Internships are available primarily in the spring and summer, and occasionally in other seasons. They are best suited for a college student or recent graduate who can work 40 hours per week for 12 weeks. Students in Outdoor Recreation and Environmental Education are encouraged to apply.

In the internship you will learn about the following:

• Running a Visitor Center and small bookstore
• Planning, designing, publicizing and running nature discovery activities for kids and families
• Interacting with visitors to the refuge
• Educating the public about conservation and resource management

The focus is on providing excellent customer service and communicating the mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in general, and the goals of Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge, in particular. The Visitor Center is gorgeous with state-of-the-art displays, an osprey nest camera, a wildlife-viewing window, and a small bookstore.

You will spend much of your time developing and presenting programs in nature discovery, and will create a calendar of activities and write up press releases and announcements for your activities. You may act as a Roving Interpreter in the Visitor Center, on one of our trails, and in our butterfly gardens. You will check our bluebird nest boxes for use and help weed the gardens. You may have opportunities to present special programs to Scout groups, school children, Elderhostel participants or other groups.

The qualities we are looking for include:

• An ability to interact with the public in a friendly and courteous manner
• Enthusiasm for the natural world and conservation of the environment and for teaching others about them
• Creativity in designing nature discovery activities and an ability to run them with confidence
• Self-motivation and a desire to do the best job possible
• Computer literacy

Interns are provided with housing in a shared house on the Refuge, laundry facilities, and a stipend of $120 per week. The minimum commitment is 40 hours per week for 12 weeks.

Required application materials include:

1. Resume
2. Written goals and objectives for the internship
3. Names and contact information for three references
4. Dates of availability