Internship
The goals of Conservation Biology Program internship component are to 1) deepen the student’s understanding of the multiple disciplines comprising conservation biology and 2) promote the development of skills that will complement the student’s graduate research program and which are useful or necessary for a career track in conservation biology.
This is an opportunity for motivated students to assess their skill sets, knowledge, and marketability, to define areas of understanding and experience they would like to develop, and to gain concrete benefits from doing so (e.g. professional and presentation experience). We have provided some examples of past internships to help students imagine what they have the freedom to do within the program guidelines.
Internship Requirements
Example Internships
Examples of Past Internships
Internship Location: Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim Norway
Contact Information: www.NINA.no
Student’s Home Department at MU: Fisheries and Wildlife
Position: Student Researcher
Goals: application and enhancement of GIS skills to an applied research project involving human dimensions aspects of carnivore management.
Product: Peer reviewed paper for publication. Will return to NINA to complete the research and writing of this paper.
Details and Comments: Scandinavia and in particular Dr. John Linnell of NINA has a long history of carnivore reintroduction and management where two goals are of utmost importance. The first is biologically supported population levels, but in conjunction with what Dr. Linnell terms social carrying capacity. This brings into play the realization that we cannot restore species and systems without engaging humans and incorporating social viewpoints on the topic or species. My interests in conservation biology lay in how species survive or will be able to survive in the light of long-term human impacts. The impacts are not only a product of landscape alterations, but also of social viewpoints. I hope to work in Europe in the future and learned a great deal about how other countries handle these issues.
Internship Location: The Farmscape Ecology Program (FEP) Internship
Contact Information: http://www.hawthornevalleyfarm.org/fep/
Student’s Home Department at MU: Rural Sociology
Position: Intern
Goals:
Product:
Details and Comments: Based on a 400-acre biodynamic farm in eastern upstate NY, the FEP internship incorporates field ecology along with agriculture, natural history and education. This summer's work, for example, focused on floodplain forests that have been forested (not cleared) for at least the past 60 years, studying their topography as well as their biodiversity (flora and fauna). The internship also included public outreach - working with volunteers and conducting some educational programs - as well as farm work. Overall, this internship provided a great insight into connecting the issues and disciplines of ecology and biodiversity, land use, education and public involvement through scientific research, on-farm experiences and public programming.
Internship Location: Columbia BioBlitz
Contact Information: http://bioblitz.missouri.edu/
Student’s Home Department at MU: Biological Sciences
Position: Coordinator
Goals: 1) To gain skills in applying a social context to conservation through public education and enhanced appreciation of local biodiversity. 2) To build relationships with government and nongovernmental organizations.
Product:
Details and Comments:A BioBlitz is a 24-hour race to find and record as many species as possible from a variety of local taxa. The goals of the BioBlitz go far beyond a species survey.
The real wealth of an event such as this lies in the community participation and increased appreciation of the local environment. In order to hold a successful event, there are several things that need to be coordinated including the area surveyed, date, resources available and volunteers.
I provided a forum for groups such as the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), Columbia Public Schools, the local chapter of the Audubon Society, and the University of Missouri to come together in support of conservation. MDC and University students and faculty provided field guides and sampling equipment, and local school children, citizens, and members of nongovernmental organizations acted as naturalists. The Columbia BioBlitz provides each participant with a greater sense of community and a greater appreciation of their local environment.
Internship Location: Wisconsin Wetland Association (science-based NGO)
Contact Information: http://www.wisconsinwetlands.org/
Student’s Home Department at MU: Biological Sciences
Position: Policy Intern
Goals: To gain experience with NOGs and with environmental policy.
Product: I wrote an issue brief that I gave to the executive board of WWA to help them set policy priorities for the organization. I wrote it as an internal document for their organization.
Details and Comments: In the first few days of the internship we discussed what project I should work on. They gave me several options. I ended up working on regulatory issues pertaining to the clean water act and the effectiveness of using enforcement to prevent illegal wetland fill.
It was beneficial to have a tangible product. Sponsors give a lot to support an intern for such a short amount of time, but this way I felt like I was giving something back to them. One month felt like a long time to be away from the PhD program, but felt like a very short amount of time working at WWA.
This NGO was familiar with Ray Semlitsch. and thus took me up on the request to intern with them in an area where I had no previous experience. I fully believe that to do science that will inform conservation policy, I needed some direct experience with how policy is formed. I absolutely got that experience with this internship! I met with attorneys, law enforcement, DNR biologists, and I spent several days reading and analyzing state statues. There are many things conservation biologists need to know and I fully believe that every student, regardless of how much work experience they have prior to starting a graduate program, could identify an area of conservation biology (e.g. policy, economics, people management, resource management, ego-tourism, law, anthropology) where they have no previous experience.
The internship was a great experience during my graduate tenure and an asset to have on my CV. I have used my internship experience in every job application and interview I have had since graduating. I am confident this experience got me an interview with the WDNR. I have also spoken about this experience when interviewing for a faculty position, which was in a School of Natural Resources that included several social scientists.
Internship Location: St. Louis Zoo
Contact Information: www.stlzoo.org/contact/internshipsexternships/
Student’s Home Department at MU: Biological Sciences
Position: Educational Outreach Intern
Goals: Assist in educating the public on conservation issues related to endangered species management
Product: I wrote educational programs (e.g. interactive Powerpoints) as well as developing props for use with existing programs.
Details and Comments: Ultimately, I would love to work with a major zoo or aquarium with an Endangered Species Program. The thing about being at a zoo is that every position has some element of conservation education to it. By working directly with a outreach education program, I gained the experience of relating science to a large age range of participants. We delivered programs to audience members from 18 months to 100 years old.
