Internship: Aquatic Habitat Restoration
Season: Summer 2024 (Approx Jun-Aug)
Location: Onsite
Application Deadline: Friday March 15 at 5pm CST

Internship Overview:
Wetlands are biodiversity hotspots and their protection is critical to support diverse wildlife. Shedd Aquarium is working with community volunteers and local partners to restore and monitor wetlands across Cook County. This restoration work falls under Shedd’s Conservation Priority Area to Revitalize Habitat.

As part of the Conservation Research Department, the intern will work closely with the Wetland Biologist to document the wildlife that use these habitats and monitor species abundances in response to restoration efforts; special focus is given to aquatic invertebrates and amphibians. These efforts will help us understand how restoring temporary wetlands can benefit aquatic animals. This research also will help inform management strategies to best protect wetlands.

Learning Objectives:

• Gain skill in field and laboratory procedures to collect data on community composition
• Demonstrate understanding of how to conduct scientific research: study design, data collection and analysis, and presentation of results
• Gain working knowledge of restoration and wetland ecology in Chicago
• Broaden perspectives on conservation ecology

Responsibilities & Projects:

• Demonstrate commitment to Shedd’s vision, mission and values
• Assist with field work
  • This includes walking to isolated wetlands to set out/monitor audio loggers, document breeding activity, and sample tadpoles
  • Collect aquatic invertebrate samples
• Assist with laboratory work
  • Laboratory work will include use of a dissecting microscope to sort, identify, and count macroinvertebrates samples
  • Laboratory work may also include processing frog-call recordings
• Data entry and other office work
• There may be occasional days in the field to monitor sites and equipment
• Other projects as assigned

Qualifications:

Fields of Interest:

• Wetland ecology
• Conservation Biology
• Wildlife Biology
• Habitat Restoration
• Herpetology
• Entomology

Skills/Characteristics:

• Self-motivated and enthusiastic to work hard
• Good organizational, written, and oral communication skills
• Excellent attention to detail
• Capable of working independently and as part of a team
• Willingness/desire to learn about freshwater conservation research
• Able to work in front of a microscope / computer screen for long periods of time.
• Able to obtain transport to/from Shedd
• Have a high school diploma or GED.

Time & Compensation:

• This is a non-exempt, temporary position that pays $15.80 per hour
• We anticipate this position will be scheduled for 16-24 hours per week for 10-12 weeks, pending business needs and individual performance.
• Ability to start mid/late May preferred.
• Preferred schedule: Any weekdays, Monday-Friday; 9am-4pm.
• Set schedule based on intern availability.

We welcome applications from all levels of experience, including those seeking career exploration or changes, gap year students, freshmen, sophomores, and those seeking first internships.

We strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQ+ community, Veterans and active duty military, parents, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from all cultural backgrounds to apply. Shedd Aquarium is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone to our team.

If you need a reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know. In your application, please feel free to select which pronouns you use (For example – she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/theirs).