National Marine Life Center Marine Animal Rehabilitation and Environmental Education Internship

The National Marine Life Center (NMLC) is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) marine animal hospital and science and education center. We rehabilitate and release stranded marine mammals and sea turtles in order to advance science and education in marine wildlife health and conservation.

Animal Care Responsibilities: Depending on need and case load, interns will assist with the care of the NMLC rehabilitation patients including seals, sea turtles, and a variety of native turtle species. Animal Care duties will include animal restraint; cleaning; disinfecting tanks, equipment, and environmental enrichment devices; diet preparation; administering feeds (including tube feeding); record keeping; facility maintenance; and water quality testing. Interns will also assist animal care staff with medical procedures, admission exams, animal necropsies, and release events.

Education Responsibilities: Interns will assist with environmental education programs, including on-site programs, off-site programs, fairs, and festivals. Programs will focus on marine animals, rehabilitation practices, conservation, and STEM activities. Interns will learn how to effectively interpret and educate guests of NMLC on marine animals and conservation. Interns may be asked to work in the gift shop and assist with various office projects such as fundraising and data entry. Opportunities may be available to create displays for the Discovery Center and help create lesson plans and activities that are aligned with the Massachusetts State Frameworks and Ocean Literacy Principles.

Other Responsibilities:  Each intern is assigned to multiple projects in different areas of the organization, e.g. research, fundraising, rehabilitation, marketing, social media or education. A weekly chore will be delegated to each intern to assist with the upkeep of the facility and equipment. Each intern is required to attend regularly scheduled meetings throughout their time at NMLC. At the end of the internship, the intern will deliver a presentation about their experience and projects to staff, volunteers, and members of the public.

Qualifications:

-Must be currently enrolled in, or recently graduated from an accredited college or university; preference will be given to students or recent graduates working towards biology, environmental studies, marine science, education, or other related fields.
-Must demonstrate strong written and verbal communication skills.
-Must be adaptable, responsible, hard working, willing to learn, and have attention to detail.
-Must be able to work independently and as part of a team.
-Must be willing to engage in a positive and informative manner with members of the public on a regular basis.
-Must be willing to participate in and receive constructive feedback.
-Must expect to work 40 hours per week, which can include early morning and/or late night seal feedings depending on the season.
-If an intern plans to receive school credit for an internship they must notify staff prior to the internship start date, and it will be the responsibility of the applicant to ensure all required paperwork is completed and submitted.

Intern positions are unpaid. Interns must have their own transportation. Housing is not provided, but NMLC will offer suggestions.

How to apply:

Send your resume, cover letter, and one letter of reference to internship@nmlc.org or P.O. Box 269, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts 02532. Applications must be received by July 1st for the fall semester, November 1st for the spring semester, or March 1st for the summer semester. Due to the high number of applications, only qualified candidates will be contacted.

Application Deadlines:

Fall Semester: July 1st
Spring Semester: November 1st
Summer Semester: March 1st