Animal Ambassador Intern Spring 2025

Title: Animal Ambassador Intern

Position Reports To: Senior Programs Manager

Timeframe: Tuesday, January 7, 2025 – Friday, May 30, 2025

About Butterfly Pavilion:

At Butterfly Pavilion, we transform the way people think about invertebrates. These small but mighty animals that surround us are so much more than people think. They are everywhere because everything depends on them. They are the hidden heroes of the animal kingdom. As the leader in invertebrate research, education, and conservation, Butterfly Pavilion works to foster an appreciation of these critical animals by educating the public about the need to protect and care for threatened habitats globally, while conducting research for solutions in invertebrate conservation. Whether it is providing unique, hands-on learning experiences in our exhibits and educational programs, conducting new research that sets the standard for zoos across the country or building innovative solutions for species and habitat conservation in countries around the world, Butterfly Pavilion is leading the way in ensuring invertebrates are protected for the future.

Looking forward, we are committed to providing the most enriching experience for our audience, being recognized as a scientific authority, and being a leading educational resource on invertebrates.

Our Core Values are a large part of who we are as an organization:

• Make Science Cool

• Love What You Do

• Go Above and Beyond

• Lead Change

• Know Your Stuff

• Be Positive

• Welcome All

These aren’t just words, but words to live by here at Butterfly Pavilion.

Commitment:

• 16 hours per week for the duration of the internship. The weekly schedule is flexible to accommodate class and work schedules.

• Must be available for orientation on January 7th, 2025

• Must be available for final presentation of project on May 21st, 2025

Stipend: Unpaid; school credit can be earned for this internship in most cases.

Position Summary:

Butterfly Pavilion is currently seeking a creative, highly motivated and energetic individual to assist in both the education and animal care sides of outreach education including invertebrate care and teaching educational programming at local schools. The primary goal of the Butterfly Pavilion Animal Ambassador Internship is for students to gain knowledge and hands-on training in environmental education and invertebrate animal husbandry.

Upon orientation completion, the intern will work with their supervisor to develop a work plan and project outline. Interns are required to develop a term project and presentation. Additional information for this project will be provided upon starting.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities:

• Lead outreach programs in local schools and community sites for large and small groups of guests (school aged children up to adults)

• Uphold animal welfare protocols while using live animals to demonstrate science-based concepts to guests.

• Provide support to Curatorial team

• Maintain daily records on all animal care in Tracks database system

• Uphold AZA accreditation standards

• Comply with USDA containment standards

• Maintain a clean working environment

• Meet deadlines and expectations to complete a project over the duration of the internship. Professionally present this project to Butterfly Pavilion team members at the end of the internship.

Key Skills Learned:

Invertebrate animal care

• This position requires learning and understanding how to take care of and handle invertebrates that are used in outreach programs.

TRACKS animal care software experience

• This position requires learning and understanding the TRACKS animal care software and its importance.

Invertebrate animal or specimen handling and processing

• This position requires invertebrate animal or specimen handling and processing before, during, and after programming.

Communication

• This position will provide ample opportunity for learning to communicate with a variety of audiences, including children, adults, and other professionals.

Public Speaking

• This position requires giving classes/presentations to large and small groups of people and will allow for learning how to project their voice, speak clearly, and engage their audience.

Teamwork

• This position works closely with a variety of team members including members of other departments. This internship will provide opportunities to learn how to work cooperatively and collaboratively to achieve common goals.

Training:

Successfully complete the following:

• Intern Orientation and All Team Training.

• Department specific onboarding training.

• Complete USDA training and quiz.
• Animal handling training as needed, including tarantula handling.

Qualifications:

• Pursuing a degree in biology, environmental sciences, or related fields. Recent graduates also accepted.

• Interest in invertebrate animal husbandry and care

• Basic computer skills (word processing, spreadsheets)

• Willingness to handle animals (all training provided onsite)

• Experience or interest in customer service and communication skills

• Comfortable interacting with guests of all ages

• Enthusiastic and patient

• Organized and flexible

Additional Requirements:

• Equipment: Must have access to personal laptop or computer with internet connection

• Valid Driver’s License

• Personal Vehicle

• Must be available for orientation on January 7th, 2025

• Must be available for final presentation of project on May 21st, 2025

• Must have reliable transportation to and from Butterfly Pavilion
• Applicants must be at least 18 years of age

Work Environment / Physical Requirements:

While performing the responsibilities of this position, the following work environment characteristics are representative of the environment the position will encounter. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

• Able to work in small spaces or awkward positions that require bending or stretching

• Able to tolerate strong odors such as dust, animal fecal matter, etc.

• Able to work in a hot, humid environment for extended periods of time

• At Butterfly Pavilion, the team member is occasionally exposed to moderate to loud environmental noise for extended periods of time. While performing the responsibilities of this position, the team member is required to talk and hear. The team member is often required to sit and stand, use their hands and fingers, to handle/feel/grasp. The team member is occasionally required to reach with arms and hands, climb or balance, and to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision. The team member should be able to lift, carry and items up to 50 lbs.

Application Deadline:

• December 20th, 2024

How to Apply:

Butterfly Pavilion encourages people of all backgrounds to apply for open positions and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or veteran status.

Fill out the form to the right and click “Apply for this Position” to start the application process. Must submit a cover letter and resume. Please no phone calls or walk-ins.

Note: An offer is contingent upon passing of a criminal background check.

For more information, or to apply now, you must go to the website below. Please DO NOT email your resume to us as we only accept applications through our website.

https://butterflies.applicantpro.com/jobs/3563446-21049.html