ID Habitat Restoration Internships

Habitat Restoration Interns

(2 Crew Lead position and 8 technician positions)

Location: Nampa, Idaho 

Application Deadline: Friday, April 10th 2026

Anticipated Start and End Dates: June 15th through November 4th, 2026

Schedule: 8 days on / 6 days off (10-hour field days, 40+ hrs/week)                                                                   

Salary Information: Pay is $22.11 for technicians, and $26.16 for the crew lead.+ housing may be provided

40 hours per week.

Duties: Pheasants Forever partnering with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) is looking for 8 technicians and 2 crew lead to serve as a seasonal, riparian habitat restoration team within the sagebrush biome of southern Idaho. Pheasants Forever is hiring seasonal field crews to implement low-tech, process-based stream restoration (LTPBR) projects across southern Idaho’s sagebrush-steppe landscapes. Work focuses on restoring degraded riparian corridors and incised streams to improve hydrologic function, floodplain connectivity, groundwater recharge, riparian vegetation, and wildlife habitat.  Crews will work on state, federal, and private lands, collaborating with biologists, natural resource professionals, and land managers. This is physically demanding, hands-on fieldwork in remote environments. Technicians will work an 8 on/6 off schedule. During the work hitch, techs will be expected to camp on site as many of the project sites are remote. Expect a wide array of temperatures and weather conditions. Applicants need to be able to perform hard manual labor with hand tools, lift and carry up to 50 lbs, all while being in or around the water in uneven terrain. Due to the nature of the work and living arrangements, technicians need to enjoy the tedium that field work can create, get along with others in remote, isolating settings, and be comfortable living in working in challenging conditions that are consistently changing.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities:

• Must be pursuing a career in wildlife management or natural resources field.
• Must be able to work effectively with governmental agency staff and conservation organization representatives.
• Ability to work independently with little supervision.
• Ability to work in an office setting with long periods of time working on a computer.
• Must be able to follow detailed verbal and written instructions.
• Valid driver’s license required with an acceptable driving record.
• Complete and comprehend all training as directed by supervisor(s).
• Abide by all company policies, rules and safety regulations as directed.

Key Responsibilities

• Construct instream structures (BDAs, PALS, Zeedyk structures)
• Install posts, logs, woody material, rock, and sediment using hand and power tools
• Operate chainsaws, post pounders, UTVs, and 4WD vehicles
• Assist with photo points, GPS data collection, and basic hydrologic monitoring

Physical & Environmental Requirements

• Lift 50+ lbs repeatedly
• Work in active stream channels and extreme weather (near-freezing to 100°F+)
• Camp up to 8 consecutive days in remote areas
• Travel extensively throughout southern Idaho

Crew Lead Duties (in addition to above)

• Coordinate daily tasks and ensure quality installation
• Conduct safety briefings and maintain equipment
• Track progress and serve as liaison with project leadership

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in ecology, hydrology, fisheries, rangeland management, or related field
• experience with outdoor labor, hand tools, chainsaws, GPS, and off-road travel
• Strong teamwork, communication skills, and comfort camping in remote areas for extended periods of time

Training and Experience Guideline:

Any combination of training and/or experience that will enable the applicant to possess the required knowledge, skills and abilities.  Applicant must be interested or possess a degree in wildlife management or closely related natural resources field. 

Pheasants Forever, Inc and Quail Forever is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, status as a qualified individual with disability, or any other category that may be protected by law.