Sierra Club Looking For Two Interns For Best Internship On Earth

Over the past couple of years, the Sierra Club’s Best Internship on Earth has given one very lucky student an opportunity to travel the U.S. while helping spread the Club’s message of exploring and protecting the outdoors. The summer internship is a mix of adventure, activism and media production that simply can’t be found anywhere else. Past candidates have blogged about their travels, shared photos and video from the road and served as a Sierra Club representative to a number of high profile events. The program has been so successful in fact that this year the Club is actually looking for two candidates to take on the job.

As in previous years, the two interns will have all of their travel expenses paid while they spend the summer crisscrossing the country, taking part in all kinds of activities. They’ll also earn a modest salary and receive $1000 worth of gear from The North Face to keep them well equipped for their adventures. In return, they’ll document their experiences by writing blog posts and creating videos from the road.

The program offers the opportunity for students to pick up some valuable skills in a number of areas. For instance, while creating the videos they’ll learn to operate cameras, shoot footage and edit it into something coherent. They’ll also gain experience in front of the camera, polishing important communications skills. They’ll even get to witness Sierra Club advocacy efforts first hand, giving them a behind the scenes look at all that entails.

The internship will last ten weeks, running from June to August. Candidates must be at least 18 years of age by May 15 of this year and be currently enrolled in college or have recently completed a two- or four-year degree. Interested students can apply online with all applications due by April 9. To find out more, check out the Best Internship on Earth webpage.

[Photo Credit: Kraig Becker]


Brooklyn Decker And The Sierra Club Visit The Arctic

For more than 120 years the Sierra Club has encouraged outdoor enthusiasts to explore the Earth’s wild places in a safe and responsible manner. The organization works diligently to educate us on the fragility of our ecosystems and the importance of protecting them for future generations to enjoy as well. Recently the organization enlisted a new ambassador to their cause by recruiting model/actress Brooklyn Decker to join them on an outing to one of the most wild and remote places on the planet where they spent a week exploring the wilderness.

Brooklyn, along with her Sierra Club guides, made the long journey north to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge located in northeast Alaska. While there, she spent her days hiking and whitewater rafting along the Marsh Fork of the Canning River. This is a place that few people are ever fortunate enough to see, as it is estimated that less than 50 people per year visit the 19.2 million acre refuge. To put that in perspective, Yellowstone National Park is a mere 2.2 million acres in size and sees more than 3 million visitors on an annual basis.

While in the Arctic, the model who has graced the covers of Sports Illustrated and Glamour, amongst numerous others, learned about conservation and climate change from environmental experts. She also learned about the mounting pressure to drill for oil inside the refuge, something that could have a devastating effect on the environment there. Those threats have prompted the Sierra Club to call for the refuge to be designated a national monument, something that would afford it further protection from becoming developed.The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is home to a stunning array of animals. Each year thousands of migratory birds flock to the region for summer nesting including geese, swans, sea ducks, golden eagles and numerous other species. Additionally, large herds of caribou pass through the refuge on their annual migration, while Dell sheep and wolves make it their permanent home. Along its northern boundaries, polar bears hunt and hibernate while grizzly bears and arctic foxes are not uncommon sights during the summer months either.

For now, this is a pristine wilderness that is unlike any other on the planet. It is a remote region that remains largely untouched by man and personally I’d like to see it remain that way. As an adventure traveler who loves to explore the more remote corners of our planet, the ANWR is on my places that I would absolutely love to visit. But aside from allowing hikers, backpackers and other travelers into the refuge, I hope it never becomes more developed. There are some places on the Earth that should remain wild and this is one of them.

[Photo credit: Maggie Kao/Sierra Club]

Sierra Club announces Best Internship on Earth 2012 edition

The Sierra Club has begun accepting applications for the 2012 edition of their Best Internship on Earth, opening the program up to students or recent grads between the ages of 18 and 25. Interested applicants should enjoy traveling, have a passion for the outdoors, and a desire to share their experiences with the Club’s active online community.

The person selected for this internship will be named the 2012 Outdoor Youth Ambassador and will spend the summer traveling around the U.S. as part of the Club’s Mission Outdoors program. That particular initiative is designed to engage young people with nature and encourage them to get outdoors and enjoy the world around them. To that end the “intern” will be hiking, paddling, and climbing as part of their job, while also chronicling their experience through videos and blog postings about their adventures.

