- Internship available at the Puerto Rico Manatee Conservation Center
The Puerto Rico Manatee Conservation Center (PRMCC) and the Caribbean Stranding Network at the Inter American University of Puerto Rico announces the availability of four 2-month volunteer (unpaid) internship positions in three periods per year (1 February-31 March, 15May-15 July, 1September-31 October). The PRMMC conducts conservation efforts on behalf of endangered Antillean manatees in four modalities: (1) Rescue and Stranding Response, (2) Rehabilitation and Veterinary Care, (3) Population Research, and (4) Community Outreach and Education.
Requirements: Applicants must be students enrolled in a natural sciences bachelor’s, graduate or professional degree (biology, zoology, oceanography, marine biology, environmental sciences, animal sciences, veterinary medicine or similar), or recent graduates of these disciplines seeking experience on endangered marine species conservation. Work at the PRMCC is conducted in Spanish and English, thus, interns must at least be able to converse and write in one of these languages. Interns must be self-motivated and responsible, able to work independently, have computer experience, good organizational and communication skills, and perform as a team. Candidates must be in good physical fitness, swim well, lift and carry 25 kg, walk long distances in difficult terrain, and follow written and oral staff directions and protocols effectively. In addition, interns should be prepared to perform in a variety of settings on any given day including; beach, in-water, and laboratory. Work hours are 40-60 hours per week.
The 2-month internship may be extended an extra month at the discretion of the PRMCC and a positive 2-month evaluation. USA citizen interns do not need a visa to attend the internship; International applicants need to apply for a USA visa to attend. If interns intend to receive academic credit, they are responsible for making all arrangements with their educational institutions.
The PRMCC internship is a once in a lifetime opportunity for students and recent graduates to join dedicated scientists who are conducting manatee conservation in the beautiful environmental setting of the Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico. As part of this program, interns are extremely important members of a focused and dedicated team and will be immersed in pioneering hands-on work with manatees. This is an excellent chance to contribute meaningfully to an exciting marine conservation effort to save an endangered species from extinction. Interns who successfully complete the program will receive a certificate acknowledging training in manatee conservation initiatives of stranding response and necropsies, rescue, rehabilitation and veterinary care, population research, and community outreach and education.
Applications for the May 2015 internship must be received by 1 February 2015; September 2015 internship by 1 June 2015; February 2016 internship by November 2015.
To apply, submit a complete application at our website http://manatipr.org/voluntarios/internship/ . For more information, please contact volunt@manatipr.org.