Conservation Biology Internships
UC Fort Ord Natural Reserve Plant Survey Internship
Contact People:
Sean McStay mcstay@ucsc.edu 831-234-7133
Gage Dayton ghdayton@ucsc.edu 831-459-4867The UC Ft. Ord Natural Reserve, an ecological research reserve in Marina, CA (45 minutes south of UCSC) is seeking an intern for spring quarter 2013. Selected intern will assist reserve steward with plant surveys and habitat impact assessments. Groundwater remediation activities within the reserve have impacted rare habitats and protected species. We will conduct field surveys and do preliminary data analysis to assess impacts. Intern will also assist with invasive plant control projects as needed.
Coastal Watershed Council
Contact Person: Debie Chirco-Macdonald djchico@coastalws.org 831-464-9200
The Coastal Watershed Council (CWC) is a non-profit agency whose mission is to preserve and protect coastal watersheds through community stewardship, education and monitoring. CWC was formed in response to the declining health of the watersheds of the Monterey Bay region. We seek to restore the watersheds of our region and teach our residents how to become stewards of their local creeks, streams and coastal areas. For this internship we are seeking students with interests in: Environmental Studies, Biology (not really micro-bio), Education, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Public Administration, Non-Profit Management, Mathematics & IT (gaming, network, file structure & web design), and Public Relations/Marketing. For more information visit Coastal Watershed Council's Website.
Small Mammal Undergraduate Research in Forests SMURF
Contact People:
Yiwei Wang yixwang@ucsc.edu
Justine Smith jsmith5@ucsc.edu
Come work on the Forest Ecology Research Plot this summer to learn techniques in small mammal trapping, data management, and research development. Interns will work with graduate students to set and maintain traplines for small mammals while exploring their own research interests in the study system. Previous interns have worked with:Stable isotope analysis techniques, Endangered species, Parasite load counts, Habitat specialization.
California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program / CA Sea Grant
Contact People: Andrea Launer seagrant@mlml.calstate.edu 831 771 4479
California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP) interns gain insight into the world of marine science and valuable, hands-on experience for professional development through active participation in various forms of field work, data analyses and project support.
Job Description: CCFRP interns provide organizational, logistical and administrative assistance to the Fisheries & Conservation Biology Lab at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. Within the CCFRP, our lab conducts background research for fisheries-related projects, coordinates a variety of events, collects and analyzes field data and disseminates information to the public. Program interns help facilitate any/all portions of these activities while additional duties are assigned, as needed. For more information visit the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program's website.
Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project
Contact Person: Mark Galloway and Mat Rowley mathersrowley@mac.com 831 458 3095 / 831 818 9819
Quarterly internships available to Work with the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project (a non-profit organization). Students will play a key role in management of a conservation/restoration hatchery restoring coastal salmonid species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Most will be at the hatchery in Scott Creek Watershed (northern SC County). Seasonally, some parts of the work will be in other locations.For more information visit the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Projects's Website.
Research Opportunities at Fort Ord Natural Reserve
Contact People:
Laurel Fox fox@ucsc.edu
Sean McStay mcstay@ucsc.edu
Gage Dayton dayton@ucsc.edu
The UC Natural Reserve at Fort Ord provides numerous opportunities for internships and student
projects involving animals, plants and their interactions in chaparral and oak woodlands. Several of the
species are rare and are Federally or state-listed. For more information visit this website.
