Many internships are available for enthusiastic students who are interested in pursuing biodiversity research or conservation projects. Washington University students pursuing an internship listed below are eligible to receive credit through General Studies 2991 04. An unpaid internship that is not specifically listed below may also qualify the student; email Professor Jonathan Losos at losos@wustl.edu with interest or questions.
Plant Conservation Internship
Oertli Oaks: local adaptation in phenotypic traits of Quercus arkansana
This projects uses a common garden experiment to test for adaptive variation across the geographic range of Quercus arkansana, an oak species of particular interest for the ex situ conservation program of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Students will be measuring morphological traits weekly on oak saplings growing in a common garden experiment, and entering, editing and analyzing this data.
HOURS: Working hours are flexible, Monday to Friday, between 7 am and 3 pm. The student intern will spend 4-10 hours per week, starting in February 2023, and with the possibility of continuing until December 2023, based on mutual agreement.
LOCATION: Activities will be performed in three different locations, the Oertli Hardy Plant Nursery, the Emerson Electric Conservation Center and the Lehmann Building, all part of the extended Missouri Botanical Garden campus facilities. Transportation between locations is the responsibility of the student.
CONTACT INFO: Dr. Monica Carlsen (monica.carlsen@mobot.org), Assistant Scientist – Education Coordinator, Science & Conservation Division, Missouri Botanical Garden.
Paid Research Internship Opportunity in Behavior & Animal Welfare at the Saint Louis Zoo
The Department of Reproductive and Behavioral Sciences at the Saint Louis Zoo is offering full–time paid internships in Behavior & Animal Welfare for summer 2023 to students at Washington University. Interns will be paid through a partnership with Washington University’s Living Earth Collaborative. Internships will begin in May or June and interns are expected to commit to 32-40 hours/week during regular business hours.
Interns will support the Zoo’s Manager of Animal Behavior and the Animal Welfare Scientist by collecting, organizing, and visualizing behavioral data, performing literature searches, entering data, and other duties as assigned. Animal behavior observations are performed both live on grounds and from video. Interns will gain experience using ZooMonitor and Noldus Observer.
Click here to apply. Application deadline: April 1, 2023
For more information, check out these links:
• Department of Reproductive and Behavioral Sciences
• Research Internships Information & Application
Questions? Contact:
• Eli Baskir, Manager of Behavioral Sciences, baskir@stlzoo.org
• Ashley Edes, Animal Welfare Scientist, aedes@stlzoo.org
• Jonathan Losos, Director, Living Earth Collaborative, losos@allison-braun
Paid Full-Time Research Internship Opportunity in Reproductive Sciences & Endocrinology at the Saint Louis Zoo
The Department of Reproductive and Behavioral Sciences at the Saint Louis Zoo is offering two full-time paid research internship positions in Reproductive Sciences and Endocrinology for summer 2023. Interns are expected to start in May or June. Applicants must commit to 10 weeks and 40 hours/week (400 hours) with availability during normal business hours (9am-5pm) Monday through Friday. If 400 hours of work are not completed by the end of the summer, the intern may be allowed to continue working until a maximum of 400 hours has been completed. All hours must be completed by December 31, 2023.
Interns will collect, organize, and analyze data from a variety of projects. They will be provided with training in techniques for noninvasive hormone monitoring, including processing serum, urine and fecal samples, fecal hormone extraction, EIA and RIA assay methodology, and preparation of reagents. Training in a variety of reproductive physiology techniques will also be provided. Interns will participate in discussions of scientific literature and may be asked to perform literature searches, record keeping, and other duties as assigned. All interns will be given all the necessary training in order to work safely with chemicals and radioactivity. NOTE: The internship is largely focused on working with scientific data and lab-based experiences aimed at providing students practical experiences. Opportunities to assist with, or observe, animal procedures are possible, but not guaranteed to be part of this internship.
Qualifications and Requirement Highlights (see application materials for a full list):
• Candidates must turn in an application form, cover letter, resumes/CV and writing assignment to be considered for the position.
