Wildlife Rehabilitation Assistant

Overview :

The National Audubon Society is a nonprofit conservation organization that protects birds and the places they need today and tomorrow. We work throughout the Americas towards a future where birds thrive because Audubon is a powerful, diverse, and ever-growing force for conservation. Audubon has more than 700 staff working across the hemisphere and more than 1.5 million active supporters.

North America has lost three billion birds since 1970, and more than 500 bird species are at risk of extinction across Latin America and the Caribbean. Birds act as early warning systems about the health of our environment, and they tell us that birds and our planet are in crisis. Together as one Audubon, we are working to alter the course of climate change and habitat loss, leading to healthier bird populations and reversing current trends in biodiversity loss. We do this by implementing on-the-ground conservation, partnering with local communities, influencing public and corporate policy, and building community.

Audubon is committed to a culture of workplace excellence, where our talented and diverse staff are deeply engaged with a strong sense of belonging. The birds Audubon pledges to protect differ in color, size, behavior, geographical preference, and countless other ways. By honoring and celebrating the equally remarkable diversity of the human species, Audubon brings new creativity, effectiveness, and leadership to our work throughout the hemisphere.

Position Summary :

Audubons Wings internship program invites students and recent graduates to help shape a healthy environment and vibrant future for birds and all of us who share the planet with them.

The Sharon Audubon Center has a paid internship opportunity designed to provide an intern, who has a demonstrated interest in conservation, the natural world, and wildlife medicine, the ability to learn about native Connecticut animal species in a hands-on, rehabilitation clinic setting with sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Program centers primarily on birds, including songbirds, raptors, and waterfowl, as well as small numbers of native reptiles and mammals. The intern will obtain extensive experience hand-rearing and developing outreach content on Chimney Swifts, a conservation priority species in the rehabilitation clinic.

Topics that will be focused on are species identification, natural history, behavior, proper husbandry, enrichment techniques, animal handling, pre-release evaluation, record keeping, volunteer management and training, networking with fellow rehabilitators and veterinarians, as well as basic and intermediate medical skills including tube-feeding, medication administration, fluid therapy, physical examinations, wound management, bandaging and splinting, basic lab work and more.

This is a high intensity position requiring the person to work efficiently at a fast pace. This position will require the intern to be standing for long periods, to engage in constant physical activities such as enclosure cleaning, in repetitive activities such as baby bird feeding, and have the ability to be flexible in the ever-changing atmosphere of a wildlife rehabilitation clinic.

This is an onsite role based in out of the Sharon Audubon Center, in Sharon, CT. Onsite housing is provided and is required for this position.

Please submit a cover letter along with your resume.

Compensation : 18.00 / hour

Essential Functions :

Intern Responsibilities and Learning Objectives

At the culmination of the internship the intern will be able to :

• Professionally and efficiently interface with the public during admitting patients, rescues, and fielding phone calls.
• Correctly identify common native bird species.
• Demonstrate their ability to assess physical conditions upon examination and treat many of the common injuries presented in wildlife such as broken bones, head trauma, emaciation, and cat bites as well as raising orphaned young birds.
• Understand the anatomy and physiology of birds.
• Correctly calculate and administer fluid therapy and medications.
• Triage in emergency situations.
• Properly handle and restrain patients.
• Understand the physiological response of stress in wildlife patients.
• Identify and develop proper husbandry plans for the variety of species admitted into care based on the natural history of the animal.
• Identify proper release criteria.
• Lead the five-day long Teen Rehabilitation Internship Program (T.R.I.P.) summer camp (including developing content and schedule).
• Develop and present skill training workshops for volunteers and apprentices.
• Develop education and outreach content on Chimney Swift rehabilitation and conservation

Internship Benefits

Interns will gain experience and knowledge in the following :

Intern Schedule

This internship is being offered for 16.5 weeks at 35 hours per week. The daily schedule may include day and evening shifts.

Our summer internship is expected to run from May 20, 2024 September 14, 2024.

Qualifications and Experience :

EEO Statement :

The National Audubon Society is a federal contractor and an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. We are committed to a policy of nondiscrimination, inclusion and equal opportunity and actively seek a diverse pool of candidates in this search.

Accessibility Statement :

The National Audubon Society endeavors to keep our careers site accessible to any and all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact Accommodations@audubon.org. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

Salary : $18