Internships, Work Study and Independent Studies:
We work with a dozen or so college and high school interns and work study students each year. There are a number of academic credit internship and independent study opportunities with Help Yourself open to students in the Pioneer Valley, as well as opportunity for paid federal work study, community service hours, community based learning requirements, job internships, or to take on a larger project for a thesis or concentration. Check out the many options below, or even work out an individualized program based on your interests. At the end of the semester we are happy to evaluate your work as necessary to receive academic credit, and provide references. If interested, email [email protected] to get in touch!
Forest Garden Design & Implementation
Interns will learn the basics of permaculture garden design, as well as plant properties and relationships, and take on a specific public place to design and install a fruit tree and understory planting somewhere in the valley or in a place of their choosing. This is a more creative focus, working with a concrete place and reference tools.
Site Prep, Maintenance, & Nursery Work
Interns will learn hands on techniques such as observation & analysis, sheet mulching, soil building, community scale composting, cover cropping, and bio-remediation. We will learn and work at nearby Tripple Brook Farm in Southampton to earn plants for the project. We will also work to maintain existing plantings by mowing, weeding, pruning, grafting and harvesting. This is a more hands on focus, working with existing plantings.
Bio-remediation and Regeneration:
Many places owned by the public, towns and private business have soil poisoned by years of industrial oversight and abuse. Interns will focus on identifying local publicly owned areas with a toxic legacy, the sources and types of contamination, and appropriate species of plants and mushrooms to remediate and rejuvenate the soil, design and install signs raising awareness about the history of the site, and working towards the goal of planting fruit trees and gardens. We'll support the interns with living plants, volunteers, and resources. This is a research and initiative focused study.
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Comm. Outreach, Education & Movement Building
Interns will work on promoting the project and larger movement through canvassing, and approaching local homes and businesses with lawns that might be planted with public fruit trees. They will also participate in the larger organizational structure of the project by identifying grants, potential allies, volunteers and local resources, by contacting existing projects in nearby communities, and organizations interested in starting a local branch, potentially in their home town. Interns will also be trained to lead public programs on wild edible plants, permaculture, grafting, and more. This is a more person oriented focus, working with people and communication.
Start a Public Planting Project!
Interns will be assisted in starting a Help Yourself project in a community of their choice - either locally to Western Mass, or elsewhere in the country, potentially their hometown. Interns will receive logistic and material support in communication with local officials, locating volunteers, fundraising, and more. This is a more serious but exciting long term commitment.
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