USU Uintah Basin Announces Richens Natural Resources Internship Program

VERNAL, Utah — Utah State University Uintah Basin has announced a new internship program for students studying natural resources. The Richens Natural Resources Internship Program will train USU Uintah Basin students in field techniques and lab research focused on local and regional ecosystems and management.

The internship program will be managed by USU Uintah Basin faculty in the Quinney College of Natural Resources in cooperation with wildlife biologists at the Bureau of Land Management Vernal Field Office. Interns will work in the Pariette Wetlands, the largest wetlands administered by the BLM in Utah, located 90 minutes south of Vernal.

The Richens Internship is named after Voit B. Richens, a wildlife biologist and naturalist who conducted research and ecological studies in the Uintah Basin. Richens, who graduated from QCNR with a master’s degree in 1961 and a doctorate in 1967, passed away in November 2022. In his last will and testament, Richens named QCNR as the beneficiary of a portion of his estate to be used for ecological studies in the Uintah Basin region. After discussions between QCNR Dean Linda Nagel and USU Uintah Basin faculty, it was determined that the donation would be used to create a quasi-endowment to fund the program.

“Dr. Richens dedicated his life to wildlife biology research and was a passionate naturalist who spent the majority of his career in the Uintah Basin region,” Nagel said. “With this endowment, we will be able to support a 9-month internship position in perpetuity. These students will be able to work under the close advisement of USU Uintah Basin faculty, where they will conduct research in the lab and out in the field. We believe Dr. Richens would be pleased with how his generous donation will be allocated.”

The nine-month internship program will have students work directly with Mark Chynoweth, assistant professor of wildlife ecology. The part-time position will pay $17 per hour, and interns will need to commit to approximately 20 hours per month. Internship activities will include:

• Conducting background research on the ecology and management of the Pariette Wetlands.
• Contributing to the monthly waterfowl surveys that have been ongoing for 30 years.
• Monitoring wildlife and habitat in prescribed burn areas with remote trail cameras.
• Assisting wildlife biologists as needed with inventory of wildlife or wetland treatments.
• Presenting research activities to local and regional groups to communicate results.

The unique Pariette Wetlands ecosystem is composed of approximately 25 ponds and a perennial stream. The wetlands provide a rare green, marshy habitat for wildlife among the desert shrub and grasslands. Originally targeted at waterfowl management, the wetlands now support a wide variety of other wildlife, including raptors, small mammals, mule deer, pronghorn, river otters and herpetofauna.

Students interested in applying for the internship must submit an application through the AGGIE Handshake online job portal. Applications should include a one-page letter of interest outlining the student’s experience and why they would make a good fit for the position, as well as a resume and contact information for three references.

Applicants should be highly motivated to learn, clear communicators, interested in learning about careers in natural resource management, and be able to spend full days outdoors in the field collecting data. Prior experience in fieldwork, conducting wildlife surveys, and data collection is a plus. Questions about the internship should be directed to Mark Chynoweth (mark.chynoweth@usu.edu).