Most national park internships that will prepare you for a real career in the national park system will put you in close quarters with Mother Nature and her many inhabitants. National park internships allow you to explore a variety of different roles in the field. Explore ground work in conservation, partner with professional geoscientists to study how the park is changing over time, or learn the ropes of the business side of how national parks are run through a national parks consulting internship. Many people contribute to the success of a national park, and nearly all roles offer internship opportunities.

National park internships often occur as part of secondary or collegiate education, though many students may wish to pursue a graduate career in a more specific field, such as environmental management or conservation, which often includes an internship as well. Due to the intense hands-on nature of national park internships, choosing to participate in one or more internships during your academic career can only help to give you insight into exactly what type of work you’d like to do upon graduation.

Most national park internships don’t require specific academic qualifications, though it won’t hurt to have studied subjects like biology, ecology, or geology. That being said, students from art, history, anthropology, and archaeology backgrounds are just as likely to be interested in and succeed at national park internships.

Upon internship completion, the world is your oyster! Whether you completed a national park internship abroad or close to home, you will suddenly have prospects not only in the national parks, but in game preserves, state and local park systems, in the private and public sector, and much more. The knowledge gained about protecting the environment in your internship is in high demand as the resources of our planet become increasingly constrained.