Interested parties are encouraged to apply online, where they will be asked to submit a 60-90 second video explaining why they are the ideal candidate for the job. The video should demonstrate an enthusiasm for the outdoors and a passion for conservation – although creative video editing won’t hurt the applicant’s cause either.

The intern will be based out of San Francisco for the summer, but because he or she will be traveling frequently – not to mention spending quite a bit of time outdoors – they’ll also receive $2000 worth of gear from The North Face. That gear will be put to good use throughout their tenure with the Sierra Club and is worth earning the internship alone.

Applications are being accepted through 5PM PDT on March 27th. For more details click here.


Sierra Club Outings offer envrionmentally responsible adventures

The Sierra Club is an outdoor institution in the United States. Founded in 1892, the club has grown to include more than 1.3 members, and has evolved into the environmental grassroots organization that is the model for all others to follow. Each year, the club organizes events and works with legislators on a national, state, and local level to safe guard wild places and promote environmental important environmental causes.

But what most people don’t know is that each year the club organizes a number of outstanding wilderness adventures known as Sierra Club Outings. These outings take place all around the globe, offering activities for just about everyone, including individuals, families, beginners, seniors, women, and more. On these adventurous trips you’ll find yourself backpacking, kayaking, and biking your way through some of the most outstanding wildernesses in the U.S., Canada, and beyond.

Each year over 4000 people elect to travel with the Sierra Club, and with more than 350 itineraries in their catalog, there are plenty of adventures to choose from. Options include excursions to 34 states and more than 27 countries around the globe. Better still, these adventures are easy on the pocketbook too, with more than half of them priced at under $1000.

Some of the exciting options to choose from include backpacking through Escalante National Park in Utah, rafting the Owyhee River in Oregon, or catching the Summer Solstice in the Brooks Range of Alaska. And for those looking to add a new stamp to their passport, there are a host of international adventures as well, such as cruising the Galapagos Islands or spending a month trekking through the Upper Dolpo region of Nepal. Additionally, the Sierra Club volunteer vacations give travelers a chance to enjoy the great outdoors, while giving a little something back in the process.
While the Sierra Club Outings are amongst the best outdoor adventures around, the organization has some other great options available as well. For instance, each year the club sends more than 14,000 urban youth and adults out into natural environments as part of their Inner City Outings program. They also have a number of great lodges and huts, including the famous Clair Trappaan Lodge, located in the Sierra Nevada, available for members to use. And for those who can’t get away for one of the bigger adventures, check out your local chapter for outings in your own backyard.

For 109 years the Sierra Club has led the way in the area of promoting outdoor activities and environmental responsibility. Their outings uphold that same agenda, offering affordable adventures that are safe, sustainable in nature, and fun for the entire family.

Sierra Club seeks applicants for best internship on Earth

The Sierra Club has the best internship on Earth, and they’re currently seeking qualified candidates to fill that role for summer 2010. If you’re between the ages of 18-25, a U.S. citizen, or permanent/legal resident with a valid work permit, and have a love for the outdoors, you may be just the person they are looking for to serve as the Outdoors Youth Ambassador Intern this year.

The lucky person hired for the position will spend the summer based out of Sierra Club headquarters in San Francisco, but will spend much of their time traveling the country. During the months of June, July, and August, the intern will be hiking, rafting, and generally enjoying the outdoors as part of the Sierra Club’s youth programs. They’ll then create a video blog of their experiences, and share them online for all to see, as they work closely with the Inner City Outings, Building Bridges to the Outdoors, and Volunteer Vacations programs.

For eight weeks of work, the intern will have all of their travel expenses covered, receive a $2500 stipend, and be outfitted with $2000 worth of gear, courtesy of The North Face and Planet Explore. They’ll also have the opportunity to work for one of the coolest organizations around, while playing in some of the best outdoor environments in the U.S. What could be better than that?

To find out more, you can read the FAQ by clicking here, and if you’re ready to apply for the position, click here. Applications are being taken through the end of March, so don’t wait too long!