The
National Wildlife Refuge System is a network of habitats that benefits
wildlife, provides unparalleled outdoor experiences for all Americans,
and protects a healthy environment. Today, there are more than 560
national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts. There is a
wildlife refuge within an hour's drive of most major metropolitan
areas. The National Wildlife Refuge Association (Refuge Association) is a
national nonprofit organization dedicated to wildlife conservation
through programs that support and strengthen the National Wildlife
Refuge System of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
It
takes many disciplines to carry out the mission of the National
Wildlife Refuge System. They include biology, forestry, law enforcement,
environmental education and interpretation. At regional and national
office levels, it includes engineering, planning, communication, and
administration. Interested in these kinds of careers? This year we will
also offer internships at the Fish and Wildlife Service regional office
in Atlanta, Georgia, for commuters only (housing not provided) for
engineering, planning, communication, and administration.
Internship Description:
This
summer, student refuge interns will spend 10-12 weeks on a national
wildlife refuge and will participate in a full range of tasks involved
in managing a refuge. Interns will be exposed to a variety of
experiences including wildlife biology, environmental education, and
interpretation, conservation management, outreach, and other refuge
operations and maintenance. Interns will be active participants in
implementing meaningful conservation projects on the ground. Interns
will be placed on national wildlife refuges in the southeast or
northeast regions of the United States. Interns will be registered as a
National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer. This internship is unpaid, however,
housing will be provided and funding for transportation to and from the
refuge will be provided.
Download our flyer here: 2017 Summer Refuge Internship Flyer.
Learn more about Chelsea Connor's internship experience at Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuge Complex, here!
Benefits:
- Gain exposure to the USFWS, the National Wildlife Refuge System and Refuge Friends Group management.
- Gain real world experience in natural resource conservation and wildlife management
- Learn valuable skills for future conservation careers
- Upon successful completion of the summer internship, students are eligible for $1,500 towards their continuing education (at the discretion of the specific Refuge Station and Refuge Manager)
Responsibilities:
The
intern will report to appropriate staff members of the designated
National Wildlife Refuge and will complete duties as assigned. They will
also report to Sean Carnell on behalf of the Refuge Association. Their
responsibilities will include the following:
- Attend an National Wildlife Refuge System orientation meeting with Refuge Association staff
- Attend a digital story-telling and communications workshop
- Produce one blog post about your refuge internship experience highlighting your work
- Participate in internship-associated social media campaigns on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Instagram Stories and/or Snapchat based on the lessons learned form the digital story-telling and communications workshop
- Submit five photos of yourself out on the refuge during your internship to the Refuge Association
- Participate in monthly check-in calls with Sean Carnell to discuss your internship experience and how you can help the Refuge Association build relevancy for the National Wildlife Refuge System and USFWS
Qualifications:
The
applicant must be an undergraduate student, graduate student, or recent
graduate (within 2 years of degree completion) college or university.
The applicant must also be at least 18 years old and have a driver’s
license.
Application Process:
The
application and selection processes will be carried out in two stages.
Interested applicants should submit their application and supporting
documents to the National Wildlife Refuge Association by January 30, 2017 at 5pm EST.
Staff at the Refuge Association will narrow down the number of applicants.
The
narrowed-down list will be sent directly to Refuge Managers who are
interested in hosting a summer intern. Refuge Mangers will choose their
top three candidates to intern at their national wildlife refuge. The
Refuge Association will work with the desired candidates and refuge
staff to do our best to place you at your preferred refuge.
All applicants will be notified by March 1, 2017 regarding whether or not they received the internship.
The
internship start and end dates will vary depending on the individual
national wildlife refuge; however, the internship will begin late
May/early June.
Application:
Please complete the Online Application
In addition to completing the online application, please send the following documents to Sean Carnell at scarnell@refugeassociation.org:
- Unofficial copy of transcript
- Resume
- Letter of Recommendation from a professor or previous employer
Please use the following format for your email subject line “Student Refuge Internship Application – NAME”
For More Information:
Please contact Sean Carnell, the Innovation Program Manager of the National Wildlife Refuge Association at scarnell@refugeassociation.org.
