Black Bear Educator-Intern

Work with bears, learn first hand experience, meet people from all around the world and teach people to peacefully co-exist with all wildife! The American Bear Association is dedicated to promoting a better understanding of black bears and all wildlife through education, observation and experience. The ABA provides an unprecedented opportunity for visitors to observe and study black bears at the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary. Through education, the ABA raises awareness about the needs of black bears and promotes increased tolerance and appreciation for this often misunderstood species.
 

Morning/afternoon jobs

• Picking up and/or unloading supplies, including 50-pound bags of seed and 35-pound bags of fruit and nuts. Heavy lifting is often a part of the job and is therefore required.
• Daily cleanup of feeding areas and scat removal
• Maintain records on bear activity and behavior
• Photograph individual bears for records
•  MN annual berry study via MN Department of Natural Resources
• Research projects are sometimes available upon request. If it is a requirement for your internship, an adviser must oversee the research project
• Write articles for our newsletter, Bear in Mind
• Prepare educational material for our followers on Facebook and Instagram and our email subscribers

Jobs during evening/visitors’ hours include:

• Talking with the public and answering their questions
• Educating the public about black bears, ecology, behavior, practical environmental conservation and land stewardship
• Preparing formal 3-8 minute deck talks that interpret bear behavior and debunk any myths and misconceptions our visitors may have regarding bears
• Execute a prepared 5 minute introductory bus talk on the history of the bears and Vince Shute

How do I apply?

Fill in an Internship Application and email it to us. Applicants must also send; a resume, a letter of recommendation and one reference. Alternatively call The American Bear Association office between the hours of 9:00am and 4:00pm CST, Tuesday-Saturday, at 218-757-0172. We are currently accepting applications for the upcoming season. The application deadline for interns seeking to intern for May-July is April 1st, 2023. For those seeking to intern in August-October, the deadline is July 1st, 2023.Space is limited so APPLY EARLY!

Visit our website: www.americanbear.org for more info!