Forest Health Internship
Tennessee Department of Agriculture
Forest Health Internship
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry –Forest Health Division is seeking a paid intern for the summer of 2026 (May 18, 2026 – August 14, 2026) to assist with forestry health management. This internship is designed to offer the chosen candidate a comprehensive experience with invasive insect monitoring and forest pest management.
Location:
Ellington Agricultural Center
Bruer Building
406 Hogan Road, Nashville, TN 37220
Major Duties:
Forest Health Management:
- Assist with the deployment, maintenance, and collection of insect traps for spongy moth (Lymantria dispar) and emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) across designated survey areas.
- Identify target and non-target insect species and monitor trap contents to support invasive pest detection.
- Record field data accurately, maintain field equipment, and support additional forest health monitoring projects as needed.
- Work closely with state forestry personnel to gain hands-on experience in forest entomology, data collection, and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices.
Other duties may be assigned as needed.
Education Requirements:
- Applicants must possess a high school diploma and be currently pursuing a degree in forestry, natural resource management, environmental science or another related field.
- Recent college graduates, master’s students, and doctoral students may apply.
- Applicants must be in good academic standing with a GPA of 2.5 or higher.
Essential Knowledge and Required Skills:
- Basic knowledge of forest management such as dendrology, mensuration, and silviculture.
- Ideal candidates must have the ability to work independently.
- Candidate must be able to carry 25 pounds.
- Candidate must be able to navigate using a compass and a topographical map
- Familiarity with Microsoft Office.
Comments:
- This is a paid internship.
- This internship is physically demanding and may require walking over difficult uneven terrain at times.
- Daily travel is required; use of personal vehicle will be required for travel to and from work locations. State vehicles will be used for state responsibilities, and no formal lodging will be provided. Please contact Katy.Kilbourne@tn.gov for any questions on travel.
- All participants in the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Internship program are required to present details of their internship experience to executive staff. This presentation will be given to executive leadership during a luncheon at the end of the internship term.
- For more information on the Tennessee Division of Forestry, please visit https://www.tn.gov/agriculture/forests.html
Working Conditions:
- This internship is primarily field work with the possibility of some office work.
How to Apply:
To apply for this internship opportunity, please send the following documents to Jamye.Freeman@tn.gov:
- Resume
- Letter of intent
- Most recent transcript
- Two professional letters of recommendation
- DD214 (veteran candidates only)
PLEASE NOTE: Once your application has been received, you will receive a confirmation email. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please reach out to Jamye.Freeman@tn.gov.
ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2025.
Other Information:
The State of Tennessee and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Pursuant to the State of Tennessee’s Workplace Discrimination and Harassment policy. The State is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is the State’s policy to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment of an individual because of that person’s race, color, national origin, age (40 and over), sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veterans status, or any other category protected by state of and/or federal civil rights laws.