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NextGen Summer Internship with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (Hopland REC)

UCSC Career Success
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Please apply for this position externally by submitting this form.

 

Internship Description:

The NextGen Internship with the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources is a program aimed at providing UCSC students with research and management experience at facilities managed by University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR). The Research and Extension Centers (or RECs), distributed throughout California, are living laboratories dedicated to research and management of agricultural systems and natural resources. UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) offices are problem-solving centers—the bridge between local issues and UC research. There are UCCE offices located in most counties in California.

In this internship, students will work with researchers and land managers on a range of agriculture and natural resource issues. They will work alongside Cooperative Extension Advisors and Community Education Specialists in field and lab research and educational outreach activities. Each intern will work with a mentor to gain experience in one or more projects. Student interns will also engage in regular check-ins with UCSC faculty and staff during the internship. Students will enroll in a 10-unit course in the summer (ENVS 192) that will involve 2-3 zoom meetings, writing a midterm report, writing a 4-5 page literature review, and making a short presentation about their experiences to other interns. The overall goal of this internship program is to provide students with field research experience, exposure to careers with UC ANR, and to prepare students for employment in sustainable agriculture and natural resources management. Students will be selected to work at one of several UC ANR locations - Hopland REC, South Coast REC, UC Cooperative Extension Offices in Riverside, San Diego, Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito, or Santa Clara Counties. 

The Hopland REC, in Mendocino County, is located on 5,358 acres of rolling Coastal Range mountains, hills, and valleys. Research work at Hopland REC is largely focused on rangeland management, fire ecology, wildlife, plant science, soil ecology, animal science, and climate change. Diverse extension programs occur as well, including a variety of youth field trips, California Naturalist courses, sheep industry vocational trainings, and professional development programs. Interns at Hopland REC will work on research in viticulture, pest management in diversified farms, forest management, fire ecology, rangeland management, or water policy. 

 

Eligibility Criteria

  • The program is open to undergraduate students from UCSC who will be enrolled in Fall 2026 (in other words, not graduating in spring 2026 or summer 2026)
  • Students from any major may participate; in past programs, we have supported students majoring in Agroecology, Environmental Studies, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Environmental Sciences, Critical Race & Ethnic Studies, Sociology, and Plant Sciences
  • Students must demonstrate interest in research related to agriculture, food systems, natural resources, or human sciences; previous experience is NOT required
  • Students must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents
  • Students must have a driver’s license, and having a car is preferred, but not required.
  • Students must pass a background check for work with UC ANR

 

Preferred Skills for Interns

  • Students must be professional, show up on time for internship activities, have the ability to work independently with minimal supervision, after receiving instruction, have the ability to work outdoors in hot conditions
  • For Hopland REC interns, it is preferred that students have the ability to hike in rugged terrain, read physical and GIS maps, and drive on rural, windy, dirt roads.

 

Expectations for internship participants

  • Participate in an internship related to sustainable agriculture and management of natural resources during the summer of 2026
  • Participate in an orientation / welcome meeting with UCSC staff in May 2026
  • Enroll in ENVS 192 - Summer NextGen scholars (10 units) during summer 2026 and complete related coursework that will include weekly timesheets, a midterm report, a progress report, a 4-5 page literature review, and a final presentation about your experience
  • Dedicate 300 hours during summer 2026 to the internship including field/ lab/ data/ research/management hours (270) and meetings with UCSC staff (5 hours), and time for paperwork and other assignments related to ENVS 192 (25 hours)
  • Attend 2-3 professional development workshops via zoom as part of ENVS 192 
  • Reply promptly to emails from UCSC and UC ANR staff requesting information needed for scholarship payments, housing applications, organizing meeting times, or completing background checks
  • Students working in pest management may be required to become a licensed pest control advisor

 

Program Dates:  

June 22 – August 14, 2026

 

Compensation: 

Each student will receive up to $6700 in scholarships for their participation. Payments will be distributed as scholarships through the Financial Aid office in summer. The student can work with the Financial Aid office to maximize the amount of their award. Each student will also have $175 for research supplies costs paid on their behalf. Funding may be available to reimburse travel expenses for visits to the research site or for conference travel. 

 

Housing:

  • Housing will be provided at Hopland REC at a cost of $20 per day ($1080 for the internship period), charged to the student. Housing is in a bunkhouse with 18 beds. Interns must be able to live in a situation with other people, and where other visiting researchers are coming and going.

 

To Apply: Please fill out the application form below. Be sure to answer all questions and prompts on the form.

Deadline for receipt of all materials: 5:00 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.

Please contact Stacy Philpott (sphilpot@ucsc.edu) with questions.

This Scholarship is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s NextGen Program (Award #2023-70508-40532).

 


Available Projects for Summer 2026 at Hopland REC:

 

1. Diversified Agricultural Systems

Mentor: Clebson Goncalves

Location: Hopland REC

A student in this internship could participate in a range of activities related to diversified agricultural systems. This could include applied research in various fields such as integrated weed management (organic and synthetic herbicide use and low-input strategy), Integrated Pest Management (of disease and insects), Emerging Technologies (use of drones in agriculture, and spray technology), irrigation management, and data upload. The student would also be involved in extension activities such as supporting organizing farmer meetings and farm visits as needed.


2. Integrated Vineyard Systems

Mentor: Christopher Chen

Location: Hopland REC

A student in this project would work with the Integrated Vineyard Systems Advisor for Lake, Sonoma, and Mendocino Counties. the projects would involve doing research on grapevine water stress and berry collection field measurements, laboratory processing of grape tissues for primary chemistry analysis, data input and basic analysis, as well as smoke monitoring and preparing smoke sensors for vineyard areas. 

 

3. Livestock and Natural Resources Management

Mentor: Jennifer (Jennie) Lane

Location: Hopland REC

A student in this project would work with the Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor for Mendocino and Lake Counties. The project would involve doing research related to livestock management, virtual fencing trials and demonstrations with ranchers, as well as targeted grazing management.