Terrestrial Environmental Research & Conservation Internships: Intern abroad in Samos, Greece

Internship details

Terrestrial Environmental Research & Conservation interns collaborate with an experienced Marine Conservation NGO, operating in Samos, Greece. Samos is home to incredibly important but rare species, such as the Mediterranean chameleon, golden jackals, the Balkan pond terrapin, the critically-endangered European eel, and many protected bird species. However, current management and conservation measures can neglect to capture their best interests. Interns contribute to ongoing research and data collection, assisting to enhance understanding and progress essential conservation efforts.

This is an in-country internship, with accommodation and meals provided. Click here to view remote internships you can undertake from home.

Interns will contribute to the year-round effort to protect the ecosystems found on Samos island, while raising conservation awareness and collaborating with the local community. Conduct research and gather key data into protected, rare, and endangered ecosystems, where many species still remain largely understudied; understand changes that can be implemented by the authorities at the national and international level in order to make conservation efforts more effective; and gain insight into the most efficient protection and management practices.

Interns may support the program in either a general role - collaborating on current research topics - or in a more specialized role, where you have time and scope to contribute one pre-defined project. The minimum duration requirement is 8 weeks, so interns who participate for this timeframe, are more inclined to support in a general role. However, interns who stay longer than 8 weeks have an enhanced opportunity to define their own research objectives and take part in autonomous, self-directed study. Additionally, interns often enjoy scope to become involved with a range of alternative opportunities, whether related to environmental awareness campaigns, public relations, education initiatives within the community, and more.

Depending on your goals and academic level, proactive participants can collect data for independent research purposes, or simply take the learning opportunity to broadly increase important conservation skill sets. There can be a large intern-to-supervisor ratio on this program, so interns with specific research goals should come prepared with ideas. Examples of key projects include:

• Monitoring of mammals to gain behavior and ecology insights. E.g. golden jackal, wild boar, beech martens, and weasels. Field-based studies can use camera traps and acoustic methods.
• Gathering biodiversity data on birds and macroinvertebrates in salt marsh habitats.
• Using visual observations to assess biodiversity and monitor abundances of reptiles, amphibians and insects. E.g. chameleons, Caspian whip snakes, Balkan terrapins, tree frogs, dragonflies, butterflies, moths, beetles, etc.
• Monitoring protected and/or migratory bird species: behavior, distribution, abundance, and migration patterns. E.g various owl species, flamingo, ruddy shelduck, Eleonora’s falcon, Audouin’s gull, etc.

Conservation operations and internships run year-round and a flexible mentality is required. Activities can vary as all field work is subject to weather conditions, especially in winter months. In all cases, come prepared to assist with office/admin based activities, in addition to hands-on fieldwork. All tasks related to data collection and data analysis in the field require follow up work on a computer, which is an essential aspect of research and scientific progression. Prior to participating on certain surveys, all interns are required to complete theoretical training/preparation tasks related to species identification, data sheets, etc.

Interns should expect that the first week of your experience will focus on settling in, building new relationships, gaining introductory and foundational knowledge. Being able to balance the motivation to get stuck in as soon as possible must be balanced with teamwork, patience, the willingness to try new things, achieve learning milestones, and ask questions as you progress.

You might find yourself using equipment to collect and analyze data, using software and other methods, which are all new to you - however, this can greatly benefit your future career, as it adds so much more practical experience to your resume! A commitment to responsible communication and self-management is required. Supervisors will assign tasks and projects but interns are required to organize and put suitable timelines in place for achieving the best outcome.

Typical Schedule

• Monday to Friday, approximately 9am until 5pm. Activity schedules can vary based on weather conditions and seasonal projects. The internship minimum duration requirements vary throughout the year.

What are the career benefits of interning abroad as a Terrestrial Environmental Research & Conservation Intern?