Program Background

An internship at Blue Mountain Wildlife provides the opportunity to experience working with many wildlife species, primarily raptors.  Interns will learn skills such as handling techniques, diets, food preparation, feeding methods, and assist experienced wildlife rehabilitators with treatment procedures. This internship is intended to provide on-the-job training in basic wildlife rehabilitation skills.

Requirements and Qualifications

We expect to work with enthusiastic, mature, hard working people who have:

• A strong interest in wildlife
• Enthusiasm and willingness to learn
• A background in biology, wildlife management, veterinary medicine, veterinary technician, or environmental education may be helpful, though there is no educational requirement. 
• 18 years of age or older

Details

• Length: Internships are 8 weeks long.
• Timing: Internships are offered all year, though are most competitive during the summer “baby season”.
• Hours: Working hours vary, but tend to be from dawn until dusk during summer months. Interns are expected to work 7 days a week, depending on how busy we are.
• Accommodations: Interns stay in a 32-foot, on-site travel trailer. There is a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room. The trailer also has hot water, heating, and air conditioning. BMW provides kitchenware, bedding, towels, and laundry facilities.  The property, housing both the center and the trailer, is a 10-minute drive from Safeway and Walmart.
• Transportation: Bringing a car can be convenient, but is not necessary. If you do not have a car, BMW will pick you up from the airport and drive you into town for groceries.
• Health and Insurance: All applicants must answer the questions concerning health on the application form, and those who are selected for an internship must provide proof of an up-to-date tetanus vaccination. While working, interns will be covered by Workman’s Compensation Insurance.
• Compensation: BMW is a nonprofit organization with a limited budget. Therefore, the internships are unpaid positions, but a small weekly stipend will be provided to help cover costs.

A Day In The Life…

Each day is different, so the following are just a few of the responsibilities and opportunities you will gain from this internship:

• Assisting with intake protocol
• Practicing captive animal management
• Learning rearing of native species
• Releasing animals back to their native habitats
• Cleaning cages and enclosures
• Sweeping floors, doing dishes, and doing laundry

Program Policies

When you apply to the Blue Mountain Wildlife internship program, we take it that you are accepting these policies.

• To ensure that animals have the best possible chance for release, and for survival when returned to their natural habitat, we want to minimize the stress of captivity, and keep the animals wild. Some behavior that is suitable when caring for domestic animals is inappropriate when dealing with wildlife. This means we minimize human contact (both the sight and sound of humans) when caring for wild patients. Minimal human contact is particularly critical for young wildlife.
• Much of the work at a wildlife rehabilitation center is not glamorous, but every job is important. All staff, volunteers and interns are expected to carry out a wide range of tasks including cage cleaning, laundry, and facilities maintenance.
• Working in a wildlife rehabilitation center is physically demanding. Staff and interns work long hours and are on their feet most of the time, working indoors and outdoors in all types of weather.
• Our goal is to treat all orphaned, injured or sick native wildlife brought to the Center and return them to the wild. Unfortunately this is not always possible. Approximately half of the wildlife admitted are too sick or badly injured to be treated and released. In these cases, euthanasia is an alternative that is considered. The decision to euthanize an animal is never made casually. We consider euthanasia to be one of the alternatives available to relieve the pain and suffering in sick or injured animals. Euthanasia is a situation interns will encounter, and should come to terms with.
• Blue Mountain Wildlife is a drug-free facility, including in the travel trailer.

How To Apply

Our application consists of three parts:

1. Application, available below as a PDF
2. Essay, outlined in the application 
3. Resume

Send all three parts to Lynn Tompkins, Executive Director, at lynn@bluemountainwildlife.org at least one month in advance of when you hope to start your internship, if you do not plan to start in the summer. As a majority of applicants are available for an internship between May and August, these spots are most competitive. Applicants hoping to intern over the summer months should submit their application by January 31.

If you have further questions regarding an internship position at Blue Mountain Wildlife, please contact Lynn Tompkins, Executive Director, at 541-278-0215 or lynn@bluemountainwildlife.org.

Thank you for your interest, and we look forward to receiving your application.