Marine & Freshwater Internship – Europe Conservation Programme

The Zoological Society of London is seeking an intern to provide support to the Europe Conservation Programme.  The intern will be part of a busy team, focusing on marine and freshwater projects, and will have the opportunity to gain experience interning at a globally respected conservation organisation.

The four-month long internship will include a substantial element of fieldwork support related to our conservation work in the Thames catchment including monitoring of European eels.  Additional tasks include maintaining and updating the marine mammal sightings database; data input and analysis; representing ZSL at meetings and events; and providing general support to all other projects in the Europe Conservation Programme.

The candidates should be self-motivated and possess excellent communication skills as they may be tasked with drafting reports and stakeholder communications.  Experience of aquatic sampling techniques would be advantageous, as would an existing knowledge of the Thames Estuary and its fauna.

It is essential that candidates have either a full UK or international manual driving licence and be confident of driving through London.

The internships will be for four months, starting 31^st August 2016 and running until the 31^st December 2016. The role is part time (ideally 4 days per week) and is based at ZSL’s Conservation Programmes department in Regent’s Park.

Please note that this is a voluntary position. However, lunch (up to £5) and travel expenses (up to the equivalent to a monthly travel card within zones 1-6) will be reimbursed.

In this role, the voluntary intern will benefit from:

• Experience conducting monitoring fieldwork in the London area as a part of one of the UK’s leading conservation research organisations.
• Training opportunities, including an Induction to working at ZSL, attendance at regional conferences and conservation planning workshops.
• Experience in data analysis, report writing and public engagement.
• Interaction with staff across the Society, particularly from the Conservation Programmes department, with opportunities to engage more widely with members of the local conservation community including statutory organisations and universities.
• Regular opportunities to attend scientific talks by professional researchers and practitioners in science and conservation.
• Access to ZSL facilities including the Library and both zoo sites (ZSL London and ZSL Whipsnade) for the duration of the internship.

To apply, please send a covering letter outlining your interest and suitability for this role, your CV and details of two referees to: marineandfreshwater@zsl.org

Closing date for applications:  Wednesday 27^thJuly 2016. Interviews are likely to be held during the week commencing 8^th August 2016.