2027 Summer - Plant Community Ecology Internships - Cedar Creek

University of Minnesota; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 18,000 - 25,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Dormitory housing

Job summary

The University of Minnesota's Cedar Creek LTER offers a summer internship in plant community ecology. Interns will contribute to field experiments, attend seminars, and work with professors, post-docs, and graduate students around Cedar Creek in Minnesota.

Most positions run June–August, with some earlier start dates and optional on-site dormitory housing. Ideal for undergrads in biology, ecology, or related fields seeking hands-on field experience and professional development.

Qualifications

• Outdoor work ability required.
• Strong analytical and communication skills.
• Good organizational and time-management abilities.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to ongoing field experiments.
• Attend scientific seminars.
• Interact with professors, post-docs, and graduate students.
• Assist with data collection and analysis in field and lab settings.

Skills

Outdoor work ability

Analytical skills

Time management

Job description

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Job Title 2027 Summer - Plant Community Ecology Internships - Cedar Creek

The Cedar Creek LTER (Long Term Ecological Research Network) has several opportunities for students to work as plant community ecology interns. Most positions run from June through August, but some interns are needed as early as March, and some are needed through October. Your educational institution may be able to approve this internship for any field biology requirement of your major. As a research intern, you will contribute to ongoing field experiments, attend scientific seminars, and interact with professors, post-docs, and graduate students.If you are an undergraduate or a newly graduated student with a background or interest in biology, ecology, environmental science, botany, environmental education, or related field we encourage you to apply.

Pay is $15.50 per hour. Typical work days are eight hours Monday through Friday; however, some projects require weekend, early morning, and evening work. Most of the work you do will be out in the field, though a few jobs have indoor laboratory or computer components. On-site dormitory housing is available to rent.

We have multiple large scale projects, and several other LTER projects sampling across experimental platforms that interns will be working on for the season. BioCON is one of the large-scale experiments where we explore the ways in which plant communities respond to environmental changes such as increased nitrogen deposition, increased atmospheric CO2, decreased biodiversity, altered precipitation patterns, and increased temperatures. Another large-scale project is the Big Biodiversity experiment that studies how plant biodiversity affects the rates, dynamics, and stability of ecological processes at the population, community, and ecosystem levels. Our Savanna Fire Frequency experiment will have a large survey effort including tree measures, herbaceous surveys and light measures. Throughout the summer we will maintain and sample these experiments.

REU (Research Experience for Undergrads) Opportunities:

Cedar Creek LTER also has two REU opportunities for the summer. These opportunities are open to undergraduate students that have not yet graduated (enrolled for fall 2026 classes). The pay rate is in stipend form and is comparable to the internship pay rate. More information about these opportunities can be found at z.umn.edu/cdrjobs.

Independent Research Projects and Professional Development Opportunities:

As part of the summer research experience, undergrad and post-bac interns have the opportunity to conduct small group research projects. Cedar Creek provides a research professional development training program in which mentors guide interns through the process of conducting research and presenting their results. We work with researchers to generate a list of group project ideas, and interns make selections from that list. There will also be an opening research symposium as well as seminars led by researchers on a variety of topics during the summer.

CCESR is an eight square mile tract of land 35 miles north of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul (MN). Cedar Creek is endowed with a mosaic of prairie, savanna, sedge meadows, bogs, open water, forests, and even abandoned agricultural fields. Its large size, great natural biodiversity, and uniform soil substrate make it ideal for ecosystem studies.

Qualifications:

Ability to work outdoors.

Effective analytical and communication skills.

Strong organizational and time management skills

End date must be on or later than August 13 th

Driver’s license is preferred but not required

Pay and Benefits

Pay Range: $15.50 depending on education/qualifications/experience.

Retirement plan options are available for Civil Service, Faculty, Labor-Represented, Professional & Administrative, and Temp Casual classifications. Learn more about retirement plans.

Diversity

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

About University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by Forbes as a Best Employer for Company Culture (2026), Best Employer for Women (2023, 2025, 2026), and Best Employer by State (2022-2026). In 2026, we also received Culture Excellence & Industry Awards recognition for employee appreciation and work-life flexibility.