Job Type: Unpaid
Salary Details: up to $50/week stipend for qualifying individuals
Deadline: Jul 15, 2021
Required Experience: 0 – 1 years
See full job details at https://www.conservationjobboard.com/job-listing-black-bear-educator-intern-orr-minnesota/598625930
The American Bear Association is looking for qualified, energetic interns for the Summer 2021 season at the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary in the North Woods of Minnesota. The Sanctuary offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity for the public to view and learn about wild black bears. Some interns may qualify for a small stipend.
Intern Duties at the Bear Sanctuary
Morning/afternoon jobs
- Picking up and/or unloading supplies, including 50-pound bags of seed and 35-pound bags of fruit and nuts. Heavy lifting is often a part of the job and is therefore required.
- Daily cleanup of feeding areas and scat removal
- Maintaining the property, including carpentry projects
- Planting, mulching, weed-eating and other landscape improvement projects
- Preparing and distributing bear food mixtures
- Splitting firewood, road maintenance and other miscellaneous tasks
- Maintain records on bear activity and behavior
- Photograph individual bears for records
- Bird count survey via ebird.org
- MN annual berry study via MN Department of Natural Resources
- Research projects are sometimes available upon request. If it is a requirement for your internship, an adviser must oversee the research project
- Cooking meals for staff and volunteers, and kitchen cleanup
- Write articles for our newsletter, Bear in Mind
- Prepare educational material for our followers on Facebook and Instagram and our email subscribers
Jobs during evening/visitors’ hours include:
- Assisting with admission and parking cars
- Greeting visitors on their arrival
- Talking with the public and answering their questions
- Educating the public about black bears, ecology, behavior, practical environmental conservation and land stewardship
- Preparing formal 3-8 minute deck talks that interpret bear behavior and debunk any myths and misconceptions our visitors may have regarding bears
- Execute a prepared 5 minute introductory bus talk on the history of the bears and Vince Shute
- Sale of souvenirs and educational materials in the gift shop and at our visitor center
- Promoting membership to the American Bear Association
HOW TO APPLY
We are looking for individuals that can stay for at LEAST 2 weeks between August 1st and October 1st. Since space is limited, those able to stay longer will be given preference. We are looking for applicants who are:
- Flexible regarding changes in schedule and work tasks
- Comfortable being in close proximity to large wild animals such as bears
- Able to work closely and cooperatively with other interns, staff, and volunteers
- Able to work outside in temperatures ranging from the 30s to the 90s and in all weather conditions
- Willing to endure the many biting insects that inhabit Northern Minnesota during the summer
- Comfortable talking with the public about the untraditional nature of the VSWS. As a supplemental feeding site, with a 50-year history of feeding wild black bears, we often are controversial
- YOU MUST BE OVER 18 YRS OLD TO HOLD AN INTERN POSITION WITH ABA
How do I apply?
Fill in an Internship Application and email it to us. Applicants must also send; a resume, a letter of recommendation and one reference. The application deadline for interns seeking to intern in August-October, the deadline is July 15th, 2021.