DUE TO THE HIGH VOLUME OF APPLICANTS, THIS OPPORTUNITY WILL CLOSE AT 11:00 AM JANUARY 20, 2021. 

THIS POSITION IS BEING OFFERED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CONSERVATION TRUST FOR NORTH CAROLINA (CTNC) THROUGH THE MAX INTERNSHIP: SEEDING RACE EQUITY IN CONSERVATION.

INTERNSHIP POSITION TITLE 

Mammal Conservation Research Intern

HOST SITE

NC Museum of Natural Sciences Mammalogy Unit

LOCATION

11 West Jones St, Raleigh, NC 27605

DURATION

May 22 - July 30 2021 (10 weeks)

POSITION SUMMARY

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences’ Mammalogy Unit is looking for a highly motivated MAMMAL CONSERVATION RESEARCH Intern to help manage, grow, and survey the museum’s mammal collection and assist with wild mammal surveys in the greater-Triangle area and broadly across North Carolina. Interns will help prepare and collect data from museum specimens for its expanding collection containing approximately 20,000 vouchered mammal specimens. The collection is one of the largest regional mammal collections with specimens primarily from North Carolina and the southeastern United States, dating as far back as the mid-19th Century. The collection provides an important snapshot of North Carolina’s rich mammal biodiversity and is pivotal for examining changes in mammal distributions across the state over time. For example, scientists have used historical rodent data in museum collections and conducted contemporary rodent surveys along elevational mountain transects to examine the shifting patterns of species distributions in response to global climate change. Interns will have the opportunity to develop their own research project under the supervision of the Research Curator and Collections Manager in the unit. The expertise of the Mammalogy Unit includes researching factors influencing the conservation of and distributions and abundance of medium and large mammals (mainly carnivores), small mammals, and bats in response to global changes. This internship position involves working on various projects taking place within the Mammalogy Unit and will provide students with skillsets in data/database management, museum specimen preparation and curation, small mammal surveys, camera trap surveys, and spatial analyses. 

JOB DUTIES

Mammal Collection Growth and Curation – 60%

• Assist Collections Manager and Research Curator in Mammal Collection database management (including adding new specimens, updating data, cross-referencing catalogues).
• Prepare mammal specimens (study skins, skeletons, and preserved tissue samples) and assist with accessioning them into the Mammal Collection.
• Survey and organize specimens in Mammal Collection (~20,000 mammal specimens) as needed.

Mammal Surveys and Fieldwork – 20%

• Assist Research Curator and Collections Manager with mammal surveys across North Carolina (Species inventories and long-term surveys of private lands, reserves, and state parks).
• Record data, assist with setting and retrieving live-traps and/or camera traps, use audio recorders for bats, and assist with tagging animals and taking biological samples as needed.
• Assist with maintenance of long-term field sites by clearing and maintaining trails as needed.

Independent Research – 20%

• Under the guidance of the Research Curator and Collections Manager, develop their own independent research project (previous student projects have examined mammal distributions, diet analyses, camera trap surveys).
• Collect and analyze data with assistance from supervisors.
• Present a short public talk (5-15 minutes) or create a scientific poster showcasing their research project for educational outreach to the general public.

QUALIFICATIONS Courses in General Ecology, Zoology, and Mammalogy are recommended

Basic understanding of database management with Excel or Access is required.

Experience with back country hiking and camping (e.g., comfortably hike 1-2 miles) is preferred.

Experience in animal dissection preferred.

Students should be motivated and easy-going in unpredictable field conditions that require early morning starts, often in buggy conditions with high temperatures, rough terrain, and maneuvering through brush.

APPLICATION

If you have questions about the application or require more information about the Museum in general, please contact Jessica Andreasen at Jessica.andreasen@naturalsciences.org

If you have specific questions about the internship position, qualifications, or requirements, contact Dr. Mike Cove at mvcove@ncsu.edu or 203-417-8244.

Learn more about the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences’ Mammalogy Unit and Research at https://naturalsciences.org/research-collections/fields-of-research/mammalogy-research.

ABOUT THE MAX INTERNSHIP

Founded in 2008 in honor of late board member, Max Mukelabai, the Max internship provides a platform for high school graduates and college students of color – including people of Asian, Black, Latinx, multiracial, and Native American descent – to engage in and help shape conservation work. Rising leaders of color from across the state participate in paid 10-week summer internships, gaining real-world, hands-on experience. CTNC provides compensation, one-on-one mentorship, and professional networking to equip interns with a strong foundation for successful careers in conservation and beyond.

During the program, host sites learn about conservation through a lens of race and power. Through a combination of individual and group learning, host site supervisors build their capacity to facilitate discussions about race within their organizations, understand their relationships to power, and develop strategies for transforming a culture based in race equity practice. COMPENSATION

All interns will receive a $5,000 stipend, divided and paid bi-monthly over the course of their internship.

If you have questions about the program, please contact Lacey Frownfelter at lacey@ctnc.org

Please note that interviews are scheduled and conducted through the host site.