Summer Trail Crew Internship

***To apply

Please fill out this Google form with a cover letter and resume.

MEVO (Mahwah Environmental Volunteers Organization, Inc.) in partnership with the NYNJTC (New York-New Jersey Trail Conference) is recruiting hard-working college students with the desire to make a positive impact on recreational conservation systems through our Trail Crew Internship. This internship is designed for passionate and hardworking individuals who want to make a difference as leaders in environmental conservation, advocate for ecologically sensitive management of park systems, and work physically hard to build low-impact hiking trails. We offer an experience that shows you how to design, build and maintain hiking trails and park infrastructure, what it takes to manage, grow, and lead a not-for-profit organization, and how to work in partnership with policy makers, citizens, parks departments, and community organizations to be stewards of thousands of acres of parkland.

Trail Crew Details 

Title: Trail Crew Member

Start Date: May 18th, 2026

End Date: August 12th, 2026 

Days for the Internship: Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday

Work Hours: 9 am – 5 pm

Pay: $1500 stipend

Additional Compensation: Organic veggies and herbs

Housing: We are working to provide free housing at Ramapo College for a select number of interns through a memorial fund to honor our late board member, Sandy Shevack. If distance from Mahwah or lack of transportation poses a barrier to internship participation. Please note if this could be applicable to you on the application form.   

Work 

This summer you and your fellow crew members will work throughout the Northern New Jersey area to accomplish several trail building projects:

• Design, build, and maintain low-impact hiking trails with the NYNJ Trail Conference and their AmeriCorps Crews throughout the North Jersey park system.
• Execute trail-building projects to minimize erosion and repair neglected trails in order to improve the region's hiking experience. This could include: cutting fresh trails, installing water bars, placing stepping stones, or maintaining existing trails.
• Work in partnership with our other crews to provide support our farms and farm project

Training & Education

Week 1: May 18th - May 22nd

• General Training: This training week is designed to introduce crew members to MEVO’s mission, our broader environmental community, and train basic leadership skills. Throughout the week, we instruct on topics such as leadership, public speaking, environmental careers, alternative living, volunteer event planning and management, organic farming, health and wellness, and much more. We present on these topics through a mix of guest speakers, site visits, and staff presentations. In addition, this is a time for interns and MEVO staff to get to know each other so we will do plenty of team building and a group hike. Each day runs approximately from 9 am-5 pm. Hours may vary as the dates approach. 

  Week 2: May 25th-27th (please note, these dates may shift slightly to accommodate Memorial Day)

• Crew Specific Training: The second week will be Crew Specific Training week. Each crew’s leader runs training in order to prepare crews for their specialized work they will be accomplishing throughout the summer. The Trail Crew will spend their week learning from their Crew Leader and Trail Conference Staff to acquire basic trail building skills and learn more about the Trail Conference.  

Group Trips

• Vermont and Upstate New York, July 14th-19th:  On this trip, we’ll spend the bulk of our time camping off-grid in a rustic cabin and working at Merck Forest and Farmland Center (MFFC) in Rupert, Vermont. During our time at Merck, we will be working in their forest maintaining trails and the sugar bush, on the farm working with animals and crops, and in the sap house splitting and stacking wood. We will also have a ton of fun hiking, swimming, and exploring the town of Manchester, VT.  Towards the end of the week, we will leave MFFC to work and learn at our friends at Essex Farm CSA, in Essex New York, a unique full diet community-supported agriculture (CSA) farm.
  • This trip is largely funded by MEVO and crew leaders. MEVO cooks and provides as many meals as possible, but some nights we go to town for a meal, which will be the responsibility of the intern to cover. 

Responsibilities and Requirements 

• Physical volunteering and getting dirty: MEVO’s volunteer work is tiring and you need to be in good physical shape and willing to work hard. You will spend A LOT of your summer outdoors on the farm in the heat and mud, rain or shine!
• Public speaking and leadership: We want you to end your internship with the ability to be a leader and get people involved. This means that you will speak in front of groups of people of all ages and be asked to make difficult decisions, at times with little guidance.
• Teaching and volunteer management: You’ll spend Wednesdays on the farm and may work with volunteers, corporate groups and more to teach about regenerative farming and growing food. You have to be willing to teach, improvise, and have patience with your students/ volunteers. You also need to be energized to excite both students and volunteers about what you have to share. Teaching will be carried out in both structured more formal styles and through hands-on experiential education. 
• Willingness to get the job done: Some days we work late to finish the task at hand or have to get to the farm early in order to get our projects accomplished. Please make sure your days and early evenings are completely free on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays .We suggest that you refrain from scheduling evening summer classes and work shifts during these days in order to accommodate longer work days when required. Plus, you’ll be beat!
• Completion of a Summer Special Project: This is an interpretative project to showcase your summer experience in MEVO. This is not meant to feel like a chore or schoolwork, but rather something to show your fellow interns and MEVO staff on the last day of the internship. Special projects have included a mural at the farm, herbal skin care made with MEVO herbs, a MEVO recipe book, and more. More details will be provided during the internship 

Requirements

•  Mode of transportation: We operate throughout northern New Jersey which means we will be traveling to different locations for work and training. You need to have a practical way to get to our meet-up locations in Mahwah, NJ. We carpool most days so you will either be driving a carpool or carpooling in someone else’s ride. 
• Attendance: 
  • This is a 344 hour position. At minimum, you must complete 336 hours (this allows for 2 days off). If you do not complete 336 hours, we will not provide you with a certificate of completion for the internship or submit documents and evaluations needed for class credit for your school. Excessive absences or lateness will result in a possible dismissal from the program. 
    • Every intern can have up to two days off during the internship.
    • If a prior vacation has been planned an intern can take 1 consecutive week of vacation spanning a three day internship work week. The intern will be responsible for making up only 1 of those days. 
  • Trips: There will be a week-long trip to Vermont and Update New York (July 14th-19th) and attendance is mandatory. Please make sure you are physically and mentally able to participate in this trip. It is a high point of the internship, provides some of the most rewarding experiences of the summer, and is meant to push you out of your comfort zone. You must attend the trip to complete your summer internship.
• Training: You must be able to attend all days of summer crew training (May 17th-May 21st and May 26th-28th), so please plan your schedule accordingly. 

How to apply

Please fill out this Google form. Violet Reed, our Executive Director, and Jacob Morenberg our Farm Manager, will review your application. If you have any questions or technical difficulties please call or email Violet at 201-316-4888 fill out this Google form or violet@mevo.org.