Overview

Description
Morning/afternoon jobs

Picking up and/or unloading supplies, including 50-pound bags of seed and 35-pound bags of fruit and nuts. Heavy lifting is often a part of the job and is therefore required.
Daily cleanup of feeding areas and scat removal
Maintaining the property, including carpentry projects
Planting, mulching, weed-eating and other landscape improvement projects
Preparing and distributing bear food mixtures
Splitting firewood, road maintenance and other miscellaneous tasks
Maintain records on bear activity and behavior
There may also be opportunities to work with the MN DNR on special projects
Research projects are sometimes available upon request. If it is a requirement for your internship, an advisor must oversee the research project
Cooking meals for staff and volunteers, and kitchen cleanup
Jobs during evening/visitors’ hours include:

Assisting with admission and parking cars
Greeting visitors on their arrival
Talking with the public and answering their questions
Educating the public about black bears, ecology, behavior, practical environmental conservation and land stewardship
Preparing formal 3-8 minute deck talks that interpret bear behavior and debunk any myths and misconceptions our visitors may have regarding bears
Execute a prepared 5 minute introductory bus talk on the history of the bears and Vince Shute
Sale of souvenirs and educational materials in the gift shop
Promoting membership to the American Bear Association
Requirements
The primary requirement is a sincere desire to help promote the welfare of bears and other natural resources through a personal contribution of long hours and hard work. Preference will be given to candidates who are enrolled in or have recently completed post-secondary education in programs such as wildlife management, wildlife biology, environmental education, natural resources, and business administration. However, other applicants with a sincere desire to intern with us will be given serious consideration as well. All interns must read the ABA Volunteer Handbook and be willing to complete a liability waiver form. An applicant must be conscientious, have a good work ethic, and be a team player and self-starter. In addition he or she must be able to follow directions and have good social skills in dealing with the public. We are looking for individuals that can stay for at LEAST a month between May 1st and October 1st. Since space is limited, those able to stay longer will be given preference. We are looking for applicants who are:

Flexible regarding changes in schedule and work tasks
Comfortable being in close proximity to large wild animals such as bears
Able to work closely and cooperatively with other interns, staff, and volunteers
Able to work outside in temperatures ranging from the 30s to the 90s and in all weather conditions
Willing to endure the many biting insects that inhabit Northern Minnesota during the summer
Comfortable talking with the public about the untraditional nature of the VSWS. As a supplemental feeding site, with a 50-year history of feeding wild black bears, we often are controversial
YOU MUST BE OVER 18 YRS OLD TO HOLD AN INTERN POSITION WITH ABA