College Student Volunteer Intern - Environmental Education and Outreach

This opportunity accepts applicants who are college students fulfilling a college requirement or students looking for a career in the National Park Service who are in a related field of study. Fall and Spring 3-to-6-month positions. Fall Volunteer Interns begin in October, Spring Volunteer Interns begin in January. Days off vary week to week depending upon program needs. College Student Volunteer interns work a minimum of 40 hours if living on-site in preserve housing. Local volunteers without on-site housing work a minimum of 1 day per week. Workdays may include weekends and days with long hours for special events.

Big Cypress National Preserve is 729,000 acres of swampland in south Florida. Part of the Everglades ecosystem, Big Cypress is a critical watershed for the Ten Thousand Islands area to the southwest. It is home to many endangered species including the Florida Panther. Incredible wildlife viewing opportunities, canoeing, hiking and biking are just some of the activities available during the winter months in the swamp.

Volunteer Interns work in the S.W.A.M.P., Swamp Water and Me Program, a curriculum-based program with the 6th grade students and their teachers from Collier County public and private schools. Interns will take turns leading groups and assisting the park rangers during the S.W.A.M.P. field trips to the preserve. During these trips interns interpret the ecosystem, help with group management and safety, assist students with experiments and data collection and other activities using scientific equipment.

The field trips involve hiking into a cypress strand, prairie and pineland. While the hiking is not long in distance it can be physically demanding as it involves long periods of standing, walking through knee to thigh deep water, heat and humidity, mosquitoes, uneven footing and other swamp creatures besides the 6th graders! Interns work with the education team on a variety of duties including restocking and maintaining equipment and backpacks, and general housekeeping of education center. Interns also present the pre-site program to students in the science classrooms at their schools prior to their field trips.

Interns also lead and assist with special events and festivals, workshops, requested outreach programs such as wet walks, canoe trips and bike rides, work on special projects, develop new activities for other programs, do job related exploration and training. 

Volunteers will work under the guidance of Lisa Andrews, Outreach/Education Coordinator.

This position is designed to give you first-hand workplace experience. Shared housing is provided on-site with shared bedrooms for interns working a minimum of 40 hours/week. Laundry facilities, a pool and a weight room are also available. This is not a paid position.

Volunteer will be issued uniform shirts, a jacket, and a hat. Volunteer must supply neutral-color pants, socks, and closed-toed shoes. While on duty, the volunteer must wear the required uniform. Uniform items are not to be worn off-duty.