Conservation Biology (Resource Management) Internships

I voluntarily gave this program review because I REALLY LIKED this internship program!!! Conservation Biology is one of my interests, but I never knew where I could get the best internship possible. We are assigned to our chosen destinations and even talked to respected experts in the community. My co-interns came from such interesting backgrounds and are fun to be with – one of them is a doctor, one is an Economics student, two are a couple, and one is a travel vlogger. Thanks to my college senior who told me about this program. You guys should definitely try this internship!

I know only a little about Conservation Biology and I only joined because my friends joined here. Little did I know that I will have the best summer internship of my life. My friends and I now have this life-long bond we will always cherish. I learned a lot about biodiversity and resource management, more than I can ever learn in school. Thank you, IGS.

My personal advocacy is to have an impact in protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from extinction and erosion. This internship was a great avenue for me to fulfil my mission. We helped maintain and implement conservation actions and deal with the stakeholders via assemblies. My mentor was also very helpful and inspiring. I even included her in the Character reference of my resume. She was thrilled when I told her. Hehe

I am really proud to be a part of this initiative. IGS works with non-profits and indigenous groups who are committed to developing the biodiversity in their area. During my internship, we are tasked to review existing areas and identify conservation goals for the region. It was a new experience for me since I have always known the theories in the books only. Thumbs up to IGS!

The conservation biology projects are the most interesting internship for me when I browsed IGS’ website. I am so excited when I got accepted to my chosen field and preferred destination. Capetown, South Africa was great! They have mild climate, natural setting, and well-developed infrastructure. I can travel during our days-off and all I can say is that their beaches are oh-so-fantastic.

Seldom have I found a place where I have felt so completely at home and fulfilled as I have in Koke’e. The work in conservation biology and the people here have helped me reaffirm my desire to be involved in environmental science. It has also helped me to understand where I want to go in my future endeavors. I have received complete support from the Katie, Ellen and David which they displayed by showing an intense desire to teach me about the forest ecosystem and guide me in any way possible. When I arrived up on the mountain, I spent the first couple of weeks working out in the forest, just trying to identify the plants. However, it wasn’t until we took a four-day backpacking trip into Alakai swamp that the delicate balance between the plants and their environment really struck me. The work we did in the swamp and in the rest of Koke’e was enhanced by my coworkers. Overall my internship in Koke’e has been extremely rewarding and educational. The application of the work done here is so valuable that I realized I want to go into an applied science. I would love to be one of those researchers.

I am a high school senior who wanted to do something meaningful over the summer before college. I have been studying Spanish for five years, so I choose to work in Spain. This internship is a great way to improve your foreign language skills as well as work on your career path. My internship was working with a biology student studying the Mediterranean Rain Forest in Barcelona. My first day there, my mentor showed me around the city and taught me how to get around using the metro. My favorite aspect of the program was the diversity of the tasks I had. One day we would be working in the forest taking samples, and the next day, we would be analyzing those samples in the lab. We were studying photosynthesis, and I learned the whole procedure of investigating the photosynthetic traits of different plants. The people in the Institute were so helpful. They made me feel a part of their community, and I had the best time. I was at a point where I am struggling to choose a major and a career path, but working for a month in an institute for ecological research helped me realize that environmental science is very important to me.