Internships are great opportunities to build your resume, network, and experience the field.

You can find internships in a few different ways:

Within WFCB

• Lloyd W. Swift Fund to support Experiential Learning - See below for more information.
• Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology - Read their internship webpage and make direct contact to the museum.
• WFCB faculty and grad students - Scroll down to Summer Research Opportunities.
• Review your WFCB listserv - Check your inbox regularly for internship opportunities from WFCB advising staff.

On Campus

• The Internship and Career Center (ICC) - Offers assistance in finding internships. Visit the ICC's website for more information.
• The Undergraduate Research Center (URC) - Offers guidance and advising in obtaining research opportunities. See URC's website for more information.
• Department of Animal Science - Check out their internship webpage.
• UC Davis Undergraduate Research Opportunities in Ecology and the Environmental Sciences - A continuously updated list of undergraduate research opportunities related to ecology and the environmental sciences. Visit this page to learn more.

The Department of Evolution and Ecology announces summer undergraduate research fellowships.  These awards provide a stipend to allow undergraduate students to conduct full time independent research under the direction of a faculty member in the Department of Evolution and Ecology or at the Bodega Marine Laboratory.  Awards are open to all continuing students at UC Davis who will continue to be enrolled in UC Davis in Fall 2023. Learn more here. Apply by March 21st 2023.

The Lloyd W. Swift Endowment Fund (rolling admission)

• The Lloyd W. Swift Endowment focuses on supporting experiential learning opportunities.  These can include any experiential learning activity, such as a research experience, a non-WFCB field course (see below), or an externship experience (termed “externship” because such experiences are normally off-campus), that advances the student’s career goals.
• These opportunities can occur during summer, or during the academic year.  Applications should demonstrate that the financial impact of the award will be instrumental in facilitating the experiential learning, and not merely supplementing or replacing existing funds.
• To help you find an externship we have created a list of suggested partners (see pdf). These suggestions are based on input from the WFCB faculty. Please let our Experiential Learning coordinator Pernille Sporon Boving (boving@ucdavis.edu) know if you have any particular interest in any of the suggested partners and we may be able to direct you better.
• Students receiving Swift awards must be WFCB majors, and the award will go only to the student.
• Your application will be read and evaluated by the WFCB Endowment Committee.
• How to Apply: Complete this google form and hit the submit button once you have filled all the required entries. Full preview of application can be viewed here.

Lloyd W. Swift Summer Research Award (annual call)

• The application window for summer research is closed. It will re-open next winter for summer 2024. At that time follow the instructions below and when ready apply using this google form. Full preview of application can be viewed here.

• The Lloyd Swift Endowment supports summer experiential learning opportunities for WFCB majors, and these opportunities can include externships or participation in research projects.  The student must be a WFCB undergraduate for >50% of the duration of the experience.  The project supervisor can be a graduate student, postdoc, research staff, or faculty; preference will be given to supervisors affiliated with WFCB.  Interested students are encouraged to contact their proposed supervisor to collaboratively develop their Swift application and a letter of endorsement from the supervisor. 
• Applications should demonstrate that the financial impact of the award will be instrumental in facilitating the learning experience, and not merely replacing existing funds for the same experience.  The application should be brief; aside from the basic contact information, it should indicate:
  • The nature and timing of the experiential learning opportunity
  • How that opportunity will advance the student’s educational or career goals
  • The amount of money needed to enable the opportunity, with a budget and   justification; salary equivalent to half-time (max 20hrs/week), UC scale, is allowable but must be justified in terms of enabling the experience.
• A letter of support from the supervisor should endorse the application, establish that other funds to support the student for the experience are not available, and agree to ensure that a thank you letter is submitted.  Funds must be expended within 60 days of the conclusion of the experience.   The supervisor is responsible for ensuring that the proposal includes all components, presented clearly and succinctly.  Submissions will be limited to a total of five per PI or lab.
• At the conclusion of the summer experience, the awardee, in collaboration with the supervisor, will briefly explain how Swift funds were spent and will write a letter to the Swift family. The letter should summarize the experience and its importance, and thank the family for making that experience possible.
• Here you may also find Summer Research Opportunities.

Total cumulative award amount will not normally exceed $10K per applicant. Previous awardees seeking additional support from the Lloyd Swift Endowment should consider the amount in their previous award when designing budgets for subsequent proposals.

