Internships
Arid Recovery offers internships for recent graduates looking to deepen their practical experience in ecology and conservation.
This is an opportunity to work with a small team to gain hands-on experience in the spectrum of land management, ecology, research and communications necessary to advance conservation programs.Interns will assist staff in day-to-day operation of Arid Recovery. At various times you will be working with and supervised by the Ecologist, Community Coordinator, Conservation Land Management Officer and General Manager.
Please note that applications have closed for 2024. Applications for 2025 will be announced on this page.
You will do a diverse range of tasks including:
Collection and collation of ecological monitoring data (including vegetation surveys, track transects and vertebrate trapping)
Community engagement through tours, events, market days & school visits
Written communications and fundraising
Administrative and housekeeping tasks
Fence and infrastructure maintenance and feral animal control
Participation in research projects with Arid Recovery staff and collaborators
Working with traditional owners
Housekeeping tasks essential for running a small NGO
Accommodation and a living allowance ($200 per week) will be provided, as well as a contribution towards your travel to and from Roxby Downs ($800 total). Opportunities for paid casual work (tour guiding, helping on education visits) will be available.
Dates
First intake: February - April
Second intake: May - July
Second intake: August - October
Selection criteria
A Bachelor degree in Science or Natural Resource Management
Some fieldwork experience in ecology or land management
A willingness to learn and to take on a range of tasks
Physical fitness for undertaking manual work outdoors
A willingness to live in a small community in a remote area
Valid driver’s licence
Fluency in English
Eligible for living and working in Australia for at least 4 months
Manual and 4WD driving experience are desirable
Bringing your own car (for personal use) is advantageous, but not essential. Successful candidates must be willing to comply with government directives and internal workplace requirements for managing the impact of COVID-19.
How to apply
Look for the internship advertisement on NRMjobs in October/November each year and submit your CV and a one-page cover letter to [email protected].
Late applications will not be considered. Please include your name in the filename of all documents and specify in your cover letter whether you are applying for the first or second intake.
With thanks to the Rendere Trust and Upotipotpon Foundation for their ongoing support of internships at Arid Recovery.
Past Interns
Kaely Kreger
Kaely began an internship at Arid Recovery in the winter of 2018. Originating from Tasmania and accustomed to cold, damp conditions, she found even the winter in this new environment unusually hot and dry. Before the internship, she worked as a park ranger and completed an Honours degree in Biological Science at the University of Tasmania, with a thesis on the historical biogeography of the metallic snow skink. Her research involved analyzing skink DNA to understand ecological changes over the past 35 thousand years. After the internship, Kaely explored the Ikara-Flinders Ranges before returning to Tasmania, where she engaged in fauna consulting.
Ben Stepkovitch
Ben commenced a 3 month internship at Arid Recovery in February 2018. He had previously completed a Bachelor of Advanced Science (Zoology) and Masters of Research at Western Sydney University, where he studied the diets of Sydney’s urban foxes. Whilst at Arid Recovery, Ben completed a research project assessing the effectiveness of using SPOT Trace technology to remotely track feral cats. Since completing his internship, Ben has been trying to get paid work in ecology, and has been enjoying his role as a tour guide at Taronga Zoo.
Kirra Bailey
Kirra commenced a 3 month internship at Arid Recovery in February 2018. She had previously completed a Bachelor of Science (Biodiversity and Conservation) and Honours in Environmental Management at Flinders University, where she used aerial surveying to estimate feral goat population densities in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges. Kirra was involved in many elements of Arid Recovery’s research program and undertook a research project investigating inter-specific interactions between native rodent species.
Matthew Rostron
Matt commenced a 3 month internship at Arid Recovery in October 2017. He had previously completed a Bachelor of Science, Ecology and Conservation Biology with a minor in wildlife management at Griffith University, Gold Coast. During his internship, Matt was involved in a wide range of activities, including wildlife surveying, community engagement and researching one-way gate placement and monitoring methods.
Madeleine Wilcox-Kerr
Maddy commenced a 3 month internship at Arid Recovery in September 2017. She had previously completed an Honours degree at the University of New South Wales, where she studied the trophic cascades that have resulted from historic dingo exclusion in parts of the arid zone. Whist at Arid Recovery, Maddy conducted a research project investigating the distribution of the threatened plains mouse throughout the Reserve.