Summary: Are you interested in water quality, public engagement, and environmental policy? Save The Bay is seeking an intern to assist our South County Coastkeeper and Volunteer Manager with water quality monitoring, shoreline cleanups, storm drain marking, and rights of way monitoring. Interns who are residents of or strongly familiar with the South Coast community are preferred.
Location: Save The Bay Center in Providence, RI and South Coast Center in Westerly, RI
Time Commitment: 10-15 hours/week.
- Water quality monitoring occurs every other week ~7:30am-4:30pm; exact dates TBD.
- Must be able to drive samples to URI Coastal Institute in Kingston, RI, for 3:30 pm delivery time.
- Occasional weekend work may be necessary for special events. Interns must be available on Saturday, August 8 for the Save The Bay Swim.
Transportation: South Coast Waterkeeper interns must have access to their own reliable transportation (i.e. car) between Westerly (both the South Coast Center & Viking Marina) and URI Main Campus in Kingston (for sample drop off). Some travel reimbursement is available on a case-by-case basis.
Age: 18+
Application Items: Online application, cover letter, and resume
Deadline: April 10. Rolling interviews/acceptance after this date, though priority will be given to applications received by the April 10 deadline. Decisions will be made by May 6, 2026.
What you will learn:
- Assist with water quality monitoring through the Little Narragansett Bay watershed watch program programs every other week
- Follow scientific protocols and data entry guidelines to process samples.
- Lead shoreline cleanups in the South Coast area (Narragansett, South Kingstown, Charlestown, Westerly)
- Storm drain marking in Narragansett and Hopkinton, including supply pickup coordination
- Rights of Way monitoring as available
- Public outreach through tabling events, including the Charlestown Farmer's Market
- Attend weekly Zoom meetings for check-ins with supervisors and other interns
What we require:
- Education: undergraduate sophomores, juniors, seniors, recent graduates, grad students, and beginning professionals working towards or having obtained a BA/BS or higher degree in biology, education, marine studies, marine affairs, or related fields
- Experience in marine and environmental sciences
- A passion for nonprofit work and the environment
- Willingness to learn, positive attitude, and ability to work independently and as a team
- Ability to do physical, outdoor work; capable of spending up to 4 hours on a small boat, leaning over the edge to put instruments in and out of the water, and working a variety of weather conditions (e.g. light rain and wind).
- Strong time management skills, self-motivated, ability to commit to and complete a project
- Strong communication, writing, and field skills preferred
- Preferred
- Experience with field and laboratory work
- Experience with data analysis and spreadsheets using Microsoft Excel and/or R
- Interns who live in or are familiar with the South Coast community
Details: We offer unpaid internship opportunities. We will gladly work with your university if they offer college credit for unpaid internships. Many colleges offer stipends for students doing unpaid internships. Check out our Student Guide to Internship Funding for tips!
Application link: https://forms.gle/AnzPmynFPjLZgJYc8
Note: If you feel unable to commit to a full internship, please check out our habitat restoration and shoreline cleanup volunteer opportunities. "Become a fan" of the page to receive emails when we post new events.
