Below is the posting for Family and Youth Education Internship from late May through mid-August at the Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport MA. This is an unpaid internship. We do try to help our interns find summer housing and we have also been able to host interns in the past at the home of a trusted volunteer. This is not a guarantee but we will try. If the intern does not have a car, we can work with them to provide transportation to and from Joppa Flats. There is a commuter rail just a few minutes away.
Family & Youth Education Intern
Location: Newburyport, MA
Sanctuary: Joppa Flats
Dates: mid May through mid August
Commitment: 12 – 15 weeks
Hours: 20 hours a week
The Family & Youth Education Interns (FYI) will spend the early part of their internship assisting with the implementation of school programs and field trips offered onsite at the Joppa Flats Education Center and offsite on the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and Plum Island. Themes may include coastal ecology, marine biology, environmental awareness and stewardship, bird banding and migration, and invasive species. Field trips may include sandy beaches, rocky shores, tide pools, salt marshes, rivers, and ponds.
After the school year ends, the FYIs will begin preparing for our daily drop-in visitor program for young children, Meet Beach Creatures (MBC), which will be offered Thursday through Sunday beginning early July through mid-August.
Responsibilities may include:
· Design themed art projects, demonstrations, and self-guided activities for visitors, as well as visitor experience materials (posters, flyers, activity kits, handouts, and signage). Daily themes may include insects, fish, ocean animals, pond life, polar wildlife, ecosystems, and local conservation efforts.
· Assist with school, youth and family programs including backyard study, birding trips, coastal trips, salt marsh walks, ponding, boat cruises, and drop-in weekend programs and public events.
· Provide and develop interpretation of touch tank and pond tank to visitors.
· Maintain our 110- and 50- gallon cold marine aquarium tanks; care for and feed their inhabitants (coastal invertebrates and fish); perform necessary tank maintenance.
· Maintain necessary housing, care, and feeding for temporary seasonal “guests” (tadpoles, insects, etc.) and provide interpretation for visitors.
· Lead bi-monthly collecting trips to release tank organisms and collect new ones (often starting at 8 am).
· Bring live animals, teaching displays and interactive stations into the community for public events and festivals. Some early evenings and weekends.
Qualifications
· At least 18 years of age
· Valid driver’s license
· First aid & CPR certified. Courses can be scheduled if necessary. Registration and fee required.
· Experience interacting with people of all ages, interests, and backgrounds
· Demonstrates creativity, reliability, flexibility, and enthusiasm, and strong oral and written communication skills
· Local knowledge of New England coastal ecology and rocky shore species a plus but not required
· Experience leading teens in a team-like atmosphere
· Experience with outdoor activities such as birding and tide pooling
· Experience with tank maintenance, animal care, and feeding (salt water preferred)
· Must pass a background records check (CORI, SORI and driver’s)
Compensation and Benefits
This is an unpaid internship
How to Apply
Please email your cover letter and resume to:
No phone calls please.
Lisa Hutchings – School & Youth Education Coordinator
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