Position Title: Spring Wildlife Ecology Intern
Reports to: Javan Bauder
Hours/Week: Up to 25 hours per week
Internship Date Range: Starts as early as possible (ideally by March 10) and runs through Spring 2025 semester (around May 15)
Location: Tucson, Arizona
About the Resilience Internships and Student Experiences (RISE) Program
The RISE Program is hosted by the Arizona Institute for Resilience (AIR) and provides undergraduate and graduate students with paid internships related to resilient environments and societies. RISE internships give students experience in workplace settings with an opportunity to grow their interpersonal skills and prepare them for careers after graduation.
About the Arizona Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: The Arizona Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (AZCRU) is a branch of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit System. Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units distributed across the U.S.A. and work closely with cooperating state and federal fish and wildlife management agencies and their host universities. Cooperative Research Units conduct applied research on fish and wildlife to provide information to their cooperating agencies, teach and mentor graduate students at their host universities, and provide technical support to their cooperators. The AZCRU supports three full-time federal scientists who are also faculty within the University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment (SNRE).
Internship summary: We are seeking an intern to assist with ongoing wildlife research projects in the lab of Dr. Javan Bauder, an Assistant Unit Leader in the AZCRU and Assistant Professor in SNRE. This internship will last through the Spring 2025 semester and provide up to 25 hours of work per week depending on the availability of the intern. The intern will work with a graduate student conducting research on Gambel’s quail north of Tucson (i.e., Oracle Junction). The intern will obtain field experience with several aspects of wildlife field research including quail trapping, radio telemetry, nest searching and monitoring, and vegetation surveys. Additional opportunities may be available to assist with other AZCRU wildlife research projects relating to reptiles and amphibians depending on intern interest and availability.
Internship description: The intern will primarily work with a graduate student in the AZCRU by assisting with various field tasks associated with a Gambel’s quail research project conducted north of Tucson. Additional opportunities may be available to assist with reptile and amphibian research projects depending on intern interest and availability. Field tasks include, but are not limited to:
- Assisting with trapping Gambel’s quail using multiple trapping methods
- Tracking the movements of telemetered Gambel’s quail using radio telemetry methods and remotely downloading data using a portable antenna system
- Searching for and monitoring Gambel’s quail nests, including the deployment and maintenance of wildlife game cameras
- Conducting vegetation surveys at Gambel’s quail nests, telemetry locations, and random points to evaluate quail nest selection
- Assist with nighttime surveys, including mark-recapture surveys, for amphibians (e.g., bullfrogs, leopard frogs) in southeast Arizona.
Intern must be available to work mornings (5:00 AM through 12:00 PM) 2-4 days per week. Preference will be given to someone able to work Wednesday and Thursday mornings but opportunities to work Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings will also be available. Must possess valid U.S.A. drivers license and be able to take defensive driver trainings required by the University of Arizona and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Compensation:
The intern will be hired and paid by the University of Arizona. The pay rate is $18/hour.
How to Apply:
Applicants must be active U of A students enrolled in at least 6 credits. The intern will be hired as a U of A student employee. Please note:
- During the semester, student employees are limited to 25 hours/week (20 hours/week for international students) across ALL U of A positions.
- During the summer, student employees are limited to 35 hours/week across ALL U of A positions.
International students should consult with International Student Services (ISS) if work authorization is needed before securing an internship. ISS advising information can be found here.
To apply, please submit via email:
- A cover letter explaining why you are interested in this position, any relevant experience, and the days of the week and hours you are available to work.
- A resume
Submit all application materials to Alexis Rickert at alexisrickert@arizona.edu. This position will be open until filled.