See Below

Description:  Professional training to assist the Aquatic Life Support Staff in meeting the needs of the aquatic life support systems at the Oregon Zoo, as assigned.

 

Duties:

  • Testing various sources of water for the Oregon Zoo (including aquariums, drinking pools, fountains, domestic freshwater, creeks, wells and more).
  • Taking samples and using instruments to measure chemical properties of water samples (pH, nitrogen compounds, chlorine residual, etc.)
  • Providing accurate and complete data using the appropriate Zoo formats provided
  •  Learning various other skills and tasks under the supervision of Aquatic Life Support staff, including water changes, filter cleansing, chemical additions and other aspects of aquatic life support system operations.
  • Learning and assisting with troubleshooting and preventative maintenance tasks associated with Aquatic Life Support components including filters, pumps, ozone generators, protein skimmers, chillers, and UV sterilizers.
  • Learning and assisting with design and installation of water filtration systems.
  • Completing an individualized research project and presenting findings in a seminar-type forum to Aquatic Life Support and Animal care staff.

 

Qualifications:

  • Excellent communications skills – providing written records, data entries and oral communications are key to this role; must be able to use the means of communication employed by the Zoo
  • Patience –because the laboratory operations require such attention to detail and adherence to procedure, patience in learning a complete system is needed
  • Enthusiasm –you will be interacting with a diverse group of people, sometimes in challenging situations, and a hearty dose of enthusiasm will improve every situation

 

 

Time Commitment: Internships at the Oregon Zoo are a minimum of 20 hours per week for a 10 to 12 week period.  Interns can serve a maximum of 599 hours, or 6 months, whichever is reached first.  Course credit is often available through your academic institution and we will assist you in completing the necessary requirements for such credit.

 

 

Reports to: Dan Bieltz and/or Steve Meyer (Aquatic Life Support Staff).

 

 

The application process for all internships requires the successful completion of a background check.

 

Contact Dan Bieltz with cover letter and resume.

Dan.Bieltz@oregonzoo.org