Credit For Internships:

Students can receive credit for internships via units and/or transcript notation.
92/192: Variable unit internship. Ask the faculty member if you can register for 92/192 units, and then contact the department staff adviser to obtain a Course Registration Number (CRN). The number on units your register for depends on the number of hours you work.  Use ICC guidlines to determine this number. You will need to register for your internship by the 12th day of the quarter. After this time, you will need to be issued a PTA by the department’s staff adviser. Transcript notation can be obtained through the ICC with cooperation from your employer. See the ICC's instructions for more
information.

Summer Research Opportunities:

The Todd Lab is seeking applications for 2 field technicians to work on a Western pond turtle conservation and non-native turtle impact study. The 2023 summer positions will run mid-June (when classes end) to early September. As a field technician, you will assist graduate student Sidney Woodruff in setting turtle traps weekly in the Arboretum and nearby Putah Creek, handling live turtles to collect size and shape data, marking Western pond turtles, and removing non-native turtles. You will also gain skills in project management, coordinating volunteers, science communication, and data management. Field technicians will have to remain in Davis (or nearby) for the summer since we will start early in the mornings every weekday. 

If interested, contact Sidney Woodruff (smwoodruff@ucdavis.edu) to determine availability of positions and then to collaboratively develop a Swift application (Swift deadline Feb 15 2023). Please include in the email (1) a short cover letter stating why you are interested in the position and your expected availability for the summer (noting any major planned absences), and (2) your CV or resume. More information on the project can be found here on the Todd Lab website. Outside of the specific Swift internship opportunity, there will still be numerous ways to volunteer on this project. In 2022, the project hosted ~30 student volunteers.

 

The Rypel Lab (https://sites.google.com/view/rypel-lab/home) is looking for advanced undergraduates to take part in active research projects. Current opportunities include,

1. Fisheries in USA Reservoirs Internship. During the course of this internship the student will be able to participate and gain recognition for the formation of a legacy database which will lay the foundation for a scientific research manuscript exploring variations in fish species biomass across reservoirs in the USA.

2. Alpine Zooplankton Communities Internship. This internship will chiefly consist of handing zooplankton sub-samples, morphospecies sorting, and community density assessments to prepare samples for food web stable isotope analysis.

See the full project descriptions at https://caparisek.github.io/opportunities.html. If interested, contact Christine Parisek (caparisek@ucdavis.edu) with (1) your interest and relevant experience, (2) CV, (3) short description of your availability/credit requirements. Students interested in applying for the Swift fund should reach out and express interest early.

 

The Smith Ecology Lab page is a great undergraduate research and internship resource.

 

Karp Lab (1).
We are seeking applications for a field technician to monitor bird nest boxes and assist in GPS tagging of birds in Napa Valley from mid June (after classes end) to early August. The field technician will assist graduate student Cody Pham with handling and banding nestlings to collect growth measurements as well as affixing GPS tags to adults to study avian movement behavior. This project is part of a broader study on the impacts of temperature spikes and climate change on bird movements and nesting success; field technicians will be given opportunities to earn co-authorship on resulting manuscripts. Housing will be provided in Napa.

If interested, contact Cody Pham (chupham@ucdavis.edu) to collaboratively develop a Swift application. Please include in the email (1) a short cover letter stating why you are interested in the position and any relevant experience and (2) your CV or resume. More information about the Karp Lab: https://karp.ucdavis.edu

Karp Lab (2).
We are seeking applications for technicians to a) conduct lab-based hormone analysis in Davis in Spring 2023 and/or b) monitor nest boxes in Yolo County from late March to early August. Techs will assist graduate student Katie Lauck with a) using ELISA assays to quantify blood corticosterone concentration in previously collected blood samples and/or b) handling and banding nestlings to collect growth measurements and blood/fecal samples. We will provide training – this is an appropriate first lab/field work experience. This research is part of a broader study on the impacts of temperature spikes and climate change on bird nesting success, and techs will be given opportunities to earn authorship on resulting manuscripts.

If interested, contact Daniel Karp (dkarp@ucdavis.edu)  and Katherine Lauck (kslauck@ucdavis.edu) to collaboratively develop a Swift application. Please include in the email (1) a short cover letter stating why you are interested in this position, whether you’re interested in part a) or b) or both and any relevant experience and (2) your CV or resume.

