St. Eustatius Sea Turtle Conservation Program Intern

STENAPA (St. Eustatius National Parks Foundation) manages both the Quill National Park, which consists of the dormant volcano, the Quill and the limestone foundation, the White Wall; the Boven Hills National Park; as well as the St. Eustatius Marine Park on the island of St Eustatius, Netherlands Antilles.

We are looking for two people with knowledge and experience in sea turtle conservation which is required for the turtle program intern positions. One commencing May 2015 and the other 3 months later in early August 2015 (training will be provided if no experience but experience is preferred):

St. Eustatius Sea Turtle Intern Position

Job Duties:

• 3/4 Night patrols with volunteers and 2/3 morning survey patrols on our index nesting beach through the week. Night Patrols are from 9pm to 3:30am and may be accompanied by visitors and local people of Statia (max 4).
• Assist in training for each new group of volunteers and local volunteers.
• Management and the collection of field data, including nesting sheets, exhumation sheets, data entry and analysis. Aid in the preparation for the final report.
• Aid in the collection of our bi- annual in-water sea turtle population assessment. (probably not in 2015)
• Monitor nests throughout the season.
• Maintain the beach in terms of stakes, beach clean ups, protection from sand miners, sign maintenance.
• Involve yourself in related tasks such as beach mapping, water table surveys and beautification projects.
• Maintain all equipment such as tags, turtle kit, charged batteries, phone and truck
• Be on call as backup in case an emergency arises.
• Provide Sea Turtle conservation education to the community at various education levels.
• Run a stimulating and interactive Sea Turtle awareness summer club for children twice weekly for 6 weeks.

Requirements:

• Field experience with sea turtles on a nesting beach PREFERRED but can be trained (leatherback, green or hawksbill)
• Preferably 21yr+
• English speaker.
• Must have some experience administering flipper TAGs and measuring Sea Turtles at night and in the rain and wind. (Can be trained in this)
• Scuba PADI certified or equivalent for assisting in the Marine Park. Rescue Diver is preferred (Advanced is accepted, can be discussed)
• The applicant should possess previous experience working with volunteers or volunteer work.
• Also able to communicate to people of different nationalities
• Good organizational skills
• Ability to work as a team but also able to work independently
• Applicant must possess a valid driver’s license (preferably a manual driver)
• Data entry experience and analysis (can be trained)
• CPR/ First Aid certified is preferred but not required

          Good level of fitness!!!!

• Must be physically fit and able to lift 50+ lbs. The applicant should be able to walk on soft, sandy beaches throughout the night sometimes in arduous weather conditions.
• Must accept times of reduced sleep if living at the intern house as it can be quite busy in the mornings.

  The turtle season on St. Eustatius can be very varied. Applicant has to be prepared to either be very busy on turtle work or to fit in to other departments such as National park trail work or Botanical garden work if the season is slow.

The majority of the work in this position involves lots of physical activity in the hot sun. Applicants will therefore need to be physically fit. Preference is given to applicants with knowledge of natural sciences and team leadership. Additional practical skills would be an advantage. Applicants must have a driving license.

 Interns live in shared bedrooms in a house with basic amenities just outside of town. (Contrary to what it says on the website which needs to be updated) The internship is 3 months in duration and work hours are generally Monday-Friday 7am-4pm and all other interns assist on turtle night patrol one night per week during nesting season. Weekend work is required. For further information and a background on STENAPA, please visit our website at: www.statiapark.org

 This is an unpaid position and applicant must pay $150 a month towards accommodation costs and are responsible for their own travel and food.

To apply please send your CV, covering letter and the email address of 3 referees to research@statiapark.org