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NextGen Summer Internship with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (South Coast 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. 

South Coast REC, in Irvine, CA, is located on 200 acres in California's south coastal plain temperate climatic zone. In the heart of one of the nation's most populated areas, South Coast REC focuses on research and outreach related to urban agricultural issues. Interns at South Coast REC will be based either in San Diego, where they will have the opportunity to work with a team of advisors researching pest management, plant pathology, production horticulture, and urban agriculture, or Irvine, where they can work on research related to urban water resources, soil health and organic materials management, or human-wildlife interactions in urban settings.

 

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 South Coast REC, UCCE Riverside, and UCCE San Diego interns, it is preferred that students have the ability to drive on very busy Southern California freeways, have previous experience working with plants, mammals, or pest management, have the ability to lift up to 40lbs and be comfortable working with soil and recycled water, and have experience with data management in Excel, RStudio, Python. Experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a plus.

 

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 NOT be provided at South Coast REC, UCCE Riverside, or UCCE in Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, Santa Clara counties. Students will be responsible for finding their own accommodations.

 

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 South Coast REC:

 

1. Human-Wildlife Interactions

Mentor: Niamh Quinn

Location: Irvine, CA at UCCE Orange County at the South Coast REC

This project evaluates whether new rodenticide mitigation measures can reduce wildlife exposure using real-world data. It pairs rodent-focused work (tracking rat activity with standardized indices and testing pulsed rodenticide applications), with coyote-focused monitoring through GPS collars, DNA ID, and repeated scat/hair sampling. Using isotopically labelled rodenticides (iLARs), the study traces how bait moves through rodent populations and into predators. By integrating rodent ecology, pest management practices, and coyote movement, the project provides the first real-time test of how operational changes influence non-target exposure. 
 

2. Urban Agriculture Technology

Mentor: Grant Johnson

Location: Irvine, CA at the South Coast REC

A student doing research in this area can focus on two different projects:

  1. Operating a controlled environment agriculture vertical farm shipping container and developing a program geared towards workforce development training. This program would benefit from an intern that wants to learn how to operate this technology and who is interested in exploring plant research with crop types and plant lighting. 
  2. Working with local food bank to adopt hydroponics into their operation to support crop health improvements, water savings, and labor efficiency. This project involves data collection and testing practical methods for small to medium scale urban farmers utilizing the Krakty hydroponic method.

 

3. Urban Watershed Resilience

Mentor: Esther Lofton

Location: Irvine, CA at UCCE Orange County at the South Coast REC

This research focuses on urban watershed resilience across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. A primary project for the intern would be the Water Champions initiative, where we document households that have transformed traditional landscapes into water smart, climate resilient gardens. The intern would help with surveys and interviews, preliminary data analysis, and development of story maps and outreach materials that highlight community practices. Depending on interest, the intern could also support related water quality and postfire resilience activities such as field documentation or organizing community facing information.

 

4. Soil Health and Organic Materials

Mentor: Natalie Levy

Location: Irvine, CA at the South Coast REC

This research program advances climate-resilient land management by integrating soil health science, organic materials management, water conservation, and post-disturbance recovery across agricultural, urban, and natural landscapes in Southern California. The program combines applied field research, community-engaged science, and policy-relevant analysis to improve soil function, reduce wildfire and stormwater risks, increase water-use efficiency, and support the safe, effective use of recycled organic materials. Through partnerships with universities, public agencies, land managers, and communities, the program generates scalable, evidence-based strategies that inform land management practices and environmental policy.

Specific project objectives include these things and a student could participate in all projects:

  1. Conservation Grazing and Soil–Microbial-Vegetation– Interactions. This project evaluates conservation grazing as a landscape-scale management tool to reduce invasive annual grasses, lower wildfire fuel loads, and promote native plant recovery. Using replicated grazing treatments and long-term monitoring, the project assesses soil physical, chemical, and biological indicators, including microbial and mycorrhizal communities and soil carbon dynamics. This work supports the development of locally relevant soil health benchmarks, and will inform best practices for using grazing in conservation lands while safeguarding sensitive species and habitats in Southern California.
  2. Post-Fire Soil Health and Remediation Pilot. Following major wildfires in Los Angeles County, this project tests composted mulch as an equitable, scalable strategy for post-fire soil stabilization, dust suppression, and exposure reduction to heavy metals. Community soil testing, Master Gardener engagement, and partnerships with county agencies and compost producers support implementation on fire-impacted residential lots. The pilot evaluates logistics, costs, and outcomes to inform countywide post-fire recovery frameworks and align with California’s organics procurement and diversion policies (SB 1383).
  3. Water-Efficient Landscapes and UC Landscape Plant Irrigation Trials Research. This project generates science-based irrigation guidance for ornamental plants and vines through multi-year deficit irrigation trials conducted across diverse California climates. Quantitative water-use data inform WUCOLS, MWELO implementation, and climate-ready landscape planning. Results support growers, landscape professionals, and water agencies in reducing water demand while maintaining plant performance and ecosystem services.