www.wildlifeandparks.org 

 CONSERVATION TECH SPECIALIST INTERNSHIP - ZPPs

The Conservation Tech Specialist (CTS) intern is an integral part of the Wildlife Restoration Foundation (WRF) team. Work to build WRF’s organizational capacity, resource base, and impact on America’s park wildlife as you contribute and strengthen your tech knowledge and skills. Every WRF staff member plays an important part in meeting the WRF mission, which is to increase park wildlife population viability both ex situ and in situ, working closely with National Parks, Wildlife Refuges, Marine Sanctuaries and Forests, zoo and aquarium partners, and park gateway communities. Our goal is to ensure WRF operates effectively and efficiently and generates resources that enable measurable, boots-on-the-ground and fins-in-the-water wildlife conservation results. 

The CTS intern will complete an internship project, which is to automate the Summary Action Plan for use by Zoo-Park Partnerships (ZPPs) for America’s Keystone Wildlife™ [https://www.wildlifeandparks.org/partnerships-1] (ZPP). The CTS intern will also be responsible for cultivating 3 tech companies for sponsorship of WRF’s WildLifeLine™ or “I Am Bear Safe” Project, with at least one success during the internship period.  

Throughout the internship period, the CTS intern will help ZPPs solve conservation problems using technological applications and devices. Examples are:

• Track animal movements and identify interventions that could work to help wildlife avoid risks in and around human communities (e.g. transportation and fencing infrastructure).
• Use devices (including acoustic) to collect, analyze and act upon real-time data on animal behavior, migration patterns, and health conditions, both on land and in water.
• Apply healthcare technology such as wildlife inoculant delivery and disease and injury monitoring and response.
• Analyze satellite imagery to assess habitat conditions in ways the assist wildlife managers.
• Raise animals ex situ (at zoos/aquariums) and prepare them to survive in the wild.
• Use population viability analysis tools to inform wildlife restoration efforts.
• Track, detect, intervene in, and collect forensic evidence of wildlife poaching in parks. 
• Remove invasive plants with the efficiency to reverse the great loss of native species.
• Use virtual reality tools to give visitors the “sense of being there,” fostering stewardship.

WRF interns are required to designate 16 hours a week to WRF and agree to work with WRF for 4 months. The Conservation Tech Specialist intern must be a self-starter, ambitious, creative, productive, and dedicated to WRF’s mission. The internship is unpaid, but quality interns will be considered for stipends if selected by WRF to extend their internships to 6 months or longer.

Responsibilities

• Perform duties as assigned by the WRF President and Director of Conservation & Operations and participate proactively and enthusiastically on the WRF team.
• Create a digital interactive version of the ZPP Summary Action Plan.
• Take a lead role in assisting ZPPs with identifying and applying technological solutions. 
• Recruit 1-3 technology companies to sponsor WRF.
• Assist WRF with needed App formatting and installations.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant subject required; Master’s degree/graduate program enrollment preferred.
• Experience applying technology to solve real-word problems required. 
• Conservation field experience highly desirable.

The Intern will report to Julie Anton Randall, WRF President and Olivia Kramer, ZPPs Project Coordinator. The intern will report weekly hours and results in written form. Hours are flexible within the week, but participation in the biweekly full WRF team meeting by Zoom is required. 

Thank you for your interest in being part of the Wildlife Restoration Foundation team.