We offer a variety of internships for enrolled students to help achieve their career goals in the wildlife field.
Benefits
- AWC will provide interns with an Oak Mountain State Park entry gate pass.
- Interns will be able to attend workshops/trainings offered by AWC at no charge (schedule permitting).
- However, AWC does not provide housing for interns.
Qualifications
- Positive attitude, reliable, dedicated, consistent, hard-working, self-motivated, detail-oriented, accept instruction, communicate well with co-workers and the public, work well with others and independently in a hectic environment.
- Leadership, supervisory, and/or computer skills.
- Must be able to work outside year-round and lift 50 pounds.
- For animal care positions – previous rehab experience a plus.
To Apply:
Send resume with cover letter summarizing your relevant experience to Chris Sykes, Andrew Arnold, and/or Katie Stubblefield. Please include position(s) of interest in the subject line.
Internship Positions
Unpaid Internships*
* We do offer paid internships, but these internships vary from year to year.
Animal Clinic Internship
Description: Our Animal Clinic Internship (unpaid) position includes a wide variety of administrative and animal care responsibilities. This internship is 20-40 hours per week, flexible schedule required including some weekend and evening hours. Applications accepted year round for the animal clinic internships.
- Assist public with wildlife situations on our Wildlife Help Line or in person
- Assist with education events and fundraising activities
- Perform animal intake
- Properly prepare diets
- Effectively clean cages and facilities
- Assist in examination, medical management, handling, feeding, housing and release of wild bird patients (adults and babies)
Education Internship
Description: Position includes a wide variety of duties with the center’s education and outreach programs both on and off-site. This position is 20-40 hours per week, flexible schedule required including some weekend and evening hours. Applications accepted year round for the education internships. provide care of gloved trained birds of prey (e.g., preparing diets, cleaning cages and facilities), conduct formal and informal tours of the center and Treetop Nature Trail, assist with summer camp programs, develop written education materials. and assist with fundraising events.
- Provide care of glove trained birds of prey
- Preparing diets
- Cleaning cages and facilities
- Conduct formal and informal tours of the center and Treetop Nature Trail
- Assist with summer camp programs
- Develop written education materials
- Assist with fundraising events
Summer Songbird Internship
This is a full-time 3-month position
Start Date: Mid-May through mid-August
Goal: To assist the Staff and Volunteers of the Alabama Wildlife Center to provide professional care for nestling and fledgling native songbirds, in order to ensure that the birds become normal, breeding adults that are fit to return to the wild.
Primary Duties:
- To assist in feeding, cleaning, providing proper habitat and other routine daily care to foster the development of foraging and other behavioral skills necessary to thrive in the wild.
- To monitor the daily operations of the nursery and aviaries and to supervise volunteers to assure the health and well-being of all birds within the program.
- To maintain the songbird nursery and aviaries in a clean and orderly condition at all times.
- To interact with the public in an informative and educational manner.
- To assist in the care and maintenance of live feeder insects and fish.
- To assist in maintaining accurate records.
- To assist in maintaining all songbird housing in a clean, safe, and well-furnished condition appropriate to the species for which it is intended.
Additional Duties:
- To research and add to a file of developmental norms, special dietary needs and release preparation criteria for songbird species commonly raised at the Alabama Wildlife Center, as time permits.
- To assist in coordinating the release of birds as directed.
- To assist in returning young birds to their parents in situations where conditions are favorable.
- To assist in fostering young birds to new parents in situations where conditions are favorable.
- To work cheerfully and cooperatively with the Animal Care Staff in performing whatever tasks are needed in order to ensure the smooth operation of the Alabama Wildlife Center.
Summer Raptor Internship
This is a full-time 3-month position
Start Date: Mid-May through mid-August
Goal: To provide appropriate housing for a variety of wildlife species preparing for release in order to foster the development of physical strength, agility and foraging and other behavioral skills necessary to return to the wild and assist staff in returning healthy orphans to their natural families.
Primary Duties:
- Assist in returning healthy wild orphans to their natural parents
- Assist staff in providing substitute nests and/or relocating nests when necessary
- Monitor health of reunited/fostered wildlife by regular visits to nest sites
- Assist in maintaining all release preparation cages in a clean, safe and well-furnished condition appropriate to the species for which they are intended
- Assist in the daily care of juvenile and adult raptors as directed
- Assist in the daily care and maintenance of live feeder insects, fish, and rodents
- Assist in maintaining accurate records of all work performed
- Assist in the care and maintenance of non-releasable birds of prey at Treetop Nature Trail as needed
Additional Duties:
- Research and assemble a file of release preparation criteria for species commonly raised at the Alabama Wildlife Center as time permits
- Assist in releasing animals as directed
- Assist in locating and evaluating release sites for species as needed, and to assemble and organize all available data on release sites into a readily accessible file for future reference
- Assist in rescuing raptors or other large birds trapped in large structures
- Maintain service areas in a clean and orderly condition
- Work cheerfully and cooperatively with the Animal Care Staff and volunteers in performing whatever tasks are needed in order to ensure the smooth operation of the Alabama Wildlife Center
Summer Clinic Internship
This is a full-time 3-month position
Start Date: Mid-May through mid-August
Goal: To assist staff in providing daily routine medical care and husbandry for a variety of avian species. To coordinate and supervise clinic volunteers in daily avian care, cleaning and maintenance. To assist staff in providing professional care for nestling and fledgling native avian species in order to assure that the birds become normal breeding adults that are fit to return to the wild.
Primary Duties:
- To supervise volunteers and coordinate routine medical care and husbandry of all patients
- To execute diet preparation and enclosure maintenance to ensure the daily feeding, cleaning, and care for all patients
- To ensure that all daily cleaning, maintenance, health, safety, and security protocols are followed
- To perform a variety of clinical skills including: new patient intake, exams, triage, initial care, continuing intensive, and medical care as directed
- To understand the need for and assist in humane euthanasia as directed
- To humanely and safely handle and contain all avian species
- To interact with the public by answering helpline questions, accepting animal admissions, arranging raptor transportation, and assisting in wildlife education
- To oversee the care and maintenance of live feeder insects, fish and rodents
- To maintain accurate records for all patients at all times
Additional Duties:
- Assist in songbird program by supervising the bird nursery and caring for baby songbirds as needed
- Assist in research and compilation of wildlife rehabilitation articles for avian species treated at AWC as time permits
- Assist in reuniting, re-nesting, or fostering healthy wild orphans, and monitoring afterwards.
- Assist in maintaining all release preparation caging in a clean, safe, and well-furnished condition appropriate to the species for which they are intended
- Assist in the care and maintenance of non-releasable birds of prey at Treetop Nature Trail as needed
- Assist in rescue and transport including rescuing raptors or other large birds trapped in large structures
- Assist in preparing adult and juvenile birds for release in order to foster the development of physical strength, agility, foraging, and other behavioral skills necessary to return to the wild
- Assist in locating and evaluating release sites for species as needed and to assemble and organize all available data on release sites into a readily accessible file for future reference
- Assist in releasing animals as directed
- Work cheerfully and cooperatively with the animal care staff and volunteers in performing whatever tasks are needed in order to ensure the smooth operation of the Alabama Wildlife Center