The Houston Zoo is inviting students to apply to participate in an exciting internship with the Wildlife Conservation Department! This department furthers the Zoo’s vision of being a global leader in saving animals in the wild. Through wildlife conservation partnerships and local threat reduction campaigns, which work to conserve the wild counterparts of our ambassador animals at the Zoo, we are able to provide success stories, actions, and inspiring messaging to advance the Zoo’s mission of “Connecting communities with animals, inspiring action to save wildlife.” This is an unpaid opportunity that will allow students to gain experience with understanding the Zoo’s role as a change agent in the wildlife conservation world and allow them to create wildlife professional relationships to grow their conservation network. Interns will be involved in the process of evaluating wildlife saving attitude/ behavior change activities to help inform future wildlife-saving activities for the Zoo. In addition, interns will be involved in the monitoring and evaluation of Zoo activities and programs that engage Zoo staff in wild work. Internship will take place at the Houston Zoo with time split between the office and on-grounds. Some time will be spent off-site at coastal field work locations.

Applicants interested in this position should be detail oriented, dependable, positive and exhibit excellent communication skills. The curriculum for this internship is designed to provide students the opportunity to learn fundamental conservation principles, including:

· The Houston Zoo’s strategies to save wildlife 

· Sharing wildlife-saving messaging connected to actions with
various audiences

· Inspiring Zoo audience and surrounding communities to take
wildlife-saving actions

· Partnerships with local and international wildlife
conservation organizations 

· Conservation action planning, strategy, and evaluation

· Wildlife saving behavior change campaigns

Conservation Action Responsibilities Include: 

· Assist with evaluation and monitoring of conservation action
and behavior change campaigns

· Conservation Action research 

· Interns will provide conservation enhancement support through
(1) research, evaluation and monitoring of conservation action and behavior
change campaigns, (2) public interactions on and off Zoo grounds, and (3)
assisting with debrief (informal interviews) and survey work. 

KNOWLEDGE
AND SKILLS: 

· Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office products
particularly, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint. Knowledge of statistical software
is preferred. 

· Exhibit excellent oral communication and writing skills 

· Must be a self-starter 

· Ability to multi-task and excel in a fast-paced
environment 

· Effective project coordination skills essential 

· Ability to conduct research and compile large amounts of
data. 

· Statistical analysis skills 

· Must be comfortable with public interactions. (Examples:
intercept survey and pledge work) 

PHYSICAL
EFFORT AND ENVIRONMENT: The position involves moderate
physical exertion. Walking and lots of time outside may be required for
specific projects, in all different weather conditions including heat,
humidity, rain, cold, or dust. Due to the nature of this environment, interns
will have heavy public contact requiring considerable interpersonal and
negotiation skills, extensive interaction with the public, some donors and
members. 

QUALIFICATIONS: 

· 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year college students working toward a
conservation related career in a wildlife (ecology, biology, zoology etc.),
social science (psychology, anthropology, sociology, etc.), communication, or
education-related field. A recent college graduate with this focus will also be
considered. 

· Must be comfortable presenting programs to all audiences and
in offsite community events 

· Ability to conduct research, compile, and analyze data.
Proficient with Excel spreadsheets. 

· Excellent communication and social skills with the ability to
connect with audiences of different ages and sizes 

· Passion for conservation, sustainability, and wildlife

• Experience conducting audience research (interviews, surveys,
focus groups) and evaluation is a plus

· Availability to commit to at least 290 hours, 4 days/week, 8
hours/day