification program for analog forestry products, and will carry out

practical analog forestry plantings at Falls Brook Centre. This will

include the development of a nursery for forest garden products.

Overseas component:

With UZACHI, the intern will focus on integrating analog forestry

techniques into the agroforestry activities of the communities working with

UZACHI. The intern will learn about the application of AF techniques in a

tropical mid-elevation ecosystem. The intern will work with a number of

different communities in the state of Oaxaca.

Professional and personal skills developed will include:

The intern will become skilled in the application of analog

forestry

techniques in both temperate and tropical ecosystems and will be able to

apply these skills to a wide range of restoration and ecosystem management

situations. The intern will also learn to appreciate the value of rural

knowledge and community approaches to resource management.

Required education and experience of candidates:

A qualified applicant for this position will have a university

degree in

resource management, environmental sciences, forestry or biology and will

have experience at the community level in agriculture or forestry. Spanish

language skills will be an asset.

Employment prospects upon completion of program:

Following this internship, the intern will be better qualified to

work in

the growing field of community-based resource management. Restoration

methodologies for biodiversity loss and degraded land management are

gaining

importance in Canada and internationally.

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Non-Timber Forest Products Internship - Canada and Brazil

Please note: Basic Portuguese language ability is required for this

position.

The Canadian portion of this internship will be in Kaslo, in the West

Kootenay region

of British Columbia.

Country of Internship: Brazil

City and region: Piracicaba, S.P.

Name of overseas hosting organization: IMAFLORA (Instituto de Manejo e

Certificado Florestal e Agrícola)

Host organization’s mandate:

To provide services to communities in Brazil in organic agriculture and

forest certification.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Canadian component:

NTFP certification has been focussed on tropical countries where

these

products are more integrated into forest management. The intern will work

with local producers to promote the harvest of NTFPs from community forests

and private land and will assess the potential for bringing in

certification

assessments of NTFP harvesting operations. Other projects will include

developing a propagation nursery for NTFPs, researching markets for

specific

products, and liaising with the Canadian Forest Service Non-Timber Forest

Product group.

Overseas component:

IMAFLORA is involved in field trials for the certification of

various NTFPs as well as marketing these on a national level. The intern will assist IMAFLORA to carry out these field trials and to assess the potential benefits of NTFP certification to local communities.

Activities will include:

• Conducting a survey of main constraints for NTFP management and certification

• Participation in field tests and training activities.

Professional and personal skills developed will include: 

The intern will become an expert in the criteria used to assess the sustainable management of NTFPs as well as with forest certification procedures and application. They will also be exposed to community-based resource management as well as to more industrial forest operations.

Required education and experience of candidates: 

Employment prospects upon completion of program: The internship will provide the intern with skills in certification and in non-timber forest management that will put them in a good position to gain employment in agriculture or forestry initiatives or to pursue a career in the growing field of environmental and social certification.

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Suggestions on How to Apply:

Think about what relevant experiences you have had. What difficult or challenging group situations or places have you been in? Include them in your resume or covering letter. These are more important than you may think.

Tell us why you are interested in sustainable living issues, whether you are comfortable in a rustic, rural environment. Why you are interested in working and contributing overseas? What is motivating you to apply for this internship? A resume is not the place to be modest - tell us what we need to know.

Do some simple research - there are materials available on us and all of our partners through the internet. If you know something about the project you have a much stronger chance of writing an appropriate resume. Our website address is www.fallsbrookcentre.ca

If your application is successful and you are interviewed: Do some background reading on the recent history in Mexico and Brazil and have an understanding of forest certification

Be prepare to discuss your aspirations, hopes and how this program fits within your goals.

Be yourself!

If you have not been contacted by May 7, 2001, please assume you have not been selected for an interview. 

Good Luck. We are looking forward to hearing from you.

If you are interested in a position please send a letter of intent and your resume to:

FALLS BROOK CENTRE

c/o Sarah Shima, International Intern Co-ordinator

125 South Knowlesville Road

Knowlesville, New Brunswick E7L 1B1

Tel: 506-375-4310, or Fax: 506-375-4221 or e-mail: sarah@fallsbrookcentre.ca