The Wild Center is seeking interns to participate in a ten-month museum fellowship position led by our experienced staff at a natural history museum in the heart of New York State’s Adirondack region. You will be immersed in daily museum operations; fellows will get a broad range of museum experience and are a key part of The Wild Center’s interpretive staff. You will be trained in the field of interpretation and museum standard methodologies and this position offers experience in school and group management, development, marketing, visitor services, and event coordination. You will grow your leadership skills and have the opportunity to develop your knowledge of natural history. This position involves handling live animals, which can include raptors, reptiles, mammals, and others. If you have passion and curiosity about what it takes to be a world-class museum, there is a place for you here.

Responsibilities and Tasks

During this fellowship, you will have the opportunity to learn in a variety of museum areas. 

You will:

• Develop and deliver programs for museum visitors, such as live animal encounters, behind the scenes tours, canoe trips, naturalist walks, and more
• Assist with daily operations, including maintenance and development of education materials, exhibit upkeep, and visitor engagement
• Work with a collection of approximately 40 species of native Adirondack animals including river otters, birds of prey, snakes, turtles, amphibians, fish, etc. 
• Greet, instruct, and supervise school and private groups
• Assist with campus projects including ground maintenance and operations 
• Provide excellent customer service for thousands of visitors annually
• Lead two-hour interpretive canoe experiences on flat water
• Work outdoors in multiple seasons, involving walking on uneven surfaces, organizing outdoor areas, exhibit guiding on our trails, and facilitating outdoor experiences
• Work on teams that involve all departments (such as Animal Care, Facilities, Development, Admissions, and Volunteers) to achieve museum goals
• Work schedule is a 40 hr. week - includes weekends and occasional mornings/evenings
• Available from January 19th, 2020 -  November 14th, 2020

Tracks of Learning

• Each fellow will specialize in one of the following additional tracks of learning throughout their experience.
• Youth Development Fellow - Work alongside our School Programs Coordinator on school program logistics and development (including age appropriate STEAM activities and animal programs), and mentor and oversee summer educators.
• Art and Nature Fellow - Manage our interactive Art Studio space, develop and coordinate art based programming, and assist our marketing manager with social media. 
• Volunteer and Event Fellow - Work alongside our  Volunteer Coordinator as our onsite volunteer liaison, help coordinate educational events (such as Otter Run 5K and Haunted Forest), and help facilitate development events.
• Outdoor Program Fellow - Co-coordinate our Community Maple Project, serve as lead canoe guide, assist with the revitalization of the Pines Play area, and develop outdoor programming (such as walks, tracking, and fort-building).
• Animal Care Fellow - Participate in daily husbandry (such as diet preparation, cleaning habitats, and helping with medical procedures), create behavioral enrichment, and practice positive reinforcement based training.

Qualifications

• Flexibility and the ability to adapt to change as it arises - The Wild Center is a dynamic setting where responsibilities can change quickly
• Positive attitude - you will be challenged to go outside your comfort zone
• Organization and time management skills - you will work on multiple tasks concurrently
• Self-motivated - you seek opportunities to learn and grow; you can thrive independently
• Experience working with people - customer service, teaching, sales, etc.
• Teamwork and collaboration - we often work in groups and depend on each other
• Interest in teaching natural history and working with animals in human care 
• Prior experience with canoes or a willingness to learn
• Maturity and professionalism - we will consider you if you demonstrate the above skills regardless of level of education completed
• An interest in learning more about a career in environmental education, museum studies, or related fields - we will support you in pursuit of your professional interests
• Comfort living in communal housing - you will live with your colleagues and share living spaces

Compensation

• $425/week stipend + room in shared housing located ¾ mile from the campus
• Access to canoes and stand up paddleboards for use outside of work hours
• Certifications and training:
• Certified Interpretive Guide through the National Association of Interpretation
• New York State Licensed Guide
• First Aid/CPR/AED certification - Wilderness First Aid possible 
• Visual Thinking Strategies
• Canoe skills
• Project management experience
• Customer service
• Community outreach opportunities
• Creating content to engage with audiences via social media
• K-12 education techniques
• Use of educational technology like Science on a Sphere
• Natural history of the Adirondacks