Luchtfoto rivier Wild Wonders of Europe / Peter Cairns / WWF
internship

Intern Living European Rivers (LER)

We are looking for an English speaking bachelor/master student!

Intern - Living European Rivers (LER)

Zeist 32-40 hours bachelor / master € 550 (fulltime)

Freshwater ecosystems in Europe are among the most impacted globally, facing significant biodiversity loss due to long-term human pressures. The Living European Rivers (LER) Initiative aims to transform water management approaches to restore rivers and wetlands, reverse biodiversity loss, and deliver benefits for both nature and people by 2030.

To support collaboration across WWF offices and partners, the initiative relies on strong knowledge management (KM) and community engagement, including digital platforms (SharePoint, Teams, Viva Engage) and curated knowledge resources.


What will you be doing?

The internship aims to strengthen knowledge sharing, collaboration, and community engagement across the LER network by improving digital collaboration spaces, supporting community building, and exploring innovative KM solutions.

Activities

The intern will collaborate with the LER initiative team and core members, WWF Freshwater Practice (global and regional), Communication and KM focal points across offices and External partners where relevant

The intern will support the LER team across three main areas:

A. Knowledge Management & Digital Platforms

  • Update and maintain the LER SharePoint collaboration site (structure, content organization, usability)
  • Update and improve the LER communication page (clarity, storytelling, accessibility for the broader WWF network)
  • Organise and curate key resources (e.g. strategy, project materials, communication assets)
  • Ensure alignment between collaboration and communication platforms (SharePoint, Teams, external pages)
  • Support the structuring of knowledge assets

 

B. Community Building & Engagement

  • Support the LER community of practice
  • Contribute to improving the Teams-based collaboration space (“Teamify” – structuring channels, guidance, onboarding)
  • Support onboarding of new community members (guidance materials, welcome messages, orientation content)
  • Facilitate engagement through community activities (e.g. news posts, updates, lightweight events, knowledge-sharing moments)

 

C. Knowledge Innovation & Learning

  • Benchmark European NbS knowledge platforms and resources relevant to freshwater restoration (e.g. MERLIN, Sponge, NWRM+) and identify strengths, gaps, and relevance for WWF offices.
  • Collect and organise tools, methods, and case studies from WWF and partner NbS projects to support knowledge sharing and reuse.
  • Review overlaps with global NbS strategies or hubs and support alignment of WWF knowledge exchange efforts.
  • Support a knowledge exchange survey to map network needs, preferred methodologies, and database functions.
  • Contribute to NbS training materials and help prepare background inputs for a common European WWF knowledge exchange platform.

 

Key Deliverables

  • Updated and improved SharePoint collaboration site
  • Revised and user-friendly LER communication page
  • Structured and organized LER knowledge repository
  • Proposed Team structure and community engagement approach
  • Community engagement outputs (e.g. posts, onboarding material, guidance notes)
  • Short report or presentation on European NbS knowledge platforms, including mapping of options, gaps, and recommendations
  • Summary of knowledge exchange needs and inputs for training or platform development.

Who are we looking for?

Essential:

  • Strong interest in knowledge management, digital collaboration, or community building
  • Excellent organizational and structuring skills
  • Strong written communication skills (English)
  • Ability to work independently and proactively

Desirable:

  • Experience with Microsoft 365 tools (SharePoint, Teams, Viva Engage)
  • Interest in environmental or conservation topics
  • Experience in communications, facilitation, or community engagement
  • Analytical mindset (ability to assess and improve systems and processes).


What do we offer?

  • Duration: 3-6 months
  • Location: [Flexible/remote or office-based depending on context]
  • Supervision: The intern will report to the LER coordination team, working closely with the initiative coordinator
  • €550 allowance per month, based on fulltime work.

Interested?

Please send your CV and motivation letter before June 20, 2026 to: Angela Cordeiro Ortigara: aortigara@wwf.nl and Natascha Zwaalnzwaal@wwf.nl