Natural Reserves Research Project
Contact People:
Project Leader Rachel Brown rbrown@ucsc.edu
Agency Sponsor Gage Dayton ghdayton@ucsc.edu
Faculty Advisor Chris Wilmers cwilmers@ucsc.eduInterns will contribute to a graduate led dissertation project focusing on the dietary
ecology of coyotes in the Central Coast Region of California (specifically at Año Nuevo State
Park, Younger Lagoon Natural Reserve/Moore Creek Canyon, Fort Ord Natural Reserve and
Andrew Molera State Park). This research has two primary goals: 1) to establish the spatial and
temporal dynamics of marine resource use by modern California coyotes in the Central Coast
Region and 2) to evaluate whether or not Holocene coastal coyotes made similar or different
dietary choices from modern coyotes. Interns will be involved in addressing the first of these
goals by participating in scat collection field work and by processing scat samples in the lab- this
involves swabbing samples for genetic testing, sub-sampling scats for isotopic analyses, as well
as washing and separating samples into dietary components. Interns will work closely with a
graduate student and learn how to distinguish scats from common California mammalian
mesopredators as well as how to identify various dietary components (hair and bones). This
internship will periodically require a full day of work on the weekend. 2-5 credit positions are
available. For more information visit their website.
California State Parks, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Contact People: Daniel Williford dwilliford@parks.ca.gov
California State Parks mission statement is to provide health, inspiration, and education of the
people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting
its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high quality outdoor
recreation. The role of the intern at HCRSP will serve to fulfill this mission through learning to present high quality interpretative programs for both school groups and the general public. Specific objectives to attain this goal will be to receive in depth training in which the intern will develop skills and techniques to effectively interpret both the natural and cultural history of HCRSP to park visitors. Tasks to be performed will be to research, develop, and present natural and cultural programs of about one hour in length in an old growth redwood ecosystem. The intern will also learn about other aspects of interpretation including roving interpretation and interpretive writing. For more information visit their website.
UCSC Natural Reserve Research Project
Contact People:
Project Leader Rachel Brown rbrown@ucsc.edu
Agency Sponsor Gage Dayton ghdayton@ucsc.edu
Faculty Advisor Chris Wilmers cwilmers@ucsc.eduInterns will contribute to a graduate led dissertation project focusing on the dietary ecology of coyotes in the Central Coast Region of California (specifically at Año Nuevo State Park, Younger Lagoon Natural Reserve/Moore Creek Canyon, Fort Ord Natural Reserve and Andrew Molera State Park). This research has two primary goals: 1) to establish the spatial and temporal dynamics of marine resource use by modern California coyotes in the Central Coast Region and 2) to evaluate whether or not Holocene coastal coyotes made similar or different dietary choices from modern coyotes. Interns will be involved in addressing the first of these goals by participating in scat collection field work and by processing scat samples in the lab- this involves swabbing samples for genetic testing, sub-sampling scats for isotopic analyses, as well as washing and separating samples into dietary components. Interns will work closely with a graduate student and learn how to distinguish scats from common California mammalian mesopredators as well as how to identify various dietary components (hair and bones). This internship will periodically require a full day of work on the weekend. 2-5 credit positions are available. For more information visit their website.
Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
Deborah McArthur Deborah@santacruzmuseums.org 831 420 1135
Teach about geologic history, fossils, endemic species and habitat restoration.
The intern will work with Education staff to deliver classroom presentations and field
trips for 7th grade students at the Morgan Preserve in Scotts Valley. Be a part of our
Museum Education Team! Candidates must 1) enjoy working with middle school students, 2) feel comfortable in the outdoors, 3) be available during varying tour times (Monday‐ Friday, 8:30 am‐ 3, during October/November and April/May) and 4) access to a vehicle is preferred. For more information Visit their website.Santa Cruz Puma Project
Contact person: Chris Wilmers, yixwang@ucsc.edu, 408-858-1309
We are conducting a study of mountain lions in the Santa Cruz mountains with the objective of developing new monitoring technology, understanding how mountain lions utilize a diverse landscape, and provide educational outreach opportunities for the public. For our work, we do a lot of field investigations, computer data entry, and more computer data entry. We are looking for students who are very independent, driven, and computer literate. Students can expect 80% lab work (labeling photographs of animals, Geographic Information Systems, and data entry) and 20% field work (investigating GPS locations and potentially participating in lion captures when they come up). Students need to be able to devote continuous chunks of time for field work (i.e. one full
day) because the timing can be unpredictable. Students must be able to come on campus and work from our lab computers. For more information.....