Please see three exciting internship opportunities described below (listed in order of application closing date). We look forward to hearing from you!

Voluntary Education and Awareness Assistant opportunity in Cardigan Bay for the 2015 summer season

The Sea Watch Foundation is seeking an education and awareness assistant for the 2015 season. This position will suit a volunteer who has a strong interest in marine conservation and recognises the importance of educating and raising awareness by involving the public.

The assistant will be responsible in aiding the Sightings Officer with the following duties:

· Promoting and organising the National Whale and Dolphin Watch 2015 event (25^thJuly to 2^nd August)

· Participating in presentations and creating activities to take to local schools

· Researching and writing articles

· Creating educational/promotional materials (posters, displays, flyers)

· Assisting in the organisation of training courses

· Social networking (Facebook, Twitter, website)

· Raising Sea Watch Foundation’s profile locally (organising events, manning the Sea Watch stand on the pier at weekends, etc.)

· Interacting with the media (radio, TV and newspapers)

· Representing Sea Watch at public events within the UK generally

· Liaising with the Adopt a Dolphin Coordinator for the promotion of Sea Watch Foundation and Adopt a Dolphin

The Education and Awareness Assistant will also have some opportunity to be involved in the fieldwork aspects of the “Cardigan Bay Monitoring Project” (land-based and boat-based surveys). This project, undertaken on behalf of Natural Resources Wales, manages the conservation of a resident population of bottlenose dolphins, the largest in the UK. Monitoring of harbour porpoise and grey seal populations is also part of the project.

The field season will run from April to October 2015 and has been split into one period of 6 weeks followed by three periods of 7 weeks. One assistant is required for each period. However, preference will be given to those who can stay for more than one period, including the entire seven-month field season. The assistant will be based in New Quay, West Wales. Accommodation is provided at a rate of approximately £60/week in a house sharing with the research interns. The assistant is responsible for their own travel and living expenses, but it is generally quite easy to obtain part-time paid work in the area if required.

Intern periods for summer 2015:

Period 1: 13/04 – 24/05, Period 2: 25/05 – 12/7, Period 3: 13/07 – 30/8, Period 4: 31/08 – 18/10

Important skills/qualifications

Essential:

a strong interest in marine conservation and education
confidence to interact with the public
excellent verbal and writing skills
must have initiative and bring their own ideas and personality to the position
strong commitment to volunteering work
an ability to work in an organised and reliable manner and to manage a variable workload
an ability to get on well with others in a small team and within shared accommodation

Desirable:

a background in marine biology/environmental science or similar
a strong interest and knowledge of British cetaceans
good IT skills (Office package)
prior experience in public speaking
prior experience in boat-based survey work
willingness to work long hours outdoors in often very changeable Welsh weather

To apply:

Please send your CV, covering letter reporting any relevant experience you have and specifying the period(s) you would prefer to volunteer for and contact details of two referees, to Kathy James (kathy.james@seawatchfoundation.org.uk).

Deadline: 4^th January 2015.

Please specify EDUCATION ASSISTANT APPLICATION into your subject title.

Applicants must be available for interview via Skype during the week commencing 12^th January and will be notified of the outcomes by the 30^th January 2015.

The Sea Watch Foundation

The Sea Watch Foundation is a national marine environmental research charity that aims to achieve better conservation of whales and dolphins in the seas around Britain and Ireland, by involving the public in scientific monitoring of populations and the threats they face. It is the longest-running research charity in UK focusing upon cetaceans around the British Isles, and maintains a national sightings database, the largest in Europe. It works closely with all the UK statutory conservation agencies, and advises UK government, the UNEP Regional intergovernmental Conservation Agreement - ASCOBANS, the European Commission, as well as the major conservation charities and marine industries operating in the UK.

At Sea Watch Wales, we are dedicated to raising awareness, knowledge and conservation of the marine wildlife of the region. Our work is funded by Natural Resources Wales, Defra, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, and Environment Wales; and we work closely with the local management authority, Ceredigion County Council.

Public awareness

We aim to raise awareness and understanding of the importance of the local marine wildlife and the habitats supporting them, to encourage respect and conservation of the area and its wildlife for future generations. We also run training courses for the public in cetacean identification and survey methods.

