BEACH LAKE, PA — During the 2023 summer season, Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River will have six Park Ranger Internship opportunities available, one will be a shared internship, performing duties with Resource Management. The park includes 73.4 miles of a clear, free-flowing river, remnants of the D&H Canal, and the home of western novelist Zane Grey. The Upper Delaware River forms the border between New York and Pennsylvania, stretching from Hancock, NY in the north, to near Port Jervis, NY in the south. A very active timber industry once utilized the swift waters of the river.

The Park Ranger Internship position is in the Division of Interpretation. Duties include staffing river access sites; presenting river safety talks and providing area information to river users; performing river patrols; and developing and presenting other educational programs on the geology, hydrology, ecosystems, natural history, and cultural history of the river valley. Programs will be presented to park visitors, local community groups, and summer youth camps.

The shared Natural Resource Internship position includes the above Park Ranger duties as well as collecting water samples, measuring water quality characteristics, inventory of natural resources along the river, evening bat counts, fish, mussel, snail, and crayfish surveys, vegetation surveys, invasive species removal or treatment, pollinator garden maintenance, electro-fishing, GPS/GIS and mapping, outreach with the public regarding park’s resources, data collection and entry, natural resource record keeping.  

Applicants need to be currently enrolled in a college or university working towards an undergraduate or graduate degree. Majors can include but are not limited to History, Education, Environmental Sciences or Conservation, Parks and Recreation, Social Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Fish & Wildlife Studies, Environmental Studies, Zoology, or Hydrology. Applicants should be outgoing and enjoy working and talking with adults and children. Experience working in an environmental setting and presenting education programs is helpful but not required.

We are looking for outgoing students who enjoy working outdoors and are comfortable being in the field with limited access to amenities and cell phone service. Some experience working in the field is preferred, but not specifically required. Experience can be from personal outdoor enthusiasm, coursework, shadowing, previous internships, school related clubs, community work, etc. Because of the nature of the field work performed during this internship, it is important applicants have a positive attitude about potentially getting wet or dirty, as well as working in and around open water, biting insects, and thick vegetation. There are also some physical aspects to this internship such as lifting, walking on uneven/unpaved rocky surfaces, swimming (possibly), canoeing/kayaking, and working from a motorized boat. 

All interns will be provided with three weeks of training which includes an orientation to the National Park Service, Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, interpretive and education program development, First Aid, CPR and canoe and white-water rescue training. On the job training is provided by experienced interpretive staff members prior to the interns being placed in the field on their own.

The Internship positions will run from May 8, through mid-August. Dates are flexible to accommodate school schedules. Interns work a 40-hour workweek including weekends and holidays.

For interns that are coming from outside the commuting area which is defined as over 50 miles from Lackawaxen, PA housing is provided, and a $30.00 stipend is given for each day worked. For interns living within the commuting area (50 miles or less from Lackawaxen) mileage reimbursement will be given to and from the residence to the park each day.

A personal vehicle is required for these positions as assigned duty stations are spread out over 30 miles up and down the Upper Delaware River Valley. The intern is responsible for travel to and from school/residence and the park.

This is a uniformed position, and the uniform is provided. The intern uniform consists of khaki pants, a blue polo shirt, and a blue ball cap. As some mornings can be cold and some positions and duties require park staff to work outdoors, outerwear is also provided.

For those interested in the Park Ranger Internship or the shared Resource Management Internship, please send a resume and two letters of recommendation to the Internship Coordinator, Ingrid Peterec at, email: ingrid_peterec@nps.gov or you may call (570) 493-1020 for more information. Please specify which position(s) you are applying for, you may apply for both. 

Applications submitted early will be given first consideration with the application deadline of April 28. 

To learn more about Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River check out the park’s web page at: http://www.nps.gov/upde