Biology Internships
Biology internships with
the Andean Bear Conservation Project are not a formal intern program as
such, but many students have had a volunteer placement with us counted
as an internship by their university. Interns work and live
with our other volunteers and it is up to the individual intern to
ensure that their volunteering meets the internship requirements of
their university or college. Graduates interested in doing a
PhD project or thesis with us should read more about the Andean
Bear Project's research interests.
Interns studying
conservation biology, wildlife or environmental management, ecology,
environmental science or similar topics may find a volunteer placement
with us suitable as an internship. Those wanting a career as
a wildlife biologist or technician will probably find this to be
valuable field work experience. Interns needing experience in
field data collection, mammal monitoring and radio telemetry should
find an internship or volunteer placement on the Andean Bear
Conservation Project a useful complement to their studies.
Prospective interns
should note
that we do not have the resources to provide one-to-one supervision on
an internship (you will work in a small group with other interns or
volunteers), nor to write long and detailed reports about individual
interns, though we can certainly provide a letter of reference.
Please let us know your university´s
internship requirements (minimum hours worked, reports required, etc.)
when you apply so that we can establish whether we are able to offer
you a suitable internship.
Internships or volunteer
placements include various aspects of biological research and
environmental management. Interns might be lucky enough to be
present at the capture of a bear and help to take measurements and
samples. However, this is a relatively rare event and it is
more likely that interns will spend the bulk of their time collecting
radio telemetry data or searching for hair samples.
Environmental management
interns will already know about the importance of working with the
local community, while biology interns will gain a useful
insight into the need for community education as well as pure
scientific research if the bears are to be saved from extinction.
Interns may have the chance to get involved with local
schools or talk with local farmers about the reality of human-bear
conflict and habitat destruction (which the farmers may see as
"development" or "progress").
Volunteering with the
Andean Bear Conservation Project could be described as a conservation
biology internship, assistant field biologist job, environmental
science work experience, wildlife biologist apprenticeship,
environmental internship or any number of other terms. The
experience is basically the reality of conservation biology in
difficult terrain in a developing country. This includes mud,
long walks, delays and frustrating days of equipment malfunction or not
being able to collect any useful data due to inclement weather, as well
as the satisfaction of seeing or even capturing a bear, days of
collecting good-quality data on several bears, and knowing that the
data collected will make a difference to the future of an endangered
species.
Biology internships with
the Andean Bear Project will not now be available before 2012, details
will be published on the Volunteer
Opportunities page when a start date has been decided.
Andean
Bear Conservation Project: Biology Internships
Intern opportunities in for wildlife biologists in field data
collection using
radio telemetry with Andean bears in Ecuador
