Pea Island NWR - Positions at Pea Island are awarded to 3 or 4 people. All duties are shared. Each intern will have the opportunity to work in all program areas including maintenance, biology, and public use. Preference will be given to applicants with bird identification skills.

• Biology - duties will include assisting the refuge biotechs in biweekly bird surveys, monitoring water control structures and waterfowl impoundments, assisting in the sea turtle monitoring program, assisting in colonial waterbird banding, mapping and other duties related to habitat management.
• Public Use -assists Wildlife Interpretive Specialist with refuge Public Use Program, including conducting interpretive programs and bird walks, leading canoe tours, staffing the Visitor Center, working in the book store, writing and stocking interpretive literature and carrying out other duties related to the public use program as assigned.
• Maintenance - duties will include posting and maintaining signs, clearing and maintaining trails, trash removal, building maintenance and other diverse maintenance duties as assigned.

• Biology - duties included red-cockaded woodpecker habitat enhancement; surveys for various wildlife species including black bear; water management activities; and participation in other biological and habitat management activities as assigned.
• Forestry - duties include work with the southern pine beetle damage assessment and control, the Atlantic white cedar restoration project and pre-suppression and other non-fireline work related to the fire program.
• Public Use - duties will include conducting interpretive programs, leading canoe tours, staffing the Visitor Center at Pea Island Refuge, interpretive writing and other duties relating to the visiting public as assigned.
• Maintenance - Each intern will perform a diversity of maintenance duties as assigned including trail maintenance, sign posting and maintenance, building and equipment maintenance etc.

**Note - Administrative Duties - Interns are occasionally assigned to assist with administrative duties at the Refuge headquarters in Manteo. These assignments often provide the opportunity to work closely with program area heads and help to give interns a well rounded view of refuge work/management

The suggested/target deadline for applications for summer positions is March 1st; fall is July 31st and spring is December 15th. Positions will be filled, as applicants are available. Please don't ever "not apply" because a deadline has passed. Contact me to see if there are still openings. (sometimes people drop out at the last minute, creating openings that others were already turned down for....)

To apply, send resume and describe your background/experience relating to the following:

- forestry management techniques
- wildlife identification and surveys
- basic plant taxonomy
- public speaking
- canoeing
- bird identification
- GPS concepts and applications
- general computer skills (data base, desk-top publishing)
- maintenance - trail/other (skills with tools)

Be sure to provide your availability dates.

• Summer internships are for 12 weeks beginning in late May and lasting through mid to late August
• Fall internship are for 12 weeks beginning in late August and lasting through early November
• Spring internships are for 12 weeks. Late spring is preferable but dates of commitment are negotiable.

Bonnie Strawser
Wildlife Interpretive Specialist
Us Fish and Wildlife Service
PO Box 1969
Manteo, NC 27954

phone: 252-473-1131 ext. 230
fax: 252-473-1668
email: alligatorriver@fws.gov

***Note - competition for summer positions is fierce; if your school offers academic credit for internship experience you may wish to apply for a fall or spring position.

****Note - Applicants interested in obtaining internships on other refuges in North Carolina or the Southeast Region may contact those refuges directly or may send resumes to this address with a cover letter listing the refuges in which their interests lie.

posted: February 12, 2002