World Wildlife Fund (WWF), one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, seeks a Protected Area Downgrading, Downsizing, and Degazettement (PADDD) Intern.

The Earth for Life department of the World Wildlife Fund is seeking an intern to research the extent of PADDD in global marine and terrestrial areas. Conservation policy assumes that protected areas are permanent, but reality suggests otherwise. PADDD events are legal changes that affect protected areas by tempering restrictions, reducing boundaries, or erasing them entirely.

At the recent United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) representatives from 188 governments agreed on the latest Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). This framework sets ambitious goals targets for protecting nature by 2030 and renews focus on expanded ambitions for area-based conservation. With the energy of the updated GBF and the IUCN resolution from the last World Conservation Congress, there is increased interest in understanding and documenting PADDD.

WWF and partners are analyzing patterns, trends, and causes of PADDD and their implications for the sustainability of conservation efforts. Outputs of this internship may include maps and graphs of PADDD patterns, trends, causes, and conservation impacts.

Please note: Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship.  In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.  

• Register and document instances of marine OR terrestrial PADDD globally since 2020 by drawing upon legal documents, existing datasets, popular, gray, and peer-reviewed literatures, and personal communications.
• Analyze instances of marine OR terrestrial to understand causes and conservation impacts and show emerging trends and patterns.
• Visualize instances of marine OR terrestrial by using maps, graphs, and other visual material to illustrate spatial and temporal trends.
• Support interviews or consultation with key stakeholders in certain geographies where PADDD has been informally or formally reported since 2020.
• Prepare information and material for review with the intent to eventually share results widely across the conservation community via PADDDtracker.org.
• Support the development of WWF’s strategy for engaging on PADDD issues and research, write, and/or analyze topics of relevance.
• Engage and support a global taskforce via activities of interest: communications, policy, data, and trainings.
• Optionally, publish findings in peer-reviewed scientific literature or draft briefings on main findings.

Required Qualifications

• Completion of an undergraduate degree. Current or completed graduate students preferred. Relevant areas of study include environmental studies, environmental law, conservation biology, international development, geography, or a relevant interdisciplinary, sustainability or social science field. It is possible for candidates to use PADDD research to work toward a graduate degree program or thesis.
• Experience with or the skills to find/download/manipulate spatial data, digitize paper maps, assemble and manage spatial datasets, create maps, and basic spatial analysis.
• Demonstrated qualitative analysis and critical thinking skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Interest in conservation and international development issues.
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment, collaboratively and independently.
• Identifies and aligns with WWF’s core values:
  • COURAGE – We demonstrate courage through our actions, we work for change where it’s needed, and we inspire people and institutions to tackle the greatest threats to nature and the future of the planet, which is our home.
  • INTEGRITY – We live the principles we call on others to meet. We act with integrity, accountability, and transparency, and we rely on facts and science to guide us and to ensure that we learn and evolve.
  • RESPECT – We honor the voices and knowledge of people and communities that we serve, and we work to secure their rights to a sustainable future.
  • COLLABORATION – We deliver impact at the scale of the challenges we face through the power of collective action and innovation.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with database management
• Experience with Mendeley, Zotero, EndNote, or other reference management software
• Experience with statistical analysis
• Experience with accessing, managing, and analyzing geospatial dataset via ArcGIS experience

Optional

• Foreign language skills, particularly Portuguese and/or Spanish
• Experience with leveraging AI tools to search for information

Location

Flexible for remote candidates, but there is an opportunity to work in WWF-US headquarters if based near Washington, DC. US Remote – WWF employs interns in all states with the exception of: Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Wyoming. 

*Please note that WWF does not provide VISA sponsorship to interns. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship.  In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. 

Compensation

Paid. $21 an hour for candidates with undergraduate degrees or graduate students; and, up to $25 an hour for candidates with a graduate degree. Able to work either part time or full time depending on schedule and availability. The most likely contract would be full-time for three months. The duration of this internship can be negotiated depending on the hours per week that qualified candidates can dedicate to this work. A minimum of 20 hours per week is desired.  

To Apply: 

• Submit cover letter and resume through our Careers Page, Requisition #IN-25021

• Due to the high volume of applications, we are not able to respond to inquiries via phone 

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) promotes equal employment opportunities for all qualified individuals regardless of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.