Internships
Wolf Hollow Internships 2010
We are now accepting applications for our internships in summer/fall 2010. Please read the information, then print out, complete and mail your application form to us. The closing date for applications is Feb. 28th, 2010.
In the future, we hope to offer internships in the education and research aspects of our work, but these are not available at this time.
An internship at Wolf Hollow provides the opportunity to gain hands-on experience working with many different wildlife species and to learn skills such as handling techniques, diets, food preparation and feeding methods and to assist experienced rehab. staff with treatment procedures. Our internships are intended to provide on-the-job training in basic rehab. skills, not to teach advanced veterinary theory of techniques. We work closely with local vets, but do not have a vet on staff.
We hope a working internship will help interns to examine wildlife career opportunities. In return, we expect to work with enthusiastic, mature, hard working people who will become an integral part of the working staff at Wolf Hollow during their internship. Most of our interns come from biology, wildlife management, veterinary medicine, veterinary technician or environmental education fields, but we will consider interns from any background. We believe that a strong interest in wildlife, enthusiasm and willingness to learn are more important than academic qualifications.
About Our Program
Seasons at Wolf Hollow
Although we care for injured animals throughout the year, our busiest time is "Baby Season", which usually begins in about May and runs through October. This is the period when we receive considerable numbers of orphaned and separated young wild creatures in addition to a steady stream of injured animals. Interns who come to Wolf Hollow during different parts of this season will gain different types of experience. It can be highly variable from year to year, but in early summer we are mostly caring for young orphaned raccoons, fawns, nestling birds etc. By mid summer we are spending much of our time working with harbor seal pups, while in early fall we are mainly involved in caring for juvenile animals prior to release, as well as any injured animals that are brought in to us for treatment during this time.
Length of Internships
Internships at Wolf Hollow are for a period of approximately 8-9 weeks each during the May to October period.
Working Hours
Working hours at Wolf Hollow are variable. The actual working day ranges from approximately 9am-5pm in winter to 7am-10pm (worked in shifts) in summer. Sick or orphaned animals often need overnight care. Shifts and schedules are worked out to take into account the animal care requirements and the number of trained people available at any particular time. We rely heavily on interns and volunteers to help care for the large volume of animals we receive during the busy summer months. We work long hours and take turns covering different shifts and doing 12am or other night feeds.
We respond to emergency calls 24 hours a day, so a staff member is always on duty during the day and on call during the night. Once they have learned the basic skills, interns are expected to carry out routine animals care tasks by themselves during evening shifts and night feeds. Whenever possible, schedules are arranged to provide interns with 2 days off each week.
Accommodation
Our on-site housing for interns is a double-wide mobile home, which provides accommodation for up to 5 interns at one time. The housing consists of 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living room, a kitchen and laundry facilities. As this is a wildlife facility, pets are not allowed. We can not provide accommodation for guests. The housing is for interns only.
Health and Insurance
All applicants must answer the questions concerning health on the application form, and those who are selected for our internships must provide proof of an up-to-date tetanus vaccination. While at work, all interns will be covered by Washington State Labor and Industries insurance.
Transportation
Wolf Hollow is located in a quiet, rural area, 4 miles from the small town of Friday Harbor. There is no public transportation system on the San Juan Islands, so we suggest that interns bring a car or bicycle if possible. This allows them to travel to town for supplies and to explore the islands on days off.
Course Credits
Some colleges and universities allow summer internships to count towards course credits, but each has slightly different requirements. Please indicate on the application form if you wish to complete the internship for course credits, so that we can discuss this further with those who are selected for the positions.
Intern Project
Each intern is required to complete a short project during their time at Wolf Hollow. They will select a topic related to wildlife rehabilitation, which is of particular interest to them and of value to Wolf Hollow. Staff will discuss possible project topics with interns shortly after their arrival.
Educational Content
These are working internship where you will learn most through actual hands on experience, but we feel that it is important that interns put this rehabilitation knowledge into context by learning a little about the ecology of the San Juan Islands and threats to wildlife in the area. We will therefore provide information on other organizations or individuals who are working in associated fields within the local area.
Costs
Wolf Hollow is a non-profit organization, with a limited budget, so our internships are unpaid positions. However, this year, we received a grant, which will enable us to provide small stipends to help cover costs of travel and food.
Program Policies
Working With Wildlife
We want the animals we care for to have the best possible chance of survival when we release them back into their natural habitat, so we want to KEEP THEM WILD. This means that some behavior that is suitable when caring for domestic animals is inappropriate when dealing with wildlife. During our rehab work, we aim to minimize human contact. This includes limiting handling of the animals and avoiding unnecessary talking near our wild patients.
Not a Veterinary Internship
Our internships are intended to provide an introduction to Wildlife Rehabilitation, not to provide training in Veterinary Medicine. Interns have the opportunity to observe or assist with examinations and treatments from time to time, but many of our patients are orphaned or separated youngsters and the focus of the internship is animal husbandry, supportive care and preparation for release back into the wild. Interns learn handling, food preparation, feeding techniques and housing requirements for the wide range of species we treat, including songbirds, water birds, raptors, raccoons, deer and seals.
Unglamorous Work
While interns gain a lot of hands-on experience working directly with the animals, a large part of the work is indirectly related to animal care. Food preparation, cleaning, laundry and facilities maintenance are just as important as medical procedures for the well-being of the animals in our care and are essential to the smooth running of the facility.
It is important for interns to realize before they come to Wolf Hollow that, while they may have a special area of interest, e.g., marine mammals, they will still be expected to carry out a whole range of other tasks and work with all the species in our care.
Physically Demanding
Working in a Wildlife Rehab. Center, particularly during the busiest part of the season, can be very physically demanding. Our staff and interns work long hours and are on their feet most of the time. They work indoors and outdoors in all weather and walk considerable distances to and from our woodland enclosures on our 40 acre site. Interns must be able to lift and carry food buckets, bags and other items weighing up to 40 pounds.
Euthanasia
Our goal is to treat all injured or orphaned animals that are brought to us and release them back into the wild. Unfortunately this is not always possible. Animals are brought to us that are too sick or badly injured to be treated and released. In these cases euthanasia is an alternative that is considered. Such a decision would be made, and the animal euthanized, by the rehab staff, however, this is a situation you will come across if you work at Wolf Hollow, so it is something you should come to terms with. Some people find this policy distasteful, but we consider euthanasia to be one of the alternatives available for us to use to relieve pain and suffering in sick or injured animals.