Conservation Volunteer Intern Position in the Seychelles

NVT Seychelles Internships

This new and exciting internship opportunity exists for young conservation professionals who want to gain real hands on experience of field based conservation work in an idyllic tropical Island environment. Based on an award winning private Island with a full-time conservation program, operating at the cutting edge of Seychelles Island restoration and conservation work, this internship is perfectly suited to help build a resume with high quality work experience. These internships are hands-on, carry high levels of responsibility, and require a strong work ethic. There are currently two positions open, for a three-month period from 1st December 2017 to 28^th February 2018. Read about the two internship profiles below, and then scroll down for internship requirements and costing information.

Conservation Intern Profiles

Interns will assist the Conservation Managers in the running of the Island Conservation Work Programme.  Interns will be placed for a 3-month period. They will work six days a week with one day off (flexible depending on scheduling). They will also be entitled to one weekend off-island each month which provides the perfect opportunity to explore the surrounding islands of the Seychelles.

1)      Sea Turtle & Giant Tortoise Intern

An exciting opportunity to get hands on experience working on nesting sea turtles and managing the Islands Giant Tortoise population. Some scope for integration into avian projects exists in this position.

Primary Focus:

• Sea Turtle Monitoring:
  • Beach Patrols & track counts
  • Flipper tagging & measuring turtles
  • Nest relocations and hatchery maintenance
  • Hatchling releases and nest excavations

Secondary Focus:

• Giant Tortoise Monitoring
  • Assisting with PIT tagging
  • Collecting census and biometric data
  • Weekly maintenance & cleaning of tortoise baths
  • Assisting Conservation management and SMR & Seabird Intern on an ad-hoc basis when required with tasks including but not limited to:
    • Bird monitoring & ringing
    • Habitat management
    • Trail maintenance

2)      Seychelles Magpie Robin (SMR) & Seabird Intern

Work on what was once one of the rarest birds in the world – a modern day conservation success story! Interact with seabirds up close and personal, and assist when needed with turtle and tortoise work too.

Primary Focus:

• Seychelles Magpie Robin Monitoring
  • Territory mapping (the Island is believed to have 8 SMR territories which were last mapped in 2005 and therefore need updating)
  • Weekly nest monitoring & bird sightings
  • Assisting with capture, ringing and measurements of SMRs as required (under the supervision of Conservation Management)
  • Maintenance of SMR water stations (twice weekly)
  • Seabird Monitoring
    • Weekly White-tailed Tropicbird monitoring
    • Assisting with January Seabird Census

Secondary Focus:

• Assist with Sea Turtle Monitoring:
  • Conduct beach patrols independently
  • Assist with tagging, data collection & nest relocations (under supervision)
  • Assisting Conservation management on an ad-hoc basis when required with tasks including but not limited to:
    • Habitat management
    • Trail maintenance

Requirements:

Applicants should have completed at least an undergraduate degree in a conservation related field, be physically fit and prepared to work long hours in hot conditions. Flexibility is the key to a successful placement, as work requirements may change from time to time, although the above profiles account for most the work you can expect to do.

All necessary training will be provided to allow interns to work independently where appropriate. However, previous experience working with or a demonstrable interest in, chelonians (Sea Turtle/Giant Tortoise Intern) or birds (SMR & Seabird Intern) would be beneficial to your application.

Living conditions:

You will reside in very comfortable shared accommodation with three meals provided a day. You will share an apartment with the other intern, consisting of a shared en-suite bedroom, kitchen and living room with satellite TV. The island has a small set of permanent staff, and you will be integrated into the team for your stay.

Cost:

The internship costs R15 000 for the entire three-month period. This includes accommodation, three meals a day, and some internal travel costs within the Seychelles. It EXCLUDES your international flight to Mahe, and additional personal costs for your own expense.

To apply:

Please send your resume and short letter of motivation to info@naturesvalleytrust.co.za as soon as possible. Closing date for application is 27 October 2017.