St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge Winter/Spring 2024/2025 Biological Internship

• several positions available
• Stipend $200/week paid by check weekly from Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge
• Approximate Work Dates: January 13 – May 2, 2025 (16 weeks)

Site Description:

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge

Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge is the crown jewel of a vast network of state, federal, and local conservation lands covering over 1.3 million acres in northern Florida’s Big Bend Region.  This 85,000-acre wildlife refuge supports a complex array of habitats, ranging from coastal saltwater marshes to xeric upland pine forests.  Stretching over 40 miles along Apalachee Bay on the Gulf of Mexico, the refuge lies in the eastern portion of the sparsely populated Florida panhandle but is within a short drive of full amenities approximately 25 miles north in Florida’s capital city, Tallahassee. 

Examples of projects you might work on:

• Recovery efforts for the federally Threatened frosted flatwoods salamanders, including: monitoring via occupancy trapping efforts, habitat assessments, habitat management, and potentially pit-tagging adults & photo analysis.
• Monitoring of federally Endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers and habitat assessment
• Collecting biological data at St. Vincent island NWR hunt check stations
• Potential assistance with wading bird flight line boat survey for Cedar Keys NWR
• Assistance with partner agency for feral hog control
• Water control structure management
• Native ecosystem restoration, including herbicide application and/or planting
• Shorebird surveys with partner agency
• Posting signs for bald eagle nest protection areas, or other wildlife closure areas
• Collecting native seed for groundcover restoration
• Intern swap experience with Conservation Pathways (working with other interns helping other agencies with their work, gaining new work experiences)
• Experience in data entry, quality assurance & control, analysis, & drafting reports
• Data archival using a national system
• Habitat monitoring plot establishment and sampling
• Exotic/invasive plant surveys and control activities including application of herbicides with backpack sprayers and/or manual removal
• Potentially Bachman’s sparrow or black rail surveys with partner agency
• Wading bird roost survey
• Gopher tortoise surveys

Work hours will normally be 80 hours over a 2-week period, although additional work hours may be required during especially busy times. Early morning, nighttime, and weekend hours are all possible.  The position will require extensive walking through difficult terrain in extreme temperatures and buggy conditions.  Inclement weather, poisonous plants, stinging insects, ticks, and venomous snakes are inherent dangers in this work environment. 

Required Skills:

US citizenship; valid driver`s license; wildlife, biology, or environmental science degree or major in a college/university; attention to detail and accuracy; self-motivated; ability to drive 4WD vehicles safely on refuge interior roads; and willingness to perform physical work independently under varying outdoor conditions.  Knowledge of local birds and their calls and experience with trapping and pit-tagging amphibians are desirable but not required. 

Housing Provided:

Housing is a 4-bedroom refuge-maintained house trailer located at the refuge work center: 7300 Coastal Highway, St. Marks FL 32355 - on US 98 one quarter mile east of the intersection with County Road 363.  You will share the trailer with up to three other interns but will have your own bedroom.  The trailer has WiFi and a TV with limited channels.  Laundry facilities are in the compound.  It is ten miles to Crawfordville, which has limited services but has grocery stores (e.g., Walmart, Publix, Win-Dixie), walk in clinic, restaurants, etc.  More facilities are available in Tallahassee, within 20-25 miles.

Transportation:

Personal vehicle required for off-duty travel.

Refuge vehicle provided for daily work activities.  Universally Accessible: No