• Completion of undergraduate coursework in related field of study, including at least two laboratory-based courses, is required. Previous lab and/or general experience are preferred, but not required.
• Applicants must have their own housing and transportation.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office, especially Excel, is required.
• Applicants must have good attention to detail and be able to perform repetitive tasks in a laboratory setting. They must also be able to follow directions, work independently, and handle confidential information.
• All successful candidates are required to submit to a background check and drug test. They must also show proof of COVID-19 vaccination and a negative TB test.
Compensation: Interns will receive a wage of $13.25 per hour.
Click here to apply & for more information
Application deadline: April 1, 2023
Questions? Contact Corinne Kozlowski, Endocrinologist, or Karen Bauman, Manager of Reproductive Sciences
Living Earth Collaborative Behavior & Animal Welfare Research Projects at the Saint Louis Zoo
The Living Earth Collaborative is currently seeking applications for summer research in animal behavior and welfare conducted in collaboration with the Saint Louis Zoo.
Students should expect to work 32-40 hours per week on weekdays during regular business hours. This fellowship offers a paid opportunity to collect data through live observation in public spaces or from recorded video. The project list includes many species, including multiple primates, Bali mynas, endangered vipers, and others, with studies on a variety of topics such as effects of construction noise, activity levels, and engagement with enrichment items. Students will also perform data organization, analysis, and other tasks as assigned.
For information about the zoo’s behavior research department, please see https://www.stlzoo.org/animals/scienceresearch.
You can read about the research program and download an application at http://www.stlzoo.org/animals/scienceresearch/researchinternships/.
If you have any questions, contact Ashley Edes (Animal Welfare Scientist, Saint Louis Zoo) at aedes@stlzoo.org, Eli Baskir (Manager, Behavioral Sciences, Saint Louis Zoo) at baskir@stlzoo.org, or Jonathan Losos (Director, Living Earth Collaborative) at losos@wustl.edu.
Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled.
Plant Biodiversity Internships at the Missouri Botanical Garden
The Missouri Botanical Garden announces the availability of internships on plant taxonomy and systematics for Washington University undergraduates. Projects cover a wide range of herbarium, collecting and DNA banking techniques used for studies of plant identification, diversity and conservation.
HOURS: The student intern will spend 9-10 hours per week during the Spring 2022 semester.
CREDIT OPTION: The student could receive 1-3 units of credit if enrolled in L43 GeSt 2991 (04).
This internship could be extended into the summer as a paid appointment, and/or into the fall semester as a credit option, upon mutual agreement.
LOCATION: All projects will be performed at the Bayer Research Center of the Missouri Botanical Garden.
CONTACT INFO: Dr. Monica Carlsen (monica.carlsen@mobot.org), Assistant Scientist – Education Coordinator, Science & Conservation Division, Missouri Botanical Garden.
PROJECTS OFFERED:
- DNA Bank techniques: The student will be involved in helping curate the collection of silica-dried leaf tissues and their associated voucher specimens originally collected in Bolivia and/or Madagascar. Hands-on activities will include inspection of samples, barcoding, databasing and imaging of vouchers and tissues.
- Herbarium techniques: The student will learn the techniques involved in proper curation of herbarium specimens using MBG Africa and Madagascar vouchers. Hands-on activities will include mounting and filing of new samples, barcoding and imaging of herbarium collections, databasing specimens and georeferencing.
- Herbarium digitization: The student will be part of the Endless Form project that aims to digitize all herbarium vouchers of epiphytic plants at MO herbarium. Hands-on activities will include sorting, filing and imaging of herbarium collections.
- Aroid Greenhouse inventory: The student will be involved in inventorying and collecting specimens in the aroid living plants research greenhouse. Hands-on activities will include preparation of herbarium vouchers and DNA samples, databasing, barcoding and imaging of specimens.
