Job Title: Conservation Intern
Department: Conservation
Status: Seasonal
Pay: $10.50/hour
Reports to: Wildlife Biologist
Posting Closing date: Open until filled
Start Date: Internship is estimated to start in early May and estimated to end late July/early August.
Housing: Interns may choose to stay in housing on site. Housing is shared and available for $75/week with a $100 security deposit through Jekyll Island Authority. Housing payment will be paid through payroll deduction if housing is chosen.
Jekyll Island is dedicated to maintaining the delicate balance between nature and humankind through conservation, education, and preservation. Surrounded by salt marshes, expansive oceanfront, and ancient maritime forests, it is situated within the chain of the Golden Isles and just a few miles from St. Simons Island, Sea Island, and Brunswick. As a State Park, Jekyll Island is a coastal haven where nature and humans peacefully co-exist.
Job Summary: Under limited supervision, the Conservation Intern will be responsible for collecting scientific data, curating large datasets, and working alongside volunteers and members of the public. Primary duties will include sea turtle dawn and night patrols with a chance to gain experience with a variety of techniques for data collection, wildlife, and land management duties. The ideal candidate will be detail oriented, highly organized, and a dynamic communicator able to interface with personnel, visiting public, island residents, and local authorities.
This is a seasonal internship position that will start early May 2026 and is estimated to end late July/early August 2026. The actual length of employment is intended to be flexible and congruent with the school calendars of your host institution, however, the length of employment will not exceed six (6) months. The selected candidates will work a minimum of 15-20 hours per week and up to 40 hours a week when necessary.
Description of duties:
- Sea Turtle Dawn Patrol (20-40%)
- Drive a UTV or walk portions of beach Locate, identify, and protect active sea turtle nests.
- Mark nests with survey flags, protective screens, rebar, and signs.
- Collect, format, upload, and QA/QC data.
- Educate the public through interaction and programs
- Prep equipment for team members working night patrol .
- Sea Turtle Night Patrol (40-60%)
- Drive a UTV or walk portions of beach
- Locate, identify, flipper tag, PIT tag, and collect morphometric and habitat data on adult nesting sea turtles.
- Collect skin biopsies, eggs, and other biological samples from nesting sea turtles for research collaborators.
- Educate the public through interaction and programs
- Natural Resource, Wildlife, and Land Management (20-40%)
- This portion of the position is to gain additional experience outside of sea turtle focused research and monitoring and see how Conservation is practically applied in a management-focused setting. All professional training will be provided. Opportunities may include:
- Natural Resource Management: Water sample collection and analysis and trail camera setup and use
- Wildlife: Handling and radio telemetry of Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes and Eastern Box Turtles, spotlight survey and capture of American Alligators, survey for Diamondback Terrapins, capture, and collect morphometric data
- Land Management: Restoration including seed collection, growing, and planting and Invasive species identification and removal
Minimum Qualifications:
- Enrolled in a university or college program earning a degree for a career in conservation
- Valid Driver’s License
Preferred Qualifications:
- Passionate team player with a positive demeanor and interpersonal skills
- Ability to self-manage time and make decisions, while engaged in diverse job duties
- Ability to work a flexible schedule including nights, early mornings, weekends, and holidays.
- Experience maintaining large datasets
- Use of digital mapping products like ArcGIS and Survey123
- Knowledge or experience with any wildlife
- 2 years of college experience
Physical Requirements/Working Conditions:
- Exert up to 65 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 50 pounds frequently, and/or up to 20 pounds constantly to move objects.
- Ability to operate a utility vehicle
- More than 50% of the typical workday will be spent sitting, standing, and/or walking.
- Between 25% and 50% of the day will be spent lifting, reaching, standing, or sitting.
- Less than 25% of the day will be spent climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, pulling and grasping.
- Sensory abilities required include vision, hearing and touching with more than 50% of the day spent communicating; talking and hearing.
- Must have close visual clarity to perform up close work such as working with a computer as well as visual clarity to operate motor vehicles.
- Work will be performed both inside and outside. Work may be subject to extreme cold, extreme heat, rain, high humidity, and extremely high densities of biting insects. Work includes exposure to vibrations, hazards, infectious diseases, and potentially dangerous animals. The field portion of this position requires a level of fitness and mental resiliency for variable distances walking through thickly vegetated woods and on the beach.
- Tolerance of hot, buggy, rainy, and inclement field conditions will be needed.
- Noise level is considered normal too loud, may require shouting.
This description of job responsibilities is intended to reflect the major responsibilities and duties of the job. It is not intended to describe minor duties or other responsibilities that may be assigned from time to time.
This position is subject to close at any time once a satisfactory applicant pool has been identified. Applicants who complete the online application process will receive an email receipt of submission to the email address provided. If the email confirmation is not received, the applicant may contact Human Resources at 912-635-4173 for confirmation; however, due to the volume of applicants received, we cannot provide information on the application status after receipt. Applicants who need assistance to accommodate a disability may request accommodation by contacting Human Resources at 912-635-4024.
All qualified applicants will be considered but may not necessarily receive an interview. Incomplete applications or applications without accompanying documents when required will not be considered. Selected applicants will be contacted for the next steps in the selection process. Successful completion of background checks requires credit when applicable to the position. Relocation expenses are not authorized; applicants should consider this when applying.
Jekyll Island Authority is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Authority supports equal employment opportunities for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. The Jekyll Island is a Drug Free Workplace.
