Internship description

Whale and Dolphin Conservation’s North American office is offering a 12-week, entry-level Marine Mammal Conservation Internship to candidates with little to no prior experience. This opportunity will help to build skills relevant to the field of marine conservation while providing interns with insight into the inner workings of a non-profit as well as job skills transferable to any field.

This position is designed for those who do not yet have experience in marine mammal conservation and outreach. We will prioritize candidates who do not have practical experience (internship, significant volunteering, employment) in this field outside of a classroom setting. Applicants should be eager to dive into new experiences and enjoy having a variety of tasks to work on. This position will help to assist staff in three key program areas: Marine Animal Rescue and Response, Education, and Boater Outreach. Occasional opportunities to see whales at sea may also be possible, though no part of this position requires being in the water.

Successful candidates will gain transferable skills in effective communication and public speaking, project management, developing and delivering presentations and other interpretive resources, working on a close-knit team, and record keeping.

We have three open positions in 2023 for this temporary, full-time, paid internship. We are seeking to fill one position each for the spring, summer, and fall – as early as March and as late as November. Each of the three successful candidates will be assigned to a priority program (Marine Animal Rescue and Response, Education, or Boater Outreach) on which they will focus; they will support other programs as needed. We will do our best to take into consideration each candidate’s primary interests, however priority programs will be determined by the review committee.

Candidates in this internship will:

• Have effective verbal and/or written communications skills
• Work well with diverse audiences and teams
• Have an interest in education/outreach initiatives
• Act effectively as a member of a close-knit team
• Be able to problem solve in unanticipated situations
• Have an attention to detail and follow policies and procedures
• Possess a valid driver’s license and be willing to drive a large pick-up truck
• Be able to pass a background check
• Be able to lift or move heavy objects and work outside in adverse weather conditions
• Be comfortable working with deceased/decomposing animals
• Have health insurance coverage and be free of (or able to manage) medical issues aggravated by exposure to animals including their fur and bodily fluids, which could contain transmissible diseases
• Be legally able to work in the United States
• Be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the start of the internship

Internship responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Researching and exploring potential outreach and education partnership opportunities
• Writing blogs, creating social media content, and managing program websites
• Relationship building with boating industry members
• Developing outreach materials and grade school lesson plans connected to science standards
• Delivering educational programs to K-12 students as well as adults/families at community events
• Responding to stranded live and dead marine mammals in the field, including assisting with health assessments and examinations to determine cause of death
• Answering WDC’s rescue hotline and handling reports from callers
• Ensuring marine animal response preparedness by inventorying and restocking equipment, cleaning gear, fueling vehicles, etc.

For additional details about this internship opportunity, visit our website: https://us.whales.org/science-and-outreach-internship/

Sarah McCormack

Stranding Coordinator

WDC North America

Pronouns: she, her, hers

Hotline:

+1 617‑688‑6872

WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation

7 Nelson Street

Plymouth, MA

02360‑4044

United States

whales.org

Whale and Dolphin Conservation (“WDC”), Inc. is an IRS recognized 501(c)3 non‑profit organization.  Your contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
WDC, 7 Nelson Street, Plymouth, MA 02360‑4044  Tel: +1 (508) 746‑2522
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