LIRA Internship Program

We are seeking two full-time paid interns to support high-impact programs focused on invasive species removal, public awareness, and community engagement across Loudoun County.

Position Title: LIRA HOA Program Intern / Scrape for the Grape Intern
Reports To: Nancy Sander, LIRA Co-Chair
Employment Status: Full-Time Paid Internship (2 Positions)
FLSA Status: NEED THIS (Exempt or Non-Exempt?)
Effective Date: NEED THIS

Job Description:

Loudoun Invasive Removal Alliance (LIRA), the fastest growing nonprofit networking nonprofit dedicated to awareness, education and outreach for the removal of invasive plant species and restoration of Virginia’s native plant species, seeks 2 full time paid interns for the positions listed below. These are key internship positions for individuals who seek to enhance both the organization and their resumes.

Position Details:

LIRA HOA Program

Characterize the formation, progress, alliances and outcomes to date of LIRA’s Homeowner’s Associations (HOA’s) Program representing >229,000 residents committed to protect Loudoun County, Virginia from the adverse effects of invasive plant species. Identify specific steps taken to establish and maintain the strong alliances with the Loudoun County’s Board of Supervisors, Loudoun County Soil and Water District, and partner agencies and the effects of increased awareness, education for each specific prescribed removal action.

Identify and organize database of prime target HOAs for next phase of outreach. Work with President and Vice Chair to produce online annual report and FAQ to answer neighboring counties/states requests to replicate results. Media report. Website skills needed. Use data for marketing and public relations. Goals: Publish findings. Fund a position to support HOA expansion, support, education, awareness, and success.

SCRAPE for THE GRAPE™ Program

Scrape the Grape is Loudoun County’s most successful grassroots all volunteer driven agriculture, viticulture preservation program ever attempted. The productive and energized partnership between LIRA and Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy with Virginia’s wineries and a growing list of sponsorship has caught national attention, most recently The Today Show.

This intern will capture the momentum and outcomes data from day one, report the history and process, lessons learned, evidence based opportunities for growth, and look at all partners and sponsors, media, agencies, past, present and targets for future events.

What works about alliances better than silos? How do nonprofits handle big ideas with little money starting out? How do they work together to accomplish good? Is this sustainable? Can this model be applied to other invasive plant species targets or only those concerns that reflect a crisis? How did LIRA and LWC measure success?

Intern must have keen technology and organizational skills, positive energy, and ability to pull together various types of information into a factual framework and narrative with supporting data.

The goal to publish findings driving the Scrape for the Grape campaign:

• a) offering a model to other counties, states or businesses to freely replicate (they’re asking)

• b) explore what aspects of the program is translatable to other invasive plant and insect species

• c) establish justification for funding for permanent position for species specific program awareness volunteer alliance programs.

Position involves database management skills, analytics and understanding marketing and public relations and more.

Schedule:

Hours? Flexible? Seasonal?