Internships at Lindsay Wildlife Experience

Animal Keeper Internship

This unpaid internship offers a unique opportunity to learn about the care, training and husbandry for native animals in Lindsay’s permanent animal ambassador collection of non-releasable birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.

To learn more about this internship, click here.

The Animal Encounters Department offers internship opportunities three times a year:
Spring Session: January – May (application deadline: December 22)
Summer Session: May – September (application deadline: April 1)
Fall Session: September – January (application deadline: August 1)

Each session requires the animal keeper intern to complete 280 internship hours, at least two or three 8-hour shifts per week and will last around 12-18 weeks, depending on the number of days worked per week. Selection is determined by application and interview.

If interested in future internship opportunities, please email Volunteer Coordinator Erin Woods at [email protected]

 

Natural History Internship

This unpaid internship offers a unique opportunity for hands-on experience in collections management consisting of biological, geological, and paleontological specimens, as well as art. Working directly with the Natural History Collections Specialist, interns are given the opportunity to learn about handling and caring for natural history specimens, research, and occasionally assisting with education programs on wildlife-related topics.

We are now accepting applications for the Summer session, which runs from June-September. The application deadline is May 18th. Our program requires a commitment of 6-20 hours weekly for 4-5 months. Hours are flexible but must be during regular business hours Sunday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. 

To learn more about the Natural History Collections Internship program, duties, and requirements, click here. To apply, submit a Natural History Intern Application, email a letter of interest and résumé to the Natural History Collections Specialist, Sariah Rushing, at [email protected].

Questions? Contact [email protected].

Wildlife Education Internship

This internship is an educational and public programming- oriented position that involves public speaking and animal handling. It offers a unique opportunity to learn about native California wildlife with Lindsay Wildlife Experience’s collection of non-releasable birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates to convey conservation messaging through educational programing and public engagement.

This position requires a self-motivated, flexible, and responsible individual capable of supporting the daily operations of the Education department. Our program requires a commitment of a minimum of 12 weeks (or a minimum of 150 service hours), two days per week from 9 a.m. -5 p.m. (one of which MUST fall on a Saturday or Sunday). Shift lengths can vary, ranging from 6-8 hours per day. Hours can be flexible depending on the day.

Applications are now open for the Summer 2024 session, with flexible start dates in June, ending in September. To learn more about the Wildlife Education Internship and how to apply, click here. If you are interested in receiving a notification for when applications are open for future sessions, please complete the notification request form.

 

Wildlife Rehabilitation Internship

This unpaid internship program offers an unparalleled opportunity for hands-on experience with care and treatment of injured or orphaned native California birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

Working in conjunction with Lindsay Hospital staff and approximately 200 volunteers, interns are given the opportunity to learn about all aspects of wildlife rehabilitation with hands-on experiences. The internship includes both husbandry and medical training and experience.

We offer two different 12-week intern program sessions during the 2024 peak season, timed to correspond with common college/university summer breaks:

  • Session 1:   Sunday, May 19 – Saturday, August 10, 2024 (semester system)
  • Session 2:  Sunday, June 23 – Sunday, September 14, 2024 (quarter system)

In addition to the weekly hands-on husbandry and medical shift work, the internship program includes weekly in-person classes and reading assignments covering various aspects of wildlife rehabilitation and care.

The program requires completion of:

  • A minimum of 200 intern program hours during one of the 12-week sessions.
    • Minimum of three 5-hour shifts per week for the 12 weeks, usually 2 weekday shifts and one weekend day shift per week.
    • Shifts are usually 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. (AM shift) or 1:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (PM shift).
    • Includes weekend and holiday shifts.
    • Alternate scheduling, including an extended timeframe into the next session, may be available by prior arrangement.  Interns can choose to continue on after their session ends to receive more advanced hands-on instruction and accumulate additional hours.
  • All required training, including orientation and weekly class sessions that may require attendance on a non-shift day.

We are currently accepting applications for the 2024 sessions. The application deadline is April 1, 2024.

For more information about the intern program, including duties, requirements, and application instructions, please refer to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Internships page of the Lindsay Wildlife Experience Volunteer Opportunities website.

Questions? Contact [email protected]