Intern - Conservation Research Assistant, Pollinators

Intern - Conservation Research Assistant, Pollinators

Minnesota Zoo

13000 Zoo Boulevard

Apple Valley, MN 55124

Salary Range: $20.00 / hour.

Anticipated to work mid-May through mid-August. The expected work schedule is 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM., five 8-hour days per week. Schedule will vary and include one weekend day.

This intern position assists daily operations of the Minnesota Zoo’s Pollinator Conservation Program, including care of and data collection on all life stages of imperiled and surrogate prairie butterflies; care of host and nectar plants; temperature and climate monitoring; and other related tasks.

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Demonstrate and maintain appropriate workplace behaviors and protocols as established by the Minnesota Zoo so that animal’s health and well-being is maintained, staff have a safe and respectful work environment, and guests have a welcoming and extraordinary experience.
• Implement established rearing and husbandry protocols to ensure the highest standards of animal care for populations of several species of butterflies at the Minnesota Zoo, including species listed as Endangered or Threatened at state and federal levels and common surrogate butterfly species.
• Collect data associated with all husbandry activities and log all activities to ensure appropriate record-keeping to facilitate increased scientific knowledge of butterfly life history and their care.
• Maintain spaces so that proper health and quarantine procedures are assured.
• Perform other duties as assigned or apparent to ensure the smooth functioning of the department and its projects.

Minimum Qualifications

The following qualifications are required of all applicants seeking consideration for this position. Only applicants whose application materials clearly demonstrate fulfillment of each of these minimum qualifications will be considered for the position. To ensure accurate evaluation, your resume must clearly describe your experience in the required areas. For each job, include whether it was full-time, part-time, or intermittent/on-call; how many hours per week you worked; and the month and year you started and ended.

To be eligible for an internship, you must meet the following requirements:

• You must be a student at an accredited educational institution; AND
• Your advisor must certify that you will either receive academic credit or fulfill an academic requirement. The signature of a sponsoring academic instructor is required prior to beginning an internship.

AND

• Knowledge of basic biology and zoology.
• High level of attention to detail.
• Interest in zoo-based conservation of wildlife.
• Computer skills in word processing, spreadsheet and other software applications sufficient to create emails and enter, compile, store and retrieve data.
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent human relation and communication skills sufficient to represent the position in a professional, efficient, and clear manner.
• An unrestricted Class D Driver’s license with a clear driving record.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with insects, especially butterflies.
• Work experience with animal husbandry.
• Experience in empirical research design, methodology and basic data analysis.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work outside under potentially extreme weather conditions.
• Ability to walk long distances on uneven and occasionally wet terrain.
• Ability to lift, carry and move up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to operate a golf cart, i.e., possess a valid driver’s license.
• Manual dexterity sufficient to operate basic hand tools, butterfly nets, light power tools, sprayers, and basic cleaning supplies. 
• Ability to climb, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, stand, walk, run, jump, push, pull, lift, stand still, and sit still.