Volunteer/Internship Opportunities
All jobs listed below are non-paid positions unless otherwise specified. If you are interested in one of the positions, please contact the person listed, or click on the link associated with the position for futher information.
VOLUNTEER INTERNSHIP AVAILABLE IN GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
Posted 5/3/12 (Remove Fall 2012)
Background:
Islands make up only 5% of land area, but have about 20% of terrestrial biodiversity. Not only are they disproportionately rich in unique species, they have been disproportionately devastated by humans. About 60% of recent extinctions have been island species affected mostly by invasive species, habitat destruction, and over-exploitation.
We are working to protect critically endangered species that are found on islands by identifying the best islands in the world on which to conduct effective conservation actions. The results of this process will be shared with a number of local and global conservation organizations and will be translated into real conservation actions.
Description: The intern will be gathering data on the island-specific threats to globally threatened seabird populations from conservation websites and databases (the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and BirdLife International), the scientific literature, and experts in the field. They will also be utilizing GIS and Google Earth to identify and analyze human land use on seabird breeding islands. Data collected by the intern will feed directly into a conservation prioritization analysis conducted by our lab (the Coastal Conservation Action Lab) and used by Island Conservation, a local non-profit. The results will also be used by organizations including BirdLife International, the IUCN, and others to improve conservation on islands and protect species on the brink of extinction.
Ideal candidates will be familiar with the process of conducting research of the scientific literature, both published papers and grey literature (technical reports, working papers, etc.). Familiarity with databases (Excel and Access) and GIS is a plus. Most importantly, the volunteer must be meticulous in their research and pay close attention to detail when finding and reading scientific articles; this work requires patience and persistence!
Interns will gain basic technical skills in Microsoft Excel and Access, Google Earth Pro, and GIS. They will gain knowledge on island biogeography and threatened species conservation. Importantly, they will learn about international conservation strategies and methods for identifying and protecting threatened species and will directly contribute to on-the-ground conservation. For interested upper-level students, there is potential for earning course credit for this work. Additionally, this work, or work similar to this, will be available in the fall. We require at least 12 hrs per week during the summer, start/end dates are flexible.
Dates: At least 12 hrs per week during summer 2012, start/end dates are flexible.
This work, or work similar to this, will be available in fall 2012.
Location: Coastal Conservation Action Lab at Long Marine Lab.
Contact: To apply, send resume or CV with cover letter outlining why you are interested in this internship and what skills or experience you have that are relevant. Email Dena at dspatz@ucsc.edu
ONGOING VOLUNTEER POSITIONS:
SEYMOUR MARINE DISOVERY CENTER MARINE SCIENCE EDUCATION POSITIONS
Description: Depending on time of year, participate as a volunteer or intern at a marine science interpretive center. Positions vary from classroom teaching, to visitor hall interpretation, to science program planning, to animal husbandry. See http://www2.ucsc.edu/seymourcenter/volunteers.html for more information.
Date: Year-round
Location: Seymour Center at Long Marine Lab
Contact: Lucia MacLean, lmaclean@ucsc.edu
THE MARINE MAMMAL PHYSIOLOGY PROJECT
Under the direction of Dr. Terrie Williams, the Marine Mammal Physiology Project works with a variety of animals trained to voluntarily participate in the data collection process investigating the energetics, physiological, and biomechanical parameters of numerous species of marine mammals. In order to accomplish all the goals of the project, a large volunteer staff is employed to help care for and train these amazing animals. For additional information, and for application instructions, please visit www.mmpp.ucsc.edu.
PINNIPED COGNITION & SENSORY SYSTEMS LAB
The Pinniped Cognition & Sensory Systems lab (located at LML) is always in need of support for their research programs. If you are interested in volunteering or interning, please follow this link: Volunteer & Internship
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