Description

Naturalist- Internship
A Naturalist Intern’s primary responsibility is assisting the year-round education team in all interpretation, educational programming, and tours both at AWCC and off site. This position is designed for college students, recent graduates, or career changing individuals interested in working in this field regardless of relation to their degree path. In this position, interns will have the opportunity to gain experience and skills relative to position duties, and cross train on animal care duties and procedures.

Workdays and hours assigned by Director of Education will vary by week; full 40 hours and 5 days per week, maximum 8 hours per day.  Positions are available beginning in May and ending in September.

Requirements

Job Duties

• Interpretation and EducationPerform daily talks about AWCC and Alaskan wildlife to a diverse audience of guests
• Conduct daily walking tours
• Be a step on guide for moto coaches driving through AWCC
• Provide opportunistic informal interpretation to guests
• Give animal presentations to school groups and private groups
• Provide interpretation and facilitate positive guest experiences at information stations
• Write interpretive program outlines to be presented to the public and AWCC staff
• Facilitate animal encounters with porcupine, Sitka black-tailed deer, reindeer, moose, and bears
• Frontline interpretation through roving, ensuring positive guest interactions and managing guest behaviors and needs

Sanctuary Presentability and Safety

• Planting, weeding, and harvesting in garden beds
• Ensure trash does not find its way into animal habitats
• Help inventory and pull invasive plant species on property
• Facilitate service-learning groups
• Clean interpretive signs and buildings

Assist Animal Care Department

• Cleaning animal habitats
• Collect browse, prepare diets, and wash dishes
• Husbandry and feeding duties as assigned

Research

• Opportunity to assist with the Alaska Beluga Monitoring Program as a Cook Inlet beluga whale observer

Other duties as assigned

Necessary Skills

• Public speaking to large and small audiences while professionally representing AWCC
• Engage respectfully in a team environment to help achieve AWCC’s goals and objectives
• Exemplify a professional, positive, and respectful attitude and strong work ethic
• Be comfortable working around animals in human care
• Actively Participate in fun, sometimes silly group and team building activities
• Ability to work outdoors in drastically changing weather including extreme wind, temperatures, pouring rain, and winter conditions
• Ability to work long hours on your feet and walk long distances over uneven terrain while providing interpretive talks and information
• Ability to perform physically demanding tasks such as cleaning and moving up to 40 pounds
• Ability to work directly with the public and diverse audiences providing information and assistance as needed and in a positive manner
• Willingness to learn areas of interest to visitors including local history, geography, geology, and more
• Must be able to work a highly variable schedule as needed, including all weekends, early mornings, and nights
• Strong time and task management skills
• Current driver’s license
• Must be eligible to work in the United States
• Must have received or be willing to receive a tetanus vaccination by date of hire to be considered. Proof of vaccination required

Additionally Considered Skills

These additional skills will be considered, but are not required for this position

• Preferred internship length is 19-21 weeks with end dates in mid-late– September
• Preferred Start Date by May 12th
• Some college coursework in a related field. Some examples may include Education, Interpretation, Wildlife Biology, Environmental Studies, Natural Resources, Zoological Sciences, Ecology, Animal Science, or other related topics of interest
• Application demonstrates how this opportunity will be a career building opportunity
• Application demonstrates knowledge of AWCC programs
• Experience with Alaska’s wildlife and environment
• This position is eligible as a credit earning opportunity in the University of Alaska system along with several other universities. If you are interested in earning credit for this opportunity, please inquire in your application packet.
• Rabies vaccine: depending on the animals in our care at the time of the internship having this vaccination may lead to more animal care opportunities
• Fluency in multiple languages
• Dena'ina language familiarity
• First Aid and CPR Certified

Area Specifics and Benefits

• Housing is available for seasonal team members.
• Housing is on-site and is dormitory style with multiple shared bedrooms as well as shared bathrooms, kitchen, living room, and laundry machines, Wi-Fi is provided. Ability to courteously live with other team members is essential.
• Staff living on-site with a valid driver’s license and safe driving record have occasional and limited access to an AWCC vehicle for group grocery and supply runs.
• Portage, Alaska is located 45 miles southeast of Anchorage, and 10 miles past Girdwood, a small ski-town. There is one small grocery store in Girdwood; Anchorage has the closest typical city amenities.
• This position has uniform requirements, specific uniform requirements will be provided to the employee including jacket, rain jacket, mid-layer, and shirts.
• Additional gear/clothing for comfort working outside and non-working times is employee responsibility
• Employees receive free admission to AWCC for friends and family
• Employees receive a discount in our Be Wild Gift Shop

Apply on our website

• Submit a single page resume
• Submit a single page cover letter detailing how this position would help you to progress in your chosen career path. Cover letters should demonstrate an understanding of AWCC's mission and programming.
• Phone and email contacts for three professional references with job titles and working relationship.
• Include month and date for earliest available start date and latest available end date.
• The deadline to submit an application for all internship opportunities is Saturday, January 31, 2026.
• Applications will be considered on a rolling basis beginning in January.