Organization: Northwest Trek
(AZA Member)
Location: Eatonville, Washington, Country
Job or Internship: Internship
Organization: Northwest Trek (AZA Member) Location: Eatonville, WA, United States PLEASE NOTE: APPLICATIONS NO LONGER BEING ACCEPTED FOR SUMMER 2012; APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2012 AND LATER ARE BEING PROCESSED NOW. Interns work as volunteer keeper assistants in our Zoological Department. They assist paid staff with any duties related to care of the animals and general park operations that keepers get involved in. Duties include feeding, cleaning, and all kinds of support work, and often involve significant physical labor usually working outside, at times on uneven, slippery surfaces, in all manner of weather. Successful candidates must: * Have their own health insurance; * Demonstrate a positive attitude and be a good team player; * Have a strong customer service orientation; * Be willing to get dirty, doing whatever it takes to do the job; * Have basic knowledge of operant conditioning principles; * Have significant hands-on animal training experience; * Have good public speaking abilities; * Be able and willing to develop and apply those animal training and presentation skills as directed by keeper staff; * Demonstrate enthusiasm and aptitude for teaching all ages about the natural world; * Be current on their rabies immunization, or be willing to get the series of shots during the first month of their internship (at Trek expense); * Present evidence of a safe driving record; * Submit to a criminal background check; * Be willing to work variable schedules, including weekends and holidays;* Be willing to assist with all manner of animal management practices, including capture, restraint, and veterinary care; * Accept direction well from any paid staff member. The successful candidate will work with some or all of the following Pacific Northwest native species: owls, hawk, eagles, skunk, beaver, opossum, porcupine, snakes, turtles, ducks, and invertebrates. THIS IS AN UNPAID, 40-HOUR/WEEK POSITION, AND WE ASK FOR A MINIMUM COMMITMENT OF 22 WEEKS. The successful candidate is eligible for free on-site housing, utilities included. If your college supports your volunteer time here as appropriate for school credit, I am happy to fill out the paperwork typically required to document your efforts. You should know that gaining employment here is extremely competitive, and that volunteering would not be a ticket to a job. A person should only undertake this course if a purely volunteer experience is worth their while. If you have questions or would like to pursue Northwest Trek's Animal Care, Presentation, and Training Internship Program further, please don't hesitate to contact me: Dan Belting, Education Curator, dan.belting@nwtrek.org, 360-832-7162.