Interpretive Naturalist Internship 

 at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary
Arc of Appalachia Preserve System

     Nature ... is it calling you?

The Interpretive Naturalist internship is for those who wish to walk the path of the Naturalist and share the gifts of Nature with others, for those who want to work hard for a good cause, and those who yearn to find balance in their lives that can lead to a sustainable future.  

The internship is an exchange program in which interns provide valuable help and support. In return they receive housing, monthly stipend, hands-on naturalist experience, and experience in helping to run a successful and bold grassroots non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and restoring wilderness in the East while providing educational opportunities for humanity. 

What does the program consist of ?

The program is designed to train individuals in all aspects of the daily running of a non-profit nature education center including some of the following activities:

 -- greeting / hosting visitors and retail services

 --leading interpretive nature hikes

 -- service projects

 --overnight lodges and facility upkeep

 --non-profit operational & administrative tasks   

-- on the job training and learning activities

 -- trail maintenance     

 -- cave, prairie, and other native habitat restoration

 -- sustainable living skills such as composting, gardening, and whole foods cooking

 --community living with other interns; sharing in animal care for barn cats and alpine goats

New  Opportunity for 2008!

This year are accepting into the program one or more  interns who have an interest in living history reenactment and educational theatre.  This year we will be offering  Ecological Theater Hikes, featuring the historic William & Eliza Sullivant, 19th C. Ohio explorers and botanists.  By  presenting the story of these frontier naturalists to the public, interested interns will have the opportunity to demonstrate the immense changes that have befallen America's Eastern deciduous forest in the last two hundred years, clarifying the conservation challenges that face us today.

Duration of Internship:

                  Applications for the 2008 season now being accepted!  Apply Now to ensure a spot in the program.   The internship program is designed to coincide with the Cave Canyon operation, which is open April through October.    Internships are available throughout the year, with the time of highest need being between March through November  Though priority is given to interns who can participate for longer terms( 6-8 months),  partial terms are acceptable.  Those available for partial terms are encouraged to apply.  Average terms are three to six months.  Start and End dates are flexible so as to fit around one's schooling or life journey. 

Living Arrangements and Compensation:

                  The Interns will live in a communal setting at the tranquil TES Farm, a retired farm which is also home to and a small herd of alpine goats.   TES is alsothe trailhead to the Kame Lands trail, one of our best.  A paycheck of $300 a month will be issued to each intern to help support their living for the semester.  Also, a communal food budget will be provided to help cover the cost of community meals.  Interns need to provide their own linens and blanket, towel, food, and personal care items.  Also, a bike with a bike lock is recommended so as to assist in transportation from TES Farm to the Cave Canyon Preserve.    While living at TES, interns are expected to maintain a clean and peaceful atmosphere, and also share house duties and chores, including the daily care of the goats and barn cats.

Expectations for Internships

            The internship is best suited for people who love group work, but have sufficient individuality and initiative to stay connected to their unique inner drive and personal goals. In all cases, what an intern gets "out" of the program is proportional to the passion and self-discipline poured into the program.   . This program is for people who like to work hard, have a moderate or high level of physical energy, and have a natural sensitivity and respect toward people.

The intern is expected to perform at a level expected in a standard employment situation for the duration of the internship, 40 hrs. per week, plus the opportunity for extra volunteer time.  Our typical work-week is Wednesday through Sunday, with most of our activity and visitations on the weekend.   Each intern will have time each week of unstructured time for education, recreation, personal chores and rest.   Interns have access to the Sanctuary’s extensive environmental library, including many natural history reference books.  Expenses borne by the intern include food and personal care items, transportation, long-distance phone calls, and recreation.   Interns are expected to take a team-approach to the Cave Canyon -- being willing to share all tasks evenly -- whether administrative or physical. As primarily an intern and volunteer run business, interns should prepare themselves to take the challenge of maintaining the business seriously and professionally. 

For more information:

Explore the story of the 3000 acre Arc of Appalachia Preserve System
Scrapbook of previous interns
Stories written by Previous Interns

For questions and to find out current openings for internships, please call:

            Tim Pohlar at (937)-365-0556 or internships@highlandssanctuary.org

To apply, please Fill out an Application, please click here

         and send to internships@highlandssanctuary.org

Project Leaders:

Tim Pohlar: Internship Coordinator,  Cave Canyon Manger

                                Tim found his way to the Sanctuary by a string of “coincidences” and became an intern in the spring of 2004, an experience that changed the course of his life.  For the past few years, he has been an apprentice of Larry Henry, co founder and naturalist,  and the natural world, learning all they have to teach.  He has a solid foundation of the ways of Nature, including knowing each plant and animal by name, and a story to go along with it.  Time has now come for him to help assist others onto the path of the Naturalist and a life of sustainability. 

Nancy Stranahan, Director

Nancy Stranahan had her beginning career with the Ohio State Parks, working as a naturalist. After ten years, she left the park system for “greener pastures,” co-founding  Benevolence Café in Columbus in 1995 – a back-to-earth lunch place with fresh whole grain breads and vegetarian soups served at large community tables. She  founded an intern program at Benevolence Café in 2001, which is the predecessor of the current intern program at the Highlands. Perhaps her most important legacy is, with Larry Henry, co-founding the Highlands Nature Sanctuary is 1995, which grew to become the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System, now 3000 acres in size. A naturalist  at heart, she has an interest in all things living. To her, the greatest miracle in the world is the “seed,” and she likes planting and nurturing seeds as well as seed-ideas. Also a philosopher, she is constantly seeking always to merge science with the spirit, curiosity with ethics, lifestyle with responsibility. Nancy is an excellent cook, specializing in vegan and  vegetarian fare and the artistic combinations of herbs. Her soup recipes at Benevolence were unusual in that often 8-10 herbs are used to create complex memorable flavors uncommonly found in vegetarian fare. Nancy attributes this skill to her years of gardening, in which she tended a large variety of herbs from seed to mature plants.