2025 Internships
Conservation and Research Internship – Volunteer Positions 2025
Join the team at the Conservation Ecology Centre (CEC) as a Conservation and Research
Intern!
We are seeking enthusiastic individuals to assist with our conservation and research program, including on-ground management actions, ecological research, community engagement and animal husbandry. During your internship at the CEC, you will gain valuable experience in:
- Conservation Activities: Get involved in hands-on flora and fauna surveys, seed collection and revegetation. Whilst learning about stakeholder engagement, software use (Rstudio, ArcGIS Pro, etc.) and other essential land management activities.
- Research Projects: Participate in important initiatives focused on creating resilient forests, climate change adaptation, fire ecology, establishing ecological baselines, and managing feral species to contribute to regional conservation efforts.
- Community Engagement: Develop your scientific communication skills by sharing key research insights from the Conservation Ecology Centre with local and international visitors at our social enterprise Wildlife Wonders.
- Animal Husbandry: Assist with the daily care of our resident animals at the CEC, ensuring their well-being and participating in health checks.
- Operations Management: Support the smooth operations of our non-profit by assisting with equipment maintenance, restocking first aid kits and performing vehicle checks.
This internship provides an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience in every facet of working for an environmental non-profit organisation.
Available Positions:
Jan – May 2025
Please indicate in your application which of the following date ranges you prefer:
- 13 th Jan – 4 th April (Round 1)
- 20 th Jan – 11 th April (Round 1)
- 7 th April – 27 th June (Round 2)
- 14 th April – 4 rd May (Round 2)
Working hours are from 8:30am – 4:30pm, Monday to Friday, however these times can be flexible depending on fieldwork and individual requirements.
Key Selection Criteria
- Educational Background: Relevant experience obtained through a degree in ecology, biology, wildlife conservation, zoology, conservation biology, environmental management, natural resource management (NRM), or a related field (required).
- Research Experience: Experience in collecting, collating, and analysing ecological data (preferred).
- Fieldwork Capability: Willingness and ability to work in remote field locations (experience preferred).
- Team Collaboration: Strong ability to collaborate effectively within a small team and positively engage with others (required).
- Work Ethic and Time Management: Demonstrates a strong work ethic and reliability, with the ability to manage time effectively, adhering to deadlines.
- Driving Experience: Experience driving 4WD vehicles off-road (preferred); a current driver’s license accepted in Australia (required).
A stipend of $6,000 will be available to successful candidates upon commencing their internship to help cover expenses during the three-month period. On-site accommodation is also available for a minimal fee.
How to Apply
To apply for an intern position, please email a current Resume along with a brief cover letter addressing the selection criteria to:
James Templeton, Conservation Project Manager
Email: james.templeton@conservationecologycentre.org
Closing Date:
Don’t Miss Out!
Please note that there is no set closing date for applications. The advertisement will be removed from the website once we have found suitable candidates, and no further applications will be accepted thereafter. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible to ensure your consideration.
Ready to make a difference? Apply today and take the first step towards a rewarding career
in environmental conservation!
Meet our recent interns below and our past interns…
Molly Fisher
2024 Intern
Molly grew up in Apollo Bay and the Horden Vale region. She left the beautiful seaside town to complete a Bachelor of Science at Monash University where she majored in Ecology, Conservation Biology, and Plant Sciences. Since completing her degree Molly has worked with the Threatened Species Conservancy where she has contributed to and managed conservation projects aimed at protecting a range of species including Harrow Wattles (Acacia acanthoclada) in the Mallee, Butterflies and Snails in the Otways, and Black Gums (Eucalyptus aggregata) in Woodend.
While Molly grew up in Apollo Bay and knows the area well, she is excited to explore the ecology of the Otways and give back to the community that gave so much to her. She is particularly keen to learn more about mammalian ecology, develop her trapping and animal husbandry skills, and solidify her identification skills with a range of species right at the CEC doorstep! The provided stipend will also allow Molly to fully invest her time into learning as much as she can during her internship position.
Miranda Braakhuis
2024 Intern
Miranda grew up in Melbourne and went on family holidays to the Otways, so has many fond memories exploring waterfalls, boogie-boarding and snorkelling in the region. She studied a Bachelor of Environmental Science (Wildlife & Conservation Biology) at Deakin University and completed an honours degree at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Her honours project was comparing the accuracy and cost of different methodologies to survey for koala density, including the traditional method of line-transect distance sampling with more emerging techniques including thermal-imaging drones and acoustic recorders. During her time on the Sunshine Coast she also worked as a conservation detection dog handler with the Detection Dogs for Conservation team, partnering with rescue dogs to help find koalas, quolls and their scat in the landscape.
Miranda is passionate about optimising survey methods for threatened species conservation and loves all things fieldwork. Whilst interning at the CEC, Miranda is looking forward to gaining knowledge and experience in fire and feral animal management, deepening her flora and fauna ID skills and contributing to effective on-ground conservation in the Otways.
Isabel Jorzik
2023 Intern
Growing up in southern Germany, Isabel was introduced to ecology by her parents when hiking through the Alpine forelands and exploring Europe’s various landscapes. She studied Life Science at the University of Konstanz (Germany), which combines the fields of biology and chemistry. Isabel finished her bachelor’s degree in 2022 and wrote her thesis on the seasonal differences in the weather conditions and the behavior of white storks (Ciconia ciconia) during migration. She is currently undertaking the consecutive master’s program.
Isabel’s passion lies in tracking animals and movement ecology. She has worked at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, exploring high-resolution biologging data and investigating collective migration. Through her studies, she was able to conduct field work on Cyprus, researching the ecology of Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) for future conservation projects.
During her internship at the CEC, Isabel is striving to gain more practical experience and learn about Australia’s unique flora and fauna. She is excited to apply her knowledge to help preserve the Otways in a meaningful way.
Alisha Fulton
2023 Intern
Alisha grew up amongst the rich biodiversity surrounding Perth, fascinated with nature documentaries and the outdoors. This fascination turned into a passion for conservation when Alisha learnt about the biodiversity crisis. This led her to complete an honours degree in Ecology and Conservation Biology at Monash University in 2022. Her honours thesis investigated the response of native bees to desiccation stress, which is predicted to increase with climate change.
After completing her degree, Alisha worked as an Ecological Gardener at the Peninsula Hot Springs. During this time, she conducted a native bee survey focusing on raising awareness of native bees amongst the public. Alisha is also incredibly passionate about regenerative agriculture, having partaken in two international conferences and with a published paper on the subject. Someday, she hopes to combine her passion for native bees, regenerative agriculture, and conservation and undertake a PhD.
Since completing the Great Ocean Walk a few years ago, the Otways has remained a special place for Alisha. She feels lucky to now work on conserving this magical place and is looking forward to learning a range of skills and furthering her knowledge of ecology and conservation.