Missouri Botanical Garden 2021 Internship Announcement
Living Earth Collaborative Summer Undergraduate Research Program
Plant Biodiversity Internship Opportunities at the Missouri Botanical Garden
The Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG), one of the premier botanical institutions in North America, has partnered with the Living Earth Collaborative to offer summer research internships on plant taxonomy, ecology and conservation for Washington University undergraduate students.
DEADLINE TO APPLY: April 2, 2021
HOURS: Full-time (40 hrs per week) for 10 weeks
AWARD AMOUNT: $4,000 for the entire summer season
DATES: June 7 – August 13, 2021
LOCATION: All projects will be performed ONLINE
CONTACT INFO: Dr. Monica Carlsen (monica.carlsen@mobot.org), Assistant Scientist – Education Coordinator, Science & Conservation Division, Missouri Botanical Garden
HOW TO APPLY: submit your Resume or CV, a list of courses taken, choice of two top projects and a letter of interest explaining why you would like to be an intern at the Missouri Botanical Garden.
PROJECTS OFFERED:
1. Interactive, probabilistic identification key for the Espeletia species from páramo de Sumapaz: Espeletia is a genus of plants endemic to the northern Andes, largely restricted to high elevation ecosystems known as “páramos.” Unfortunately, species identification can be difficult in Espeletia, in part because these species diverged recently and hybridize frequently. The student participating in this project will manipulate data, write a key for species identification and perform computer simulation experiments to test the key.
2. Building a botanical foundation for sustainable agriculture: characterizing patterns of variation and covariation in herbaceous perennials: This project aims to systematically evaluate wild, perennial herbaceous and shrubby grain, legume, and oilseed species for inclusion in pre-breeding and domestication programs with the goal of developing new, environmentally friendly, agricultural species. The student will help characterize traits (i.e. plant size and growth rate, flowering time and duration, flower morphology, pollinator visitation, plant architecture, leaflevel physiology and seed production) and analyze relationships among traits to help inform a predictive model.
Plant Biodiversity Research Opportunities at the Missouri Botanical Garden
The Missouri Botanical Garden announces the availability of research projects on plant diversity for Washington University undergraduates. Projects cover a wide range of topics from geographic and climatic diversification to analyses of DNA sequences.
Students may receive course credit (e.g., Biology 200 or 500, or comparable courses in other departments) for research in the spring 2021 semester.
HOURS: The student intern will spend between 9-10 hours per week for during the spring 2021 semester and receive 3 units of credit. This internship can be extended for another semester, upon mutual agreement.
LOCATION: All projects would be conducted online with supervision from a Garden mentor through regular zoom meetings.
CONTACT INFO: Dr. Monica Carlsen (monica.carlsen@mobot.org), Assistant Scientist – Education Coordinator, Science & Conservation Division, Missouri Botanical Garden
PROJECTS OFFERED:
- Zingiberales diversification in the tropics: Plants in the Zingiberales (i.e. gingers, bananas, and relatives) are hyperdiverse in the American tropics but not in the Asian continent, where the group originated. This project will test whether these differences in number of species are due to changes in diversification, speciation or extinction rates dependent on their geographic distribution.
- Climatic diversification of the genus Croton in Africa: Croton is a diverse species group distributed around the globe with 50 species distributed in continental Africa. Using morphologic and climatic data this project will explore multiple macroecological questions such as the relationship between leaf morphology and climate.
- Global Genome Initiative in Gardens: The living plant collections at the Missouri Botanical Garden harbor a vast amount of diversity. This project aims to understand how much phylogenetic diversity is currently represented at the Garden by analyzing DNA sequences of the species in the collections.
Saint Louis Zoo
Internships and Externships (summer, limited positions in fall and spring)
Contact: Katie Emerick, Director of volunteer services, volunteerservices@stlzoo.org
The Saint Louis Zoo provides college students, recent graduates and individuals with prior college coursework an opportunity to learn about the Zoo’s zoological operations while obtaining valuable, hands-on work experience and an understanding of the Zoo’s role in research and conservation. Over 100 interns/externs contribute to the Zoo’s mission each year! Internships and externships are available in animal management areas, non-animal related areas and research.
