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International Society of Tropical Foresters

  • Type: INGO
  • Field: Agriculture
  • Region: North America
  • Location: USA
  • Internship Title: International Intern
  • Duration: 3months
  • Number of Interns: 2
  • Special Requirement: N/A
  • Application Status: Available
  • Remote Internship: Acceptable
About Us
The International Society of Tropical Foresters (ISTF) strives to be a collaborative, information-sharing network of members and chapters focused on the conservation and sustainable use of tropical forest resources. ISTF was founded in the 1950s and “in response to a worldwide concern for the fate of tropical and subtropical forests, ISTF is committed to the protection, wise management and rational use of the world’s tropical forests”. 

At present, there are about 2100 members in 109 countries, and 11 chapters, including Nepal, India, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Panama, and three university chapters in the USA at Yale University, North Carolina State University, and Duke University. ISTF wants to promote multi-way communication among field practitioners, researchers, and policy makers, and concerned others, embracing the diversity of people and disciplines concerned with tropical forests.

MISSION
To facilitate and promote sharing of best practices for the effective management, protection, and equitable and ecologically sustainable use of tropical forests and natural resources in the tropical and subtropical regions across the globe.

ISTF Objectives:
1. Act as a center to communicate information about professional activities and tropical forest-related issues, in order to promote understanding of tropical forestry and sustainable land use practices.
2. Recruit members from throughout the world, especially from tropical countries, and create a global online community of people interested in tropical forest science, protection, conservation, management, and policy.
3. Promote research and dissemination of scientific knowledge among tropical foresters, researchers, policy and decision makers, and community members.
4. Inform and advocate for international and local public policies and best practices that affect tropical forest science, conservation, and management.
5. Cooperate and collaborate with government, non-government, academic, and private sector organizations, agencies, and research centers, in order to promote the development and implementation of equitable and ecologically sustainable land use practices that value and conserve tropical forests.
6. In every aspect of its mission, vision, and activities, respect diversity in all its cultural, religious, economic, personal, and other manifestations.
Main tasks
Internet search for resources and opportunities related to tropical forests and forestry
Internet search for funding opportunities in tropical forestry
Transcription of recorded meetings
Helping with databases

Other possible tasks
Indexing of documents on international forestry
Preparing membership certificates
Video editing
Assisting with preparation of proposals for funding ISTF
Assisting with writing bylaws for new ISTF chapters
Assisting with evaluation of software and platforms for different ISTF functions

What the student will gain from the internship
As an intern, you can be part of the rebirth of ISTF, helping us move it to a new level of functionality and impact. You will gain understanding from immediate experience about the range of issues affecting tropical forests. You will gain insights on rebuilding an organization and how to fund it. You will develop a set of contacts for international organizations concerned with tropical forests and sustainability.

Requirements：
● A broad group of academic backgrounds would be helpful for this internship: forestry, agriculture, biology, ecology, botany, international relations, organization administration, business development, computer programming and website development, etc.
● Flexibility, cooperative attitude, independent thinking about better ways to do things
● Interest in international organizations, sustainability, tropical and subtropical forests
● Willingness to attend virtual meetings
● Good to excellent English
● Internet search skills
● Familiarity with Microsoft programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
● Video editing experience or willingness to learn
2004-04-02 | New Haven, CT USA – Conference on people in parks
2002 | Washington, DC USA – Annual meeting
2000-12-04 | Washington, DC USA – Annual meeting
1999-12-04 | Washington, DC USA – Annual meeting
1999-11 | Washington, DC USA – Joint meeting
1999-07-12 | Arusha, Tanzania UR – Workshop on off forest tree resources of Africa
1998-11-30 | Washington, DC USA – Annual meeting
1997 | Washington, DC USA – Annual meeting
1996-11-25 | Bangkok, Thailand – Conference on tropical forestry in the 21st century
1996-10-01 | Chandigarh, India – Meeting on resource inventory techniques to support agroforestry and environment activities
1996-04-12 | New Haven, CT USA – Meeting on the ecotourism equation
1996-02-19 | Nairobi, Kenya – Symposium on domestication and commercialization of non-timber products in agroforestry
1995-12-06 | Washington, DC USA – Annual meeting
1995-10 | Palampur, India – Symposium on resource inventory techniques to support agroforestry activities
1995-03-25 | Raleigh, NC USA – Conference on clearcutting of sustained management
1995-02-10 | New Haven, CT USA – Conference on local heritage in the changing tropics
1994-12-07 | Washington, DC USA – Membership meeting
1994-09-20 | Anchorage, AK USA – Membership meeting
1994-05-16 | Williamsburg, VA USA – International symposium on spatial accuracy of natural resource data bases
1993-12-02 | Washington, DC USA – Annual meeting
1993-06-21 | University Park, PA USA – Conference on inventory and management techniques in the context of catastrophic events
1992-12-02 | Washington, DC USA – Annual meeting
1992-09-13 | Portland, OR USA – International conference on stand inventory technologies
1991-12 | Washington, DC USA – Annual meeting
1990-12 | Washington, DC USA – Annual meeting
1989-12 | Washington, DC USA – Annual meeting
1986-09-22 | Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico – Conference on management of the forests of tropical America
Relations

Relations with Non-Governmental Organizations

Links with: 

B-XB2721 – International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO); 
F-XF3056 – Pan American Development Foundation (PADF); Society of American Foresters; 
G-XG2441 – Southern African Institute of Forestry (SAIF).

Members

Organizations and individuals (over 430). Membership countries not specified. Included in the above, 16 international, regional or internationally-oriented bodies.

Member Organizations
Commonwealth Forestry Association, Earth Council Alliance, Ecoafrica, European Tropical Forest Research Network, Inter-American Development Bank, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, International Association of Wildland Fire, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, International Network for Bamboo and Rattan, International Tropical Timber Organization, International Wood Products Association, Organization for Tropical Studies, Society for Participatory Research in Asia, Tinker Foundation, World Agroforestry Centre, World Forestry Center, Portland