A list of recent of recent awareness and education achievements is given below:

· Sea Watch Director, Peter Evans, received the European Cetacean Society Conservation Award, 2012

· Sea Watch Foundation was recipient of the UNEP/ASCOBANS “Outreach and Education Award”, 2009

· Sea Watch Foundation was voted best UK animal adoption scheme by BBC Wildlife, December 2008

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2015 ONE VOLUNTEER Research Assistant and Intern Coordinator Opportunity for Cardigan Bay Marine Mammal Monitoring Project, New Quay, Wales

Field season: 6^th April – 18^th October 2015

Application deadline: 10^th January 2015

Volunteers are invited to apply for our RESEARCH ASSISTANT 2015 position in Wales with the Sea Watch Foundation (www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk), for the field season of 2015. As the UK’s longest established national cetacean research charity, Sea Watch’s mission is to achieve a better understanding and conservation of the marine mammal populations in the seas around Britain and Ireland.

Sea Watch, led by its Director, Dr Peter Evans, monitors marine mammals in Cardigan Bay on behalf of Natural Resources Wales, providing scientific information about the natural history, distribution, habitats and short and long term conservation threats of marine mammal populations (bottlenose dolphin, harbour porpoise and grey seal) to the Welsh government, through continuous research and education. The organisation works closely with the local management authority, Ceredigion County Council, and supports a long-standing internship programme training volunteers in both office and field based marine mammal research. Sea Watch was the recipient of the UNEP/ASCOBANS “Outreach and Education Award” in 2009, and its Director received the European Cetacean Society’s Conservation Award in 2012.

The Research Assistant is responsible for assisting the Monitoring Officer in the running of the Cardigan Bay Marine Mammal Monitoring Project, and for coordinating the season’s interns. The project offers the participants the opportunity to learn and practice techniques used in scientific data collection and the study of marine mammal populations (e.g. land observations, boat-based surveys, photo-identification, line-transects, digiscope and theodolite studies, cybertracker application, and acoustic monitoring).

The Research Assistant can expect to gain a solid foundation in collecting marine mammal scientific data to be used by themselves and/or our staff in peer-reviewed publications. SWF staff are committed to helping the Research Assistant gain scientific knowledge through training and in situ experience. We strongly support the career development of the Research Assistant in higher education or a future job in the field of marine mammal research and conservation.

Daily responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

· Coordinate between the Monitoring Officer/Sightings Officer and the project interns

· Organising the interns’ weekly schedules as well as the rotations for dedicated surveys & land watches

· Overseeing the interns both in the office and intern house

· Dealing with IT staff to set up the computers in the laboratory

· Maintenance and validation of all databases (vessel and land-based watches, effort, photo-ID, acoustics)

· Assisting the Monitoring Officer in training the interns in the use of field equipment such as: theodolite, digiscope, GPS, hydrophone, Cybertracker, and cameras

· Assisting the Monitoring Officer/Sightings Officer in basic training of land- and boat-based surveys, data entry and more

· Assisting the Monitoring Officer in the matching and cataloguing of bottlenose dolphins and maintenance of the photo-ID database

Requirements:

· BSc degree (or higher) in Biology, Marine Biology, Zoology, Environmental Science or similar

· Previous experience in marine mammal research and a strong interest and knowledge of British cetaceans and boating experience are desirable

· The applicant must be proficient with database and word processing software and be willing to learn new software applications. Specific experience in Access and/or GIS would be advantageous

· Photographic experience (particularly of cetacean for photo-ID purposes) is highly desirable

· The preferred candidate should have a proven track record as a team player since the project will involve working closely with other researchers, but should also be able to supervise small groups of people as they will be coordinating at least six interns per period

· Self-motivated with the drive and determination to work responsibly and independently

This position is unpaid but accommodation expenses at the intern’s house through the whole period will be covered. The Research Assistant will be responsible for his/her own travel expenses, visa requirements and living expenses. Due to the touristic background of New Quay, part-time paid work is generally easy to find if required by the applicant. The Research Assistant will have one day of every weekend free and a week vacation between the end of the second research interns period (12/07/2015) and beginning of the third one (13/07/2015). Dates for this week could be previously agreed if inconvenient for the Research Assistant.

