Interns become an integral part of the staff and participate in all aspects of the center’s operation and have an opportunity to work with all ages, and with a variety of groups, including schools and the general public. They assist Teacher/Naturalists in school and after-school programs for grades K to 8, as well as assist or lead various day, evening, and weekend programs at the Tin Mountain Nature Learning Center. Interns are involved in general Nature Center operations including some live animal care and handling, volunteer training and supervision, weekend festivals and events, curriculum and program development, and writing articles for the newsletter. Tin Mountain’s best interns have a strong desire to teach and share their knowledge and enthusiasm for the natural world. A background in education or the natural sciences is helpful but not necessary.
Tin Mountain has several projects that it hires interns for seasonally:
Avian Ecology Internship
The Avian Ecology Project focuses on two main areas of research: monitoring breeding birds and forest habitat changes associated with forest management. Tin Mountain is offering a 3-month internship for this project. The long-term breeding bird survey was initiated in 2007 to inventory all species using the 140-acre sanctuary during April-July while also training young professionals in habitat protection. Weekly visits to 37 permanent study plots generate information about population trends that only long-term studies can provide. In addition, nest searching and a banding station will be established to track movement/behavior of returning migrants. The intern will work with volunteers and staff to collect/analyze data and report results. The ecological monitoring of timberlands is part of Tin Mountain’s sustainability principles for managing its 1,200 acres of timberlands in Conway. The intern will sample and compare a three-year cut, five-year cut, six-year cut, and control (uncut) stands of to determine whether important forest structures (both qualitatively and quantitatively) are retained to adequately provide for resident wildlife. The internship generally runs mid-May through August, depending on availability.
Resident Bird Internship
The Resident Bird Study focuses on examining the annual cycle for black-capped chickadees, red-breasted nuthatches, white-breasted nuthatches, and tufted titmice, the study involves banding birds/nestlings, re-sighting birds, point counts, nest box grid survey, and nest searching. Prior bird handling and experience with GIS/GPS and some statistics would be helpful. The project takes place on Tin Mountain’s 140-acre Rockwell Sanctuary. This internship runs for 12 months, beginning in mid-April.
The Brook Trout Habitat Restoration Project involves research on the influence of adding woody material to small streams to enhance size and abundance of brook trout populations. The interns will be involved in permitting projects, collecting baseline information on all streams, electro-fishing, making wood additions, and re-assessing streams treated in the past few years. The project involves strenuous work as well as extensive data collections on physical and biological attributes of streams, water chemistry, and fish populations. The interns will work with volunteers and staff to collect/analyze data and report results. Experience with GPS and GIS (ArcMap) are preferred.
For more information on any of these projects, please contact Research manager, Katy Lewis.
Or learn more on our Research & Studies Page.