Saint Louis Zoo – Research Internships
Internships in the Behavior Lab are remote only as of fall 2020, with decisions about on-grounds internships on indefinite hold. Interns will assist with video observations from studies on a variety of subjects and taxa, including bird enrichment interactions, viper tongue flick rates, animal use of space, and other topics. Interns will also gain experience with data organization summary, and graphing using data collected from these or other research projects. Studies of behavior are observational and do not include animal contact. Coursework in animal behavior is strongly recommended but not required, and skill using Excel is helpful.
To Apply: Please review the material at https://www.stlzoo.org/animals/scienceresearch/researchinternships for more information, and download the Research Internship Application and send it to Eli Baskir, MS, Manager of Behavioral Sciences, at Baskir@stlzoo.org
Missouri Coalition for the Environment
Summer Internship
We strive to provide a multidisciplinary experience that gives you the chance to see the many sides of an environmental issue. We will plan field trips and other outings to make sure you get out of the office to see the communities we serve and understand first-hand the impacts of the issues we address. Internships are unpaid, unless otherwise specified.
See https://moenvironment.org/careers/ for listings and instructions.
Sophia Sacks Butterfly House
Missouri Botanical Garden
Horticulture Interns
The Horticulture internship provides practical, hands-on work experience in a unique garden setting. Interns will assist the horticulture staff and volunteers in maintaining the tropical Conservatory garden, Native Habitat, prairie garden, annual garden, and grounds. Duties may include planting, pruning, watering, and pest management. Interns will have direct contact with visitors and be responsible for answering general questions about the Butterfly House including questions about the plant collection and general butterfly questions. The internship requires an interest in horticulture and coursework in botany, horticulture, or a related disciple.
Project Pollinator Interns
This internship provides practical, hands-on work experience in designing native habitats for pollinators and educating visitors about pollinators and how we can support them in our landscapes. Interns will assist the Education and Horticulture staff in maintaining native gardens both at the Butterfly House and at community sites where the Butterfly House has worked.
In addition, there will be many opportunities for interacting with the public in our Native Habitat garden and teaching them about pollinators. Interns will teach both adults and children and will also have the chance to help design signs or other education materials. Interns will have direct contact with visitors and be responsible for answering general questions about the Butterfly House including questions about the plant collection and general butterfly questions. Internship requires an interest in education, horticulture, environmental science, or a related biological field, and the ability to work under hot conditions.
To apply please visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9NTJMXK
Missouri Botanical Garden
Place-Based Education Intern, Litzsinger Road Ecology Center
Place-Based Education Interns at LREC will be introduced to techniques for using outdoor spaces to enhance learning, develop schoolyard native plant habitats, and engage students with their community. This will be accomplished as they: lead small groups of school children in ecological investigations and explorations of the natural world,
become familiar with the ecology and natural habitats of Missouri, and interact with staff, students (pre-k-8th grade), teachers, and volunteers.
Spring or Fall semesters, part time, 8-15 hours per week. Scheduling is somewhat flexible within operating hours of 8:30-4:30 Monday-Friday.
To apply: Email Susan Baron your resume and cover letter.
World Bird Sanctuary
Internships (Spring, Summer and Fall)
Interns will experience all aspects of the World Bird Sanctuary by assisting staff with: Captive management of resident birds and other animals, daily husbandry duties, maintenance of facilities, rehabilitation of injured birds, public education programs through the Office of Wildlife Learning, interacting with the public at the Visitor’s Center, and field identification of birds & documentation of behaviors.
This internship is a 12 week program. Please contact intern@worldbirdsanctuary.org for more information.