More information about the Karp Lab: https://karp.ucdavis.edu/

Non-WFCB Field Courses:
 

The University of California Natural Reserve System (NRS) is now accepting applications for the 2023 Field Science Fellowships, an undergraduate sponsored research program.

The NRS Field Science Fellowship provides financial support to UC undergraduate-faculty teams conducting scientific research in the field at NRS reserves. The fellowships enable students to focus on gaining valuable hands-on research experience under the guidance of a faculty researcher. Each $6,000 award consists of a $5,000 student stipend and $1,000 to cover project costs. A maximum of $24,000 will be awarded annually.

Projects enabling the student to perform full-time research over the summer are preferred. However, we will also consider proposals that explain why the research must be conducted during another season, and how the student will be able to accomplish the research while enrolled in classes during the academic year.

Funding for the Field Science Fellowships are made possible through the Samuelsen Conservation Scholars Initiative.

All applications are welcomed and will be considered. The NRS especially invite applications from students from ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds historically underrepresented in the sciences, including but not limited to African-American, Latinx, Native American, Pacific Islander, and first-generation college students.

Eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria, and complete application information can be found here. 
The application deadline for Summer 2023 is February 15, 2023. Additional flyers can be found here.  

California Ecology and Conservation brings together 27 students from across the UC system for seven weeks of intensive learning at NRS reserves. Guided by experienced field instructors, undergraduates transform into scientists by conducting independent research studies. Students learn to notice natural patterns, frame questions into feasible research projects, and practice standard techniques such as surveys of animal and plant populations. At the conclusion of each project, students analyze their data and present their findings to the class in oral presentations, posters, and reports. Students hone their research, public speaking, and scientific writing skills with constant practice and feedback. All the while, students gain a working familiarity with California’s diverse ecosystems while immersed in the NRS’s classrooms without walls. Photo credit: May Roberts.
 

The Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program at UCSC exposes early-career college students to the field of environmental conservation through field research, leadership and professional training.
Each year, we select 20 students from around the U.S. and its territories to participate in our two-year conservation leadership program. Our students represent a diverse spectrum of cultures and backgrounds, which helps to cultivate an inclusive and rewarding experience. Photo credit: The Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program.

External Internships:

Wild cat study in Belize
Please note this experience is volunteer and requires a project fee (see below), which covers room, board, and in-country transport. Additionally, participants must provide own transportation to Belize. We have worked with numerous students to find grant funding and to obtain university credit.

We are seeking 5-10 motivated field assistants for our wild cat study in Belize, Central America. This study focuses on jaguars, pumas, and ocelots using non-invasive detection methods and researches long-term demographics of jaguar populations and the impacts of selective/sustainable logging at multiple sites across Belize.

Interns will gain extensive field experience setting up large remote camera grids across tropical broadleaf and/or tropical pine forests, conducting habitat surveys in neotropical forest, orienteering with GPS and map and compass, field vehicle maintenance, organizing and entering data and maintaining a database.

Job includes EXTENSIVE driving and hiking on dirt roads and trails to remote camera stations and collecting vegetation data surrounding camera stations. Field assistants may be required to carry heavy equipment, and will hike long distances through rough terrain, and bushwhack through thick vegetation. Work will also include shared data entry, camp and vehicle maintenance, and other errands and household chores.

Rustic living conditions in a tropical environment (meaning very hot and humid weather, snakes, and biting insects). Field assistants will be living in close living quarters with their co-workers and will be expected to help out with group cooking, cleaning, and other basic field-house chores.

Qualifications
Preference given to students in wildlife biology or related field (biology, forestry, natural resources, etc.). No experience is necessary, but the applicant must have a positive and flexible attitude, be enthusiastic and ready to learn, have a strong work ethic and ability to get along with others in tight, close-knit, living conditions.

Ability to drive a standard (manual) transmission and backpacking skills are not required but are a plus.

This is an internships position where the technician will need to pay for their plane ticket and a project fee of $1850 per month (1 month minimum required). This project fee covers food, accommodations, and all in-country transport, while in Belize (except for days off or vacation days). The experience is a resume builder for wild cat work. It is much less expensive than a typical study abroad experience. A large number of past students have received funding and/or independent study credit from their host institution to participate.

Winter positions available from ~December 15, 2022 to March 15, 2023
Summer positions available from May 2023 through August 2023

Please e-mail a resume/cv, letter of interest, and list of three references with contact info to Darby McPhail at dkm5ek@virginia.edu;  David Lugo (dal0826@vt.edu) and Marcella Kelly at makelly2@vt.edu

Application Deadline: Rolling, will be filled continuously.

