Conservation Finance Intern - Summer 2026

About Blue Forest 

Blue Forest is a conservation finance non-profit founded in 2015 that is focused on advancing ecosystem restoration through scientific research, financial innovation, and collaborative partnerships. Since 2018, Blue Forest has managed investor capital through its flagship financial product, the Forest Resilience Bond (FRB), which deploys private capital to finance forest restoration projects to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. More recently, Blue Forest has also established Blue Forest Asset Management (BFAM), an investment management platform connecting investors to compelling, mission-aligned opportunities in a broader set of asset classes beyond FRB projects, such as private equity and private credit investments.

Blue Forest is made up of an interdisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, foresters, finance, and communications professionals committed to the mission: “To accelerate ecological restoration through conservation finance, enabling climate resilience for ecosystems and communities.” 

Employees at Blue Forest are: 

• Committed to Continuous Learning

• Driven by Collaboration

• Thoughtful Innovators for Impact

• Grounded in Science

• Passionate about Restoring Earth’s Ecosystems

The Blue Forest Internship Experience

Blue Forest interns are embedded members of our team, contributing high-impact work that advances our mission from day one. This is an opportunity to sit at the intersection of ecology, conservation, and finance, gaining hands-on experience in an emerging field that is shaping how the world restores natural ecosystems.

As a Blue Forest intern, you can expect to:

• Contribute to our mission by working on projects that directly support forest resilience, ecological restoration, and local communities

• Build meaningful relationships across the conservation finance space, including exposure to our partners in government, the private sector, and the non-profit world

• Work remotely as part of a collaborative, distributed team — developing the professional skills to thrive in a modern, flexible work environment

• In-person collaboration opportunity; depending on role, interns may have the opportunity to visit an active restoration project, meet up with team members to co-work locally, or attend a conference with fellow employees
  

Position Summary

The Conservation Finance Intern reports to the Director of Conservation Finance and will support Blue Forest's Finance team across active investment operations and pipeline development. The intern will play a key role in supporting project-level transactions, including conducting financial and operational due diligence, analyzing project budgets and cash flows, assisting in structuring financing terms, and preparing materials for internal investment committee review. Day-to-day responsibilities include building and updating financial models, supporting the project approval process, and contributing to portfolio monitoring and reporting. A successful candidate will bring above-average Excel proficiency, a genuine interest in conservation finance, and an eagerness to learn and grow in an interdisciplinary environment.

Responsibilities & Duties

Financial Modeling & Analysis (35%)

• Support analysis of projects by building and updating financial models — including cash flows, return profiles, and sensitivity analyses — for Restoration Loans and Resilience Bonds

• Apply financial analysis skills to real conservation finance transactions, gaining hands-on exposure to how conservation finance projects are structured and evaluated

Pipeline Research & Development (30%)

• Research potential projects, partners, and geographies to help build a pipeline of conservation projects and partnerships that may be a strong fit for Blue Forest 

• Synthesize findings into structured summaries that inform the team's sourcing and prioritization decisions

• Conduct market and sector research to inform the design, terms, and feasibility of Blue Forest’s next financing facility, including evaluating potential funding sources, structures, and investment impacts

Project Approval & Diligence Support (20%)

• Support the internal project approval process by helping prepare investment memos and due diligence summaries

• Collaborate with team members to ensure materials are thorough, well-organized, and ready for internal review

• Assist in the due diligence of project partners, including evaluating financial health, operational capacity, and alignment with conservation goals

Portfolio Monitoring & Reporting (15%)

• Support ongoing tracking of active investments by updating internal dashboards, compiling performance data, and helping prepare periodic updates for internal and external stakeholders

• Provide support for external investor engagement on an as-needed basis, including helping prepare presentations, data packages, or updates to assist with investor communications

Qualifications:

• Currently enrolled in, or recently graduated from (December 2025 or Spring 2026), a graduate degree program in Finance, Environmental Science, or a related field

• Above-average proficiency in Excel, with the ability to build, navigate, and update complex spreadsheets

• Genuine interest in conservation, ecological restoration, sustainability, or impact investing

• Eagerness to learn and a coachable, collaborative approach to work

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience preparing research summaries or analytical materials

• Background in conservation, natural resources, or sustainability — through coursework or professional experience — preferred

• Some financial modeling experience preferred

• Interdisciplinary academic or professional background preferred

• Experience working in a remote environment preferred

• Prior internship experience in a finance, research, or conservation-related role preferred

Compensation and Logistics:

• This is a paid internship position, with a pay rate of $35 per hour

• This position is approximately 40 hours per week and will last 8-10 weeks

• This position is remote; interns must be based in the U.S. and have access to reliable internet