Tyson Research Center
Washington University in St. Louis
Undergraduate Fellows Program (Summer)
Spend your summer immersed within WashU’s environmental field station community. During this 10-week program, undergraduate students work elbow-to-elbow with a faculty or staff principal investigator, post-doctoral scientist, or graduate student mentor on current Tyson-based research projects. A weekly colloquium provides
professional preparation activities including scientific communication practice, journal article discussion, career panels, and research poster development. Fellows also attend a weekly visiting scientist seminar and potluck dinner for the Tyson community. WashU students and outstanding students from other universities are eligible to apply. Tyson welcomes people of all racial, cultural, ethnic, and gender identities. Fellows are provided with a stipend and daily transportation. Scholarship support is available for Pell-eligible students.
Contact: Susan Flowers, flowers@wustl.edu
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY
Animal Keeper Intern
Unpaid Animal Keeper Internships are available year round with the Endangered Wolf Center located in southwest St. Louis County at Washington University’s Tyson Research Center.
The Endangered Wolf Center (EWC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving endangered wolves and other canid species from extinction by educating people about their importance in the ecosystem and supporting their reintroduction into their native habitat through a combination of managed breeding and research.
Internships provide hands on experience working directly with the animal care staff. Intern responsibilities include but are not limited to diet preparation, monitoring behavior and health of animals, creating and distributing enrichment, observing training sessions, as well as enclosure maintenance.
Internships are generally twelve weeks in duration (24-40 hour work week). Duration and of an internship is variable depending on the need of the intern or facility and can be discussed. Internships can be arranged for college credit. With limited intern positions available throughout the year, our internship program is highly competitive so we recommend turning your application in as soon as possible for consideration.
Applications Due Dates:
Spring (February- April) – November 1st
Summer (May-August) – March 31st
Fall (September- November) – August 1st
Winter (November- January) – September 31st
Requirements:
- College degree or current enrollment in appropriate biological sciences programAbility to work outdoors in all weather conditions and handle natural elements including: insects, snakes and other wildlife, poison ivy, etc.
- Ability to lift up to 50 pounds
- Provide your own appropriate clothing and foot gear for working outdoors in various seasonal conditions
- Provide your own transportation and housing
- Must be able to commit to at least twelve weeks
For consideration, please send a resume, contact information for two references, 1 recommendation letter and a cover letter stating dates or time frame you are available to:
Rachel Crosby, Animal Keeper
rcrosby@endangeredwolfcenter.org
Missouri Botanical Garden
EarthWays Sustainability Education Intern
As part of the Garden’s Sustainability division, EWC works to promote and advance sustainability initiatives in the Saint Louis region and beyond by supporting efforts to improve the built environment and through environmental education. EWC works closely with the building industry through partnership with the U.S Green Building Council’s Missouri Gateway Chapter and other professional groups. Topics addressed through EWC programs include energy efficiency and conservation, renewable energy, solid waste reduction and recycling, green building, water conservation, and air quality. The Sustainability Education Intern will work closely with EWC education staff to support education programs for K-12 schools, colleges/universities, adults, and teacher professional development. The intern will have the opportunity to interact and learn from with other EWC staff as well.
To apply contact: Maggie McCoy, Education and Volunteer Coordinator mmccoy@mobot.org
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Research Experience for Undergraduates Internship (Summer)
Become an Intern
Danforth interns gain exposure to all aspects of modern scientific research, from design to experimentation to reporting. See first-hand what it takes to become a world-class plant scientist, and the broader impact of scientific discovery.
Research Experience for Undergraduates
Fostering the next generation of plant scientists is critical to solving some of our planet’s biggest challenges. For eleven weeks each summer, students in our Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) summer internship program are immersed in a rich research environment that lays the foundation for a career in plant science.
Our REU program gives students experience with all aspects of modern scientific research, from design to experimentation to reporting. Faculty mentors and staff provide insight into the personal qualities that make a good researcher, the process and training involved in becoming a scientist, and the broader impact of scientific discovery. The program is made possible through generous support from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
For more information, please contact:
Cathy Kromer, Program Manager / Internship@danforthcenter.org
… or visit our website at: https://www.danforthcenter.org/our-work/education-outreach/undergraduate-program/internship-program/