PLEASE NOTE - The Sea Watch Foundation Cardigan Bay marine mammal monitoring programme is NOT the same as the Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre, although both are based in New Quay.

To apply:

- Download the Research Assistant application form from our web page: http://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/internships/

- Send your application together with a cover letter and CV to Katrin Lohrengel - katrin.lohrengel@seawatchfoundation.org.uk

Please specify NEW QUAY RESEARCH ASSISTANT APPLICATION 2015 in your subject title.

Applicants must be available for interview via Skype during the week commencing 26^th January and will be notified of the outcomes by 13^th February.

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2015 VOLUNTEER Research Internship Opportunities for the Cardigan Bay Marine Mammal Monitoring Project, New Quay, Wales

Field season: 13^th April - 18^th October 2015

Application deadline: 31^st January 2015

Volunteers are invited to apply for research internships in Wales with the Sea Watch Foundation (www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk), for the field season of 2015. As the UK’s longest established national cetacean research charity, Sea Watch’s mission is to achieve a better understanding and conservation of the marine mammal populations in the seas around Britain and Ireland.

The project offers the participants the opportunity to learn and practice techniques used in scientific data collection and the study of marine mammal populations (e.g. land observations, boat-based surveys, photo-identification, line-transects, theodolite, cybertracker app., and acoustic monitoring).

The interns’ responsibilities will be to support the SWF staff by taking part in the following tasks:

· Daily land-based surveys

· Two-hour boat-based surveys conducted with the support and generosity of “Dolphin Spotting Boat Trips”

· Boat-based dedicated surveys, including line-transects (weather dependent)

· Photo-identification studies

· Acoustic monitoring

· Theodolite and digiscope studies

· Data entry

· Awareness raising

· Education initiatives

· Assisting with and participating in training courses and public talks

Research interns can expect to gain a solid foundation in collecting scientific data to be used by our staff in peer reviewed publications. This is an excellent opportunity to gain an insight into the work conducted by marine mammal scientists. SWF staff are committed to the importance of giving the participants in our internship programme, the knowledge and experience necessary in their continuation towards higher education or a future job in the field of marine mammals. Many of its past interns have given presentations at international conferences of the European Cetacean Society, and gone on to professional careers in marine mammal science and conservation.

The field season is split into four separate periods (the first period of six weeks, and the rest of seven weeks duration). Preference will be given to those who can stay for more than one period, and particularly the whole six months. Accommodation will be provided in the interns’ house at a rate of approximately £60/week. Interns will be responsible for their own travel expenses, visa requirements and living expenses. Due to the touristic background of New Quay, part-time paid work (e.g. bar work) is generally easy to find if required.

Intern periods for summer 2015:

Period 1 13/04 – 24/05, Period 2 25/05 – 12/7, Period 3 13/07 – 30/08, Period 4 31/08 – 18/10

Important skills/qualifications

Essential:

Self-motivated with the drive and determination to work responsibly and independently
An ability to work in a meticulous and reliable manner
Strong commitment to volunteer work
Willingness to work long hours outdoors in often changeable weather conditions
Good IT skills (MS Office package)
An ability to get on well with others in a small team and in shared accommodation

Desirable:

A strong interest and some knowledge of British cetaceans
A background in marine biology/environmental science or similar
Prior experience in boat-based survey work
Photographic experience
Good verbal and written communication skills
Experience in interacting with the public

PLEASE NOTE - The Sea Watch Foundation Cardigan Bay marine mammal monitoring programme is NOT the same as the Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre, although both are based in New Quay.

To apply:

- Download the research internship application form from our web page - www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/internships/

- Send your application together with a cover letter and CV to Katrin Lohrengel - katrin.lohrengel@seawatchfoundation.org.uk

Please specify NEW QUAY INTERN APPLICATION 2015 into your subject title.

ONLY successful applicants will be notified of the results of their application by the end of February 2015.

Kathy James

Sightings Officer

Sea Watch Foundation

Paragon House

Wellington Place

New Quay

Ceredigion

SA45 9NR

Tel: 01545 561227