Should you successfully land an internship with the Wild Cat project you become eligible to apply for a Lloyd W. Swift endowment to support project fee and airfare.  If you have any questions please reach out to Experiential Learning Coordinator Pernille Sporon Bøving; boving@ucdavis.edu.

 

Cramer Fish Sciences (CFS) is accepting applications for Internships based out of their West Sacramento office.  Spring Quarter Internship Opportunity. Apply by February 24th 2023

As a CFS Intern you will receive hands-on experience in a range of laboratory, office and field settings and see how applied science can support environmental management. Specifically, you will be responsible for classifying and comparing substrate material sizes from physical samples collected in the Stanislaus River, as well as processing and identifying Oncorhynchus mykiss (Rainbow trout/steelhead) life stages using physical samples and photos in a laboratory setting. This work will contribute to the assessment of Stanislaus River substrate size classification and O.mykiss egg to fry incubation survival studies. The internship is lab focused, with possible field work opportunities on various CFS studies. A minimum of one full 8-hour day or two 4-hour days per week is required.

Essential duties and responsibilities:
1. Safely conduct supervised field and lab work for a wide array of projects.
2. Careful lab work performance with diligence for organization and attention to detail
3. Perform hands-on work in a field setting which may include fish trapping and tagging, visual   estimation techniques (e.g., snorkeling, redd surveys), collecting physical environmental data (e.g., water quality, substrate, channel bathymetry), and attention to detail.

Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite. Be able to sit and use a microscope for long periods in laboratory setting. Be able to accurately interpret and follow established protocols, guidelines, and procedures. You must be comfortable with, and able to work in an aquatic environment. Work effectively in inclement weather, including hot, cold, rain and fog conditions. Be able to lift 40 pounds.
To apply for this external internship, you must be a current undergraduate student in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology Department at UC Davis and in good standing. If you are interested, please contact the Cramer Fish Sciences Hiring Group HR@fishsciences.net, and include a cover letter and recent resume.  Successful applicants will be  encouraged to apply for a Lloyd W. Swift award by completing this google form to support their internship.

 

Cramer Fish Sciences (CFS) is accepting applications for Internships based out of their West Sacramento office.  Summer Quarter Internship Opportunity. Apply by March 31st 2023

As a CFS Intern you will receive hands-on experience in a range of laboratory, office and field settings and see how applied science can support environmental management. Specifically, you will be responsible for performing literature reviews and updating a length-weight relationship for common freshwater macroinvertebrates found in the California Central Valley. Macroinvertebrate biomasses play a key role in understanding food webs, bioenergetics, and the assessing the effectiveness of river restoration. The internship is lab and office focused, with possible field work opportunities on various CFS studies. A minimum of one full 8-hour day or two 4-hour days per week is required.

Essential duties and responsibilities:
1. Safely conduct supervised field and lab work for a wide array of projects.
2. Careful lab work performance with diligence for organization and attention to detail.
3. Perform hands-on work in a field setting which may include fish trapping and tagging, visual   estimation techniques (e.g., snorkeling, redd surveys), collecting physical environmental data (e.g., water quality, channel bathymetry), and attention to detail.

Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite. Be able to sit and use a microscope for long periods in a laboratory setting. Be able to accurately interpret and follow established protocols, guidelines, and procedures. You must be comfortable with, and able to work in an aquatic environment. Work effectively in inclement weather, including hot, cold, rain and fog conditions. Be able to lift 40 pounds.

To apply for this external internship, you must be a current undergraduate student in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology Department at UC Davis and in good standing. If you are interested, please contact the Cramer Fish Sciences Hiring Group HR@fishsciences.net, and include a cover letter and recent resume.  Successful applicants will be  encouraged to apply for a Lloyd W. Swift award by completing this google form to support their internship.

 

Wildlife Intake Center (WIC) Internship. The Wildlife Intake Center (WIC) Internship provides hands-on experience in the Gold Country Wildlife Rescue (GCWR) clinic working with injured and orphaned wildlife. Interns learn basic animal caretaking procedures, medical protocols, and in-depth species identification and natural histories.

