Environmental Interpretation Internship/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Patuxent Research Refuge

Environmental Interpretation Internship/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Patuxent Research Refuge

Dates of employment:
September 15, 2012 - June 15th, 2013, 2012 (dates are negotiable)

Qualifications:
Must have well-developed communication skills and leadership ability; be able to work independently and as part of a team; experience working with children and adults preferred. A Bachelor's degree (or pursuing) in education, natural resources, or related field is desired. A valid driver's license necessary.

Duties:
Individual will primarily work off-refuge at a large public school system, and will provide quality environmental educational experiences for students, technical expertise to teachers and faculty, and promote the National Wildlife Refuge System's role in creating environmental awareness among urban populations. Employee will work with public school system and its partners to deliver value added environmental education programs; assist senior FWS and public school staff with development of internal and external partnerships; and assist with development/promotion of opportunities for service learning projects, such as recycling, schoolyard habitats, citizen science, etc. Individual will work primarily in Fairfax County, but may have to report periodically to Patuxent Research Refuge for specific assignments, training opportunities, etc. Day to day supervision will be by Fairfax County Public School System staff

Job Oppty: Planning Associate at Casey Trees

Please see the job posted at

http://caseytrees.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/2012-07-26-Planning-Associate.pdf

Internship Available at Redevelopment Authority of Prince George’s County

Sent via the YIPPS listserve:

"Redevelopment Authority of Prince George’s County

Unpaid College Internship 

Work Topic: The Redevelopment Authority is the principal development agency for a metropolitan county of 800,000 residents. It operates with a specific focus on mixed income, public/ private partnership real estate projects in targeted communities. The Intern will experience firsthand real estate development practices while gaining exposure to both private and non-profit developers and key government officials.

Deliverables: Best practices research, research papers and reports for internal and external publication, memos, presentations, request for proposals and outreach including the collection and management of key development data.

Area of Specialization: Mixed use real estate development, community revitalization, urban planning, public policy and public administration.

Minimum hours/week: 10 -12 hours/per week

Dates of Internship: TBD

Supervisor: Howard Ways, AICP, Executive Director

Work Description: The Redevelopment Authority Intern will assist on a variety of neighborhood revitalization projects. The intern will assist in the following areas:

• Data collection and reporting
• Existing conditions assessments
• Preparation of reports and memos
• Land use and zoning analysis
• Project management support
• Researching best practices
• Benchmarking/comparative studies and analysis
• Public policy analysis
• Developing and implementing social media strategies for community engagement

Required Skills:

Qualified candidates should possess analytical skills, be a good writer and excellent communicator, be self motivated, be highly familiar with managing spreadsheets, databases, social media programs and be interested in learning about development issues in metropolitan regions.  

For more information or to submit a resume for consideration, contact:

Tanya Diggs

Redevelopment Authority of Prince George’s County

9201 Basil Court, Suite 155

Largo, MD 20774

tdiggs@co.pg.md.us

301-883-7405 "

New Book on Governing for Social Equity Co-Authored by @UAPVirginiaTech Professor Tom Sanchez

UAP Professor Tom Sanchez has co-authored a new book (with Marc Brenman) entitled "Planning as if People Matter: Governing for Social Equity" (2012: Island Press).

About the book:
American communities are changing fast: ethnic minority populations are growing, home ownership is falling, the number of people per household is going up, and salaries are going down. According to Marc Brenman and Thomas W. Sanchez, the planning field is largely unprepared for these fundamental shifts. If planners are going to adequately serve residents of diverse ages, races, and income levels, they need to address basic issues of equity. Planning as if People Matter offers practical solutions to make our communities more livable and more equitable for all residents.

Learn more at
http://islandpress.org/ip/books/book/islandpress/P/bo8070588.html
http://www.amazon.com/Planning-People-Matter-Governing-Metropolitan/dp/1610910125/

Va Developer Ed Walker, Speaker at @VTSPIA's Distressed Cities Conference, Highlighted in NYT Article on Roanoke's Rebirth

Virginia Developer Is on a Mission to Revive His Town

by Melena Ryzik
New York Times 7/24/2012

"ROANOKE, Va. — The Kirk Avenue Music Hall, a four-year-old club named for its downtown block here, offers an unexpected perk to its performers: an apartment. For a night or so, before or after gracing the stage, artists stay at no charge in a loft a block away, signing the guest book with notes of gratitude."  Read more at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/25/us/in-virginia-developer-is-on-a-mission-to-revive-his-town.html?_r=2&smid=tw-share

Washington Alexandria Architecture Center has hand in designing and building mini-golf course for National @BuildingMuseum’s interactive exhibit

by Barbara Micale

"When the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., decided to explore design of the built world with an unprecedented interactive exhibition -- an indoor miniature one-of-a-kind golf course -- it invited firms and individuals to sponsor, design, and construct a hole for the course with a building-related theme inspired by an actual building, bridge, landscape, or monument. Or they could opt for a completely fanciful one. Some of the leading architects, landscape architects, and contractors in the Washington, D.C., area responded and the 12-hole course located in one of the museum's air-conditioned galleries is now open to players, ages four and up, through Labor Day, September 3, 2012.

Two of the holes feature work emanating from Virginia Tech's Washington Alexandria Architecture Center. Rebecca May of Alexandria, Va., and Luke Van Bellegham of Washington, D.C., recent graduates of the Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) Program, and Seth Estep of Alexandria, a current student in the MLA program, designed and built the seventh hole in the museum's mini-golf course, "Take Back the Streets," sponsored by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). When the project was announced by the National Building Museum, Terry Poltrack, director of public relations and communications at ASLA, sought landscape architecture students who would be interested in participating and May, Van Bellegham and Estep responded affirmatively."  Read more at http://ncr.vt.edu/highlights/Highlight-072612.html

Atlantic Cities Story on Hidden Factors in Bike Commuting Highlights Work of @UAPVirginiaTech's Ralph Buehler

Ralph Buehler, Ph.D.

UAP Professor Ralph Buehler's recent work on bike commuting and the hidden factors that affect it are featured in a recent story on Atlantic Cities.

"It's no secret that American cities are trying all kinds of things to encourage bike commuting. Some are building bike lanes even if it means taking space away from cars. Some have authorized bike-share programs. Some are requiring workplaces to designate bicycle parking or, failing that, compelling them to allow bikes inside the building...."

Read more at http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2012/07/hidden-factor-bike-commuting-showers/2650/.

PS The Scientific American and Arlington Mobility Lab blogs also have covered this article.  See the stories at:

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/plugged-in/2012/07/25/simplest-bike-commuting-infrastructure/

http://mobilitylab.org/2012/07/24/want-your-employees-to-stay-healthier-invest-in-showers-and-bike-parking/