The Wildlife Center of Texas offers both sponsored and unpaid internship opportunities. Our sponsored internship is provided by ExxonMobil through the Community Summer Jobs Program. This position is not guaranteed as we must apply every year and be awarded the funding. If you are qualified for a sponsored intern position and you apply, please be aware that we can only accept this position once we receive the funding.
Consideration and response will only be given to applicants who send all the required materials listed below. Applicants can send ALL required materials to byahney@houstonspca.org. The deadline to have your materials submitted by is April 15th by 9pm.
Required Materials:
- Cover letter
- Resumé
- Copy of your transcript (official or unofficial)
- Copy of your driver’s license
- 3 letters of reference (excluding family members and friends)
Qualifications:
Sponsored positions (only offered in the summer):
- Applicants MUST be undergraduate students only. Graduate students or higher education students (i.e. those pursuing a Master’s degree, Ph.D, or medical/veterinary degree) are NOT ELIGIBLE per the requirements of the sponsors.
- For the sponsored intern positions, applicants must have completed their freshmen year with a full-time status and be entering their sophomore, junior, or senior year in the fall semester following their internship as a full-time student.
- Interns must be available for a consecutive 8 week (40hr/week) commitment beginning in late May/early June.
- Interns must also attend events put on by their sponsor, including a service project.
Unpaid positions:
- Applicants applying for an unpaid position must be at least 16 years of age and this internship must be eligible for some sort of college credit or their school must require an internship to graduate.
- Applicants may be in any year of post-secondary school (including graduate level and higher).
Responsibilities:
The Wildlife Center of Texas (formerly Wildlife Rehab & Education Wildlife Center) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of injured, sick, oiled and orphaned native wild animals. The Wildlife Center of Texas (WCT) receives more than 12,000 native wild animals every year. An internship at the WCT provides the opportunity to gain hands-on experience working with many different wildlife species and to learn skills such as handling techniques, cleaning and sterilization procedures, habitat enrichment, diets, food preparation and feeding techniques, and to assist experienced wildlife rehabilitation staff with treatment procedures.
Each year, WCT presents environmental education programs to over 40,000 adults and children. The intern would have the opportunity to acquire the skills or enhance their knowledge of wildlife conservation and environmental education. The intern would assist with environmental education programs and the handling and care for the educational ambassadors like the great horned owl, red-tailed hawk, harris’s hawk, crested caracara, short-eared owl, and opossum.
The Wildlife Center of Texas provides a substantial amount of environmental education to the public. The intern would participate in wildlife admissions and assist the public with their wildlife problems. Patience, courtesy, and self-motivation and the ability to work well with the public are essential. The intern will learn humane solutions to human-wildlife conflicts.
The WCT also responds to Oil Spills in the Gulf Coast area that impact wildlife. The WCT also presents Oiled Wildlife Response Workshops to train volunteers to respond under the permits of the WCT. The intern would help make copies and assimilate information for the workshops.
In summary, primary responsibilities of interns:
- Managing the care of variety of birds, mammals, and reptiles.
- Preparing diets for and hand feeding baby birds and mammals.
- Learning about wildlife nutrition, animal housing, physical therapy, capture and restraint, and safety techniques through hands-on training.
- Helping with Wildlife Center housekeeping chores including cage cleaning, laundry and overall hospital cleaning.
- Assisting with the care and handling of live environmental education ambassadors.
- Participating in all office duties including data entry, maintaining records, making copies and other duties as required.
The internship is intense and physically demanding, fast-paced and repetitive and allows the intern to learn about all aspects of wildlife rehabilitation.
Contact information:
Please send all required materials to: byahney@houstonspca.org.
For questions concerning internship details, please check out the FAQ section below. If you don’t find the answer to your question there, you can send an e-mail to the above address.
FAQ
1. When will I know if I have been selected for the internship?
You will be contacted, either by phone or email, for the interview process and to let you know whether you have been selected for the position. Typically, we will have our decisions made by the end of April.
2. Are the dates for the internship flexible at all?
The start and end dates are flexible for all positions, but the 8 week (40 hr/week) commitment is not flexible for the sponsored position. To accommodate our busiest seasons, we need our intern to start ASAP after school has ended. Unpaid positions are only available March through September as these are our busier times of year and there will be more to learn.
4. What should I bring?
Long pants and closed toed shoes must be worn at all times while working in the center. You will regularly come in contact with bleach and bodily fluids during your internship so wear clothing that you don’t mind getting ruined.
5. How many interns work at WCT?
The sponsored position is only available through the summer months. Unpaid positions are available March through September. We typically do not have more than 2 unpaid positions at once, but exceptions may be made.
6. What are the accommodations?
There is no housing currently provided for this internship. Most interns are from the surrounding cities, but some interns from out of state share an apartment with friends or stay with relatives. The center is located in central Houston, inside the 610 loop, so transportation will be required if you do not live nearby.
7. What will my schedule be like?
Depending on the shift you have, work starts at 6:00 a.m. and ends around 5 p.m. You may be asked to work an early shift starting at 6 am, or you may need to come in later and stay until we leave for the day. Hours may vary. Duties vary depending on the time of year.
8. What type of training will be provided?
Please see internship description.
9. Will I be able to work with the veterinarian?
Interns will help with administering some medications and restraining while veterinarians do check-ups. While you will gain knowledge of wildlife veterinary medicine during your internship, this will only comprise about 20% of the internship. It is worth noting that if you are solely interested in the veterinary aspect of wildlife, then this is not the internship for you. While you may be allowed to occasionally observe the veterinarians, they will not take on a teaching aspect during the internship. However, the foundation of wildlife medicine stems from an intimate knowledge of wildlife supportive care (i.e. proper handling, diet, cleaning practices, and species specific accommodations). This internship is designed to teach all aspects of working with native wildlife. This internship is primarily designed to teach interns how non-profits work as well as all aspects of working with native wildlife.
10. Can my family visit WCT?
Your family is welcome to visit you during your internship. Children under the age of 16 are not allowed in the back of the facility due to health department recommendations, but they are welcome to see the lobby. Advanced notice is required for all visitors who will be touring the facility with you.
11. If I fly in, will someone come pick me up or do I need to find my own transportation?
Interns will be responsible for their own housing and transportation to and from work.
12. Can I fax or email my required materials?
All required materials should be emailed to intern@wildlifecenteroftexas.org.
13. Should I send my reference letters with my required materials or can they be sent separately?
Either way is fine as long as all of your letters arrive by the deadline.
14. How much is the stipend?
The sponsored internship pays a lump sum to be paid out in increments every 2 weeks equaling about $10.00 an hour. Note: Your stipend will be taxed.
15. How many days will I have off?
Sponsored interns must work a 5 day, 35hr/week schedule with 2 days off. Unpaid interns can work as many hours as their school requires for them to complete their degree. As animals require care every day, some weekend and holiday work is required.