Interns will work alongside staff and other volunteers/interns to complete all tasks associated with animal rehabilitation. Interns will primarily work in the WIC helping with cage cleaning, animal feeding, medication distribution and other daily tasks. Some duties, however, may include animal pick-ups from vets, or special projects as needs arise.

Gold Country Wildlife Rescue is a non-profit organization, dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of injured and orphaned wildlife. We are permitted through the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, and the US Fish & Wildlife Service. We have been serving the local community since 1991 and do so at no charge.

Internship Location: 11251 B Ave., Auburn, CA 95603. Start/End Date: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and admitted based on preset orientation dates. However, the best time to intern with us is during our busy baby season. Anytime from March through October we received our largest amount of animal intakes. During these months interns get to see and work with the largest variety of species.

Orientations are typically held February, April, June, and August. Additional orientations are held as needed. Dates can be flexible depending on intern availability and seasonal needs.

If interested in a specific timeframe, please contact volunteers@goldcountrywildliferescue.org for additional information.

Minimum Age Requirement: 18+ years. Minimum Time Commitment: At least 16 hours per week, for a minimum total of 200+ hours over the course of the internship session. Housing/Transportation: No housing or transportation is provided to interns by GCWR. All housing and transportation arrangements are the responsibility of the intern. Salary: This an unpaid internship, but should you successfully land an internship with GCWR you become eligible to apply for a Lloyd W. Swift endowment as a WFCB major.

For more information and to apply visit: goldcountrywildliferescue.org/internships/

Students and Teachers Restoring A Watershed Assistant Educator. Duration: Approximately mid-June to mid-September (flexible start and end date)
Approximate Hours: max 20 hours per week. Location and Travel Commitment: A significant part of this role will be online, remote work; occasional travel to headquarters. Housing - For required traveling, mileage reimbursements & housing will be provided for the night before & after to Point Blue Stallcup Residential House in Petaluma, CA. Number of positions: 1 

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Point Blue’s Students and Teachers Restoring A Watershed (STRAW) Program has collaborated with San Francisco Bay Area K-12th grade students to implement restoration projects for nearly 30 years and we hope you join our team! Throughout the summer, we provide Bay Area community college students that identify as Black, Indigenous, and people of color with a hybrid (online, in-person) internship that explores conservation careers, restoration science practices, and environmental justice issues.

Interns will gain 1) an understanding of and experience in community-based restoration science & environmental justice education 2) experience coordinating hybrid (online/in-person) summer internship programs 3) greater understanding of personal and professional strengths and interests and how to implement future endeavors.

Core Responsibilities: Support community college student learning by providing enhanced technological and logistical support, as well as creativity at events including online Seminar & Community Day Facilitation, speaker, and mentor schedule. As a STRAW team shared responsibility, we will all (1) demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusivity, and the local community; & (2) adhere to public safety guidelines for the ongoing COVID pandemic.

Qualifications:  Strong Interest in environmental education and teaching | Motivated to learn new skills and concepts (i.e. independent research for lesson, technology troubleshooting) |Approaches logistical planning with curiosity | Familiarity with Microsoft Office & Google Suite

Summer Unmanned Aearial Vehicle (UAV) Internship. Location: Mostly home office with some fieldwork UAV surveys possible. Duration: June 15 to September 15, 2022. Approximate hours per week: 20 (hours flexible, can be more if desired). Number of positions: 1

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Generating timely estimates of the abundance of wild species remains a persistent challenge. The use of un-crewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) for conducting ecological surveys has the potential to improve the efficiency and accuracy of many wildlife surveys. We have a couple projects underway designed to estimate the breeding populations of seabirds, (California Gulls at Mono Lake, California and Adélie penguins in Antarctica) using UAV surveys. We are looking for a student to help with processing imagery collected during these surveys. Image processing tasks may include stitching images to create a single mosaicked image, tagging images(marking/identifying individual birds in image tiles) for training an automated counting algorithm, classifying imagery to identify vegetation types, and/or manually counting objects for model verification and comparison, and developing workflows and documentation. The student may also assist with preparing data and conducting preliminary analysis. Some fieldwork conducting UAV surveys to collect additional imagery in California is anticipated and the student would have the opportunity to assist by traveling to field sites and assisting with UAV operations during the surveys. Fieldwork may require camping for up to several nights at a time. Student will gain skills and experience with many applied aspects of conducting UAV surveys for monitoring wildlife populations. A laptop and all required software will be provided for the duration of the position.