Habitat Conservation Internships in Belize

Internship details

If you’re interested to understand how careers in conservation can come to life, look no further than a Habitat Conservation internship. Interns can learn how community-based organizations work, dynamically adapting to the needs of a changing world. Internship activities can combine education and outreach, research and monitoring, important administration, and essential resource management tasks. Come prepared to get stuck in, as conservation priorities and tackled from a range of perspectives.

This is an in-country internship, with accommodation and select meals included. You can explore remote Environmental & Marine Sciences internships, if you are looking for an internship program that you can undertake from home.

Habitat Conservation interns in Belize are supported to take a dynamic approach to first-hand learning in the field. Project availability can be impacted by seasonality and popularity of choice, so interns are required to come with an adaptable mindset. Preferences are supported and accommodated as much as possible but some flexibility may be required. Broad focus areas include:

• Administrative activities: Assist to write grant proposals; create content for social media, environmental advocacy and public relations; develop educational resources; build out plans related to management, financial sustainability for community-based organizations, environmental policies and procedures.

• Community education and outreach: Attend events related to environmental education and advocacy, visit schools to promote environmental education, assist local staff with facilitating outdoor educational activities for children related to conservation.

• Research and monitoring: Avian, bat, biodiversity, entomology, speleology, herpetology, trail camera trapping and data analysis, wildlife photography/videography, hydrology, botany, and fish studies.

• Natural resource management: Reserve maintenance activities, creation and installation of signage, boundary line maintenance, trash collections, mapping/cartography.

Note that some research and monitoring activities may present optional opportunities for overnight stays at ranger outposts within the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve. When interns opt in for this camping experience, there are shared living arrangements (but rooming arrangements are not shared between genders).

In all cases, interns should expect that the first week of your experience will focus on settling in and gaining some introductory knowledge, as you will not “hit the ground running”. Rather, you should start with learning about the placement to gain an understanding of what you can build upon, develop, learn, and contribute. Ensure that you ask questions and provide feedback during the introductory period, so that your supervisor(s) understands how you’re progressing. This will help them to better understand important details, such as how quickly you learn, what you find challenging, what you find interesting, etc.

Understand that individual internship experiences vary, as the specific placement that you’re assigned will depend on review of your resume and your current level of studies and experience. Therefore, if you’re at a more introductory level, you should reasonably expect a more introductory internship. Likewise, if you’re interning for a shorter duration, you will have a different experience from someone who is interning for a longer duration. Placement preferences are considered but always subject to availability.

Career Benefits