Conservation Internship
Launch your ecological career with a hands-on Conservation Internship with Arid Recovery
Arid Recovery offers 2 to 3 internships each year for recent graduates looking to deepen their practical experience in ecology and conservation. Working alongside an experienced multidisciplinary team, the intern will contribute to the delivery of ecological research and field surveys that support threatened-species recovery and arid land conservation. The role also offers exposure to land management, stakeholder and community engagement, and science communication within a small, innovative conservation NGO.
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Location: Olympic Dam, South Australia
Applications are now closed for 2026
Tasks may include:
Collection and collation of ecological monitoring data (including vertebrate trapping and vegetation assessments)
Camera-trap and track-count surveys
Data management and reporting
Participation in land-management activities such as feral-animal control and reserve maintenance
Exposure to stakeholder and community engagement
Participation in research projects with Arid Recovery staff and collaborators
Community engagement through tours, events, and school visits
Housekeeping tasks essential for running a small NGO
Selection criteria:
A Bachelor degree in Science, Ecology Natural Resource Management, or Enivornmental Science
Experience in ecological and/or land management fieldwork
Experience with data entry and basic data management
Demonstrated ability to work independently and in a small team
Proactive and willing to take on unfamiliar tasks, seek guidance when needed
Physical fitness to undertake manual work outdoors in arid conditions
Willingness to live in a small, remote community for the duration of the placement
Eligible for living and working in Australia for at least 4 months
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Fluency in written and spoken English
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Current driver's licence
Bringing your own car for travel to and from the office and, as well as for personal use during the internship, is highly recommended.
Accommodation and a living allowance will be provided, as well as contribution to your travel to and from Roxby Downs. Opportunities for paid casual work (tour guiding) may be available.
Past Interns
Charlotte Drake
Charlotte completed her Honours research on brush-tailed phascogales on Kangaroo Island and is about to begin her PhD on bandicoots in the same region. During her time at Arid Recovery, Charlotte gained valuable hands-on experience in mammal trapping, handling, and pitfall trapping, skills that will serve her well in her upcoming research. A standout moment for Charlotte was bilby netting and the unforgettable experience of seeing her first Shark Bay bandicoot in the wild. Charlotte also enthusiastically supported Arid Recovery’s outreach efforts, helping run activities at the Roxby Community Library and BHP’s Family Day, where she shared her passion for wildlife with families.
Rylie Pan
Rylie joined Arid Recovery after completing her Honours research on northern bettongs and one-way gates. Previously working at Hidden Vale Research Station in Queensland, she brought with her extensive expertise in wild animal husbandry and a passion for lizards and snakes. At Arid Recovery, Rylie contributed significantly to the annual vegetation survey and played a vital role in community events, including Open Day, Science Week, school camps, twilight dinners, and Family Day. She will joining Redleaf as a graduate environmental scientist.
Arvind Srinivasgowda
Arvind arrived in Australia from India in 2022 to pursue a Master’s degree at the University of Western Australia, focusing his research on traits in ornate dragons. He often amazed the team with stories from his work in India’s national parks, where he managed human-wildlife conflicts involving tigers, leopards, and elephants. During his time at Arid Recovery, Arvind helped develop and manage the Quoll-Spot ID project, which used remote cameras and AI to identify individual quolls, aiming to estimate their population size at the reserve.
Charlotte Hogan
Charlotte made significant contributions to the team during a period of understaffing at Arid Recovery. She helped organise the 27th annual trapping event and successfully radio-tracked a quoll that had infiltrated the quoll-free Main Exclosure. Charlotte spearheaded the establishment of an extensive insect database, a pioneering initiative in our long-standing practice of collecting invertebrates during our annual trapping. One of her favourite achievments while at Arid Recovery was the relocation of a western quoll to the northern Flinders Rangers. Charlotte is now embarking on a fellowship with the Smithsonian in Panama.
Ben Reay
Ben joined us from Sydney via the Flinders Rangers where he had spent time helping to monitor the reintroduced population of western quolls in Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. He helped with running the launch event for the Kokatha Pastoral and Arid Recovery partnership, as well as the annual visit by our Board of Directors and Scientific Advisory Panel. Ben worked with Ecologist Genevieve Hayes to collect data for annual vegetation quadrat monitoring at an important moment for recording recovery from the 2018-20 drought. Ben went on to work on reintroduction project for red-tailed phascogales with the SA Department for Environment and Water.