WSU Tree Equity Internships

2024 Internships

Thank you for your interest in completing a Equitable Urban Forest Summer Internship with WSU.

We are excited to welcome you into a program designed to prepare you to equitably enhance the urban forests in your community.

Tentative 2024 Application Schedule

• May 1 – application period opens
• May 24 – application period closes
• June 3-6 – Interviews scheduled
• June 7 – Internships offered to 5 students
• June 17 – Internships begin depending on intern availability and paperwork process

Educational Goals

The educational goals of the 2024 Equitable Urban Forest Summer Internships are to enhance your skills and approaches to

• Learn importance and value of urban trees for benefiting community livelihood and how tree health issues can limit urban forest benefits.
• Identify and understand historical practices creating undeserved and disadvantaged neighborhoods in your community
• Identify areas where planting trees would have the most benefit
• Identify tree species and best practices for tree stewardship

Internship Expectations

• Attend weekly online meetings with other interns, program faculty, and internship coordinators.
  • Internships are place based and no travel outside of your city is required.

• Work with local partners for additional mentorship and networking opportunities.

• Prepare and share presentations about the internship experience to our stakeholders and funders.
• Complete independent research projects related to tree health in your community.

Community Partner Examples

Depending on the interest of the intern, we can find community partners for part-time projects. Below are a few community partners that have shared opportunities for internships. These are great examples of the type of projects and opportunities for your internship, if you’re interested in working with a community partner.

Tacoma Tree Foundation

The Tacoma Tree Foundation grows trees and community in Tacoma. We will host many activities for community building, outreach, greening our city, and skill building throughout the summer. Interns can assist with community engagement activities, independent projects, and more.

Whatcom Million Trees

Whatcom Million Trees Project this summer will be doing an urban tree canopy assessment of Bellingham’s Birchwood neighborhood which will require fieldwork and community outreach. (Whatcom Community College is in this neighborhood.) Plus we will hold several volunteer work parties over the summer to remove tree-killing invasives like English ivy from trees. Both are important climate resilience actions you can do hands-on.

American Forests- GID and Data Science Team

American Forests’ GIS and Data Science team is expanding their Tree Equity Score program to include a Tree Equity Score Analyzer (TESA) for all urban areas in Washington State. To support the project, they are seeking help in identifying tools and datasets used for equity and tree planting projects in cities around the state

American Forest

American Forests’ Field Delivery team seeks assistance in engaging stakeholders in a process to capturing community input on the development of the Tree Equity Score Analyzer.

Application Instructions

Applications will open May 1, 2024.

Please answer the below questions, and upload your resume and a cover letter.

The cover letter should address:

• 1) Why is the internship an important opportunity to you?
• 2) What are your career goals?
• 3) What experiences do you hope to gain from this internship?

If you have references, please include their phone numbers. However, it is okay if you do not have professional references at the time of application. We will not contact references without letting you know first.

Contact Fig at faith.dewitz@wsu.edu with any questions.

Program Support and Funding

Funding and support for these internships is provided by a five year grant from the Forest Service.

Empowering Community College Students to Equitably Enhance Urban Forests – Program funding provided from the Forest Service as part of the unprecedented funding package for urban forestry provided in the Inflation Reduction Act.