Facility

Audubon Nature Institute

Closing Date

Description

Audubon Aquarium of the Americas is looking for a motivated, hardworking individual to participate in our Marine Mammal Training Internship.

Internship Overview:

The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas is looking for a motivated, hardworking individual to participate in our Marine Mammal Training Internship. We are looking for candidates who are interested in gaining experience working in the marine mammal training field. The intern will work directly with the animal training staff and are exposed to all aspects of the daily care and training of our collection of 0.2 Southern sea otters, Enhydra lutris nereis. Heavy emphasis is placed on essential daily tasks such as food preparation, daily cleaning/facility maintenance, enrichment, and gaining a basic understanding of the principles of training. Interns shadow trainers and learn through observation about marine mammal husbandry and operant conditioning techniques. As interns gain experience, they may have the opportunity to assist with basic behavioral maintenance. (Please note: all contact with animals is contingent upon trainer approval and intern performance)

Essential responsibilities include but are not limited to: food preparation, exhibit maintenance, daily and weekly cleaning tasks, public presentations, daily enrichment, and daily animal observations. Interns will also participate in required reading and coordinating worksheets.

Requirements:

Must commit to the 14 week internship semester
Must commit to a schedule of 24 hours per week, working 7:30am-3:30pm Thursdays – Sundays
Candidates must have completed at least two years of undergraduate education in a Biology or Psychology related field
Able to lift 50 lbs and climb ladders/stairs without assistance
May be asked to work holidays
Must pass a background check and may be subject to random drug testing
Must have strong communication skills and be comfortable engaging a diverse audience.
This is a non-paid internship, interns are responsible for all housing, transportation and living expenses.
Please send cover letter and resumes to:

Kristine Grzenda
Curator, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas
Husbandry Department
1 Canal Street New Orleans, LA, 70130

or email to kgrzenda@auduboninstitute.org with the subject “Sea Otter Internship”

Dates of Position:
Spring, February- May
Summer, May- August
Fall, August- November
Winter, November- February

Application due dates:

For Spring 2019 session- Dec 1, 2018
For Summer 2019 session- March 1, 2019
For Fall 2019 session- June 1, 2019
For Winter 2019 session- Sept 1, 2019

In the event their preferred placement has been filled, qualified applicants may be referred to other Audubon departments. By submitting application materials, the candidate agrees to release their information to our internship staff.

Education and Pre-requisites

Not specified.

Compensation and benefits

Not specified.

Application instructions

Not specified.