Hear from past intern, Jess, about her experience working and living at AWCC!
“Hello everyone, my name is Jess, and I was a Naturalist Intern at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in the summer of 2023!
The thing I most enjoyed about being an intern at the AWCC was all the knowledge I learned and all the fun ways I could share it with folks. From going on hour-long tours to telling stories about the animals and how they ended up at the conservation center, I learned to connect with visitors and, in turn, connect them to the wild world around them.
My favorite animals at the AWCC were the Wood Bison. In college, they teach us that Wood Bison are completely extinct, so going to Alaska and not only seeing these wonderful animals but also learning about them for five whole months? It’s certainly hard to pick any other favorite!
The most valuable skill I gained was how to speak with folks, not at them. Some visitors will say things you’ve never heard from other people, or you may have heard these things and just don’t know how to react. The staff at the AWCC helped me learn to navigate those conversations and come out of them with everyone having learned something new or correcting a previous misleading notion.
My favorite and most rewarding experience at AWCC was being able to help Make-A-Wish families with tours and encounters. Whether they encountered animal ambassadors or the wild Dr. Oakley and Sarah (Howie) Howard, those experiences will stay forever in my mind and heart.
The internship has helped my career path in many ways, although the one that sticks out the most would be my current job. I am the Site Manager for the Hocking College Nature Center and Robbins Crossing Historical Village. I lead programs with our animal ambassadors while also guiding student volunteers and employees through the art of interpretation. Interning at the AWCC certainly helped provide this opportunity and open the doorway necessary for me to gain this position.
My advice to future interns would be to keep interacting with folks. Keep stepping out of your comfort zone and go speak with the person looking at the red squirrel or the coyotes. In talking with those folks, you’re learning more and more about different parts of the world and different experiences folks have had. Not only that, but how can you inspire wonder and curiosity if you don’t try?”
-Jess, Naturalist Intern summer 2023
Join the team!
The application period for the 2025 Animal Care Internship and Naturalist Internship is OPEN. The deadline to apply for all internship opportunities is Friday, January 31, 2025. Click HERE to apply!
- Helping with reindeer encounters!
- Jess bottle feeds a moose calf.