Application Deadline: 5:00 PM ET on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.

(Important: please see the Requirements tab of this posting to ensure that you submit all necessary application materials.)

Job Title: Atkinson Intern, Wetlands Science
Program/Department: Agriculture, Water and Food 

Job Description: EDF internships provide high-quality experiences (including relevant projects and opportunities for networking) which create a foundation for anyone who is serious about pursuing an environmental career.

Program/Department Overview: The Agriculture, Water and Food (AWF) Focus Area at EDF is working to protect food, water and shelter in a changing climate and reduce climate impacts by lowering climate emissions from agriculture, making food production more resilient, protecting water resources and reducing flood risk to ensure that people, economies and ecosystems thrive as they face more extreme weather.  

Within AWF, the Coasts & Watersheds team works reduce flood risk in the US’s most vulnerable regions to ensure resilient ecosystems and communities along coasts and rivers thrive with water and are safe, equitable, and prosperous places to live, work, and play by supporting community capacity, uplifting science and data, and promoting strategies that invest in and support natural solutions and realign markets to reduce risk.

Overall Function: Science evaluating the benefits of natural systems can support investments in nature. The intern will conduct relevant scientific research to better understand the impacts of sea level rise, land use change, and wetlands migration on wetland ecosystem services. They will create a report that investigates projected change in coastal wetland extent with sea level rise, including loss and migration due to inundation and potential expansion in other areas due to groundwater flooding. The intern will also participate in analysis of relevant state or federal policies related to wetlands protections. Through this work, the intern will learn critical skills for synthesizing scientific literature, performing applied geospatial analyses, and translating complex scientific topics to inform policy development. The intern will report to the Senior Manager, Coasts & Watersheds Sciences and work closely with the rest of the Virginia and Coasts & Watersheds team.