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
Peta Zivec
Peta commenced a two month internship at Arid Recovery in July 2017. She had previously completed a Bachelor of Science (Hons), majoring in Ecology and Conservation Ecology at Griffith University. Peta has a very keen interest in botany and threw herself into Arid Recovery’s flora monitoring surveys. Her favourite experiences were feral cat chasing (for research purposes) and waking up every morning and seeing red sand. Since leaving Arid Recovery, Peta has started a PhD at the Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, examining if large-scale re-vegetation in agricultural areas can build more resilient landscapes under climate change.
Nathan Beerkens
Nathan commenced a 3 month internship at Arid Recovery in February 2017, which extended for another 2 months. He had previously completed a Bachelor of Science (Zoology and Conservation Biology) at the University of Western Australia and a BSc (Hons) at Murdoch University, where he studied the ecology and physiology of estuarine fish. During his internship, Nathan studied the suitability of the Reserve for kowaris, and created a translocation proposal for the species. Since completing his internship, Nathan has remained at Arid Recovery in the role of Field Ecologist and Community Coordinator.
Emily Gregg
Emily commenced a 3 month internship at Arid Recovery in February 2017. She had previously completed a Bachelor of Science (Zoology) and Master of Science (Zoology) at the University of Melbourne, where she investigated the feasibility of using a waterless barrier to halt cane toad spread in Western Australia. During her internship, Emily researched the effectiveness of using one-way gates as a bettong management tool, and also analysed our social media impact. Emily is now undertaking a PhD with the Interdisciplinary Conservation (ICON) Science Group at RMIT. Her project aims to improve communications for threatened species conservation, with a focus on effectively engaging the public and decision-makers with so-called “non-charismatic” species (e.g. reptiles, rodents, insects and plants).
Rachel Loneragan
Rachel commenced a 3 month internship at Arid Recovery in October 2016. She had previously completed a Bachelor of Biodiversity and Conservation at Macquarie University and a Bachelor of Environmental Science (Honours) at the University of Technology, Sydney, where she investigated the spatial population regulation of ground-dwelling mammals in urban areas. During her internship, Rachel designed and performed the first trials of using one-way gates as a bettong management tool.