Environmental and Species Conservation Intern
Undergraduate Internship Opportunity
Department of Conservation
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
47900 Portola Avenue, Palm Desert, California
Project: “Experience Animal and Habitat Conservation With a Zoo”
Timeline: Specific timeframe is negotiable
While this internship is unfunded, the intern will be provided with the opportunity of collaboration, appreciation, and an amazing group of conservationists with whom to work. If successful, the position may be extended to include a more expansive, in-person opportunity on site into the future.
Description: The Living Desert works with conservation organizations across Southern California, East and Southern Africa, as well as Central America to help them both in person and remotely. An intern working with us at The Living Desert in this program would help in a diversity of ways: helping the rearing and care of baby desert tortoises, behavioral change assessment surveys, propagating and caring for native plants, outplanting native plants into the wild and into community gardens, surveying plants in the wild, and a great diversity of other opportunities. The Coachella Valley is one of the greatest biodiversity hotspots in North America, as our region ranges from below sea level to above 11,000 feet in elevation. The intern will gain many valuable skills in a diversity of conservation projects, including more general ones like vertebrate identification, research methods, data analysis, and personnel management, and will connect with some of the leading wildlife conservationists from around the world.
Preferred qualifications: completion of one or more foundation college-level course(s) in relevant subjects such as intro bio, sustainability, ecology, statistics, and/or geography; detail oriented; ability and desire to work as part of a multicultural collaborative team; demonstrated technical writing ability.
To apply: please email a resume, a cover letter detailing your relevant experience and long-term career plans, a second writing sample, and the name and contact information of one academic reference provider to conservation@livingdesert.org.
This is a rolling and ongoing opportunity. Salary may be available for qualified applicants.