What does a Soil Conservationist do?
The Soil Conservationist (Soil Con) position for NRCS is a versatile position located in just about every field office we have. For Illinois, there is a field office in just about every county with about 3 or 4 not having one. A Soil Con works with farmers & other private landowners in that county to help address resource concerns (ie. Environmental problems). This is done through conservation planning and then helping producers sign up for financial assistance to implement conservation practices.
What will a student do during the internship?
The pathway intern (what we call the students) will shadow field office personnel and learn how to work with producers. They will also learn about conservation planning and its importance to NRCS’s mission of getting conservation on the ground. They will have the opportunity to receive specialized training, learn our systems, and work directly with field staff and customers.
What is required for students wanting to be a Pathways Intern for a Soil Conservationist position with NRCS?
They need to be a student in good standing at their school. They need to be on track to graduate and having a possibility of finishing all of these courses listed in the attachment below.
Who can I contact about an internship with NRCS in Illinois?
Reach out to Renae Nicholson at renae.nicholson@usda.gov if you have questions.
What internships is available from NRCS?
Pathway (internship) announcements will start to be released October 12th at www.usajobs.gov . They will only be open for a short time, so it is important to have a resume prepared. Soil Conservationist positions available for the summer of 2022 will be located at;
- Aledo
- Rockford
- Morrison
- Monmouth
- Taylorville
- Edwards
- Pontiac
- Martinsville
- Decatur
- McLeansboro
- Lawrenceville
- Vienna
What is required for students to be considered for full-time Soil Conservationist position?
Below is a linked information sheet that can be used by students. They can take this to their advisor and go through their curriculum to make sure that their coursework meets the educational requirements for a Soil Conservationist.
In short, the course work must have included 30 semester hours in a natural resource or agricultural field, including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils and crops or plant science. Of the 12 semester hours, a minimum of 3 semester hours must have been in soils and 3 semester hours in crops or plant science.
