Garden Walk/Inxect Zoo Internship

Garden Walk & Insect Zoo Internship

Museum of Science, Boston

www.mos.org

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

The Garden Walk & Insect Zoo is a living habitat of plants, animals and invertebrates which is open to the public every day. The exhibit involves a variety of horticultural, animal care, and curatorial expertise to maintain the exhibit to museum standards. The educational offerings on the floor are informal, including kiosk interpretation and hands-on education. Ongoing development of new topics in insect-plant relationships are also a primary element of the exhibit.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Garden Walk & Insect Zoo interns are primarily tasked with facilitating educational interactions by engaging exhibit visitors in conversations and interpretations related to the ecology and natural history of the invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, and plants living within the Garden Walk & Insect Zoo. S/he will also partake in the daily maintenance of the exhibit; increase their natural history knowledge of invertebrates, other animals, and plants; acquire skills in horticultural care; learn about invertebrate husbandry by shadowing an invertebrate keeper; hone their communication and verbal skills by working daily with the public; learn about USDA containment regulations and AZA accreditation standards; and will work to complete an individualized project by creating an educational activity, demo, interpretation, or research study on a topic of their choice related to invertebrates, other animals in the space, and/or plants.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Support the ongoing running of the exhibit, including various daily maintenance needs
• Greet and interact with exhibit visitors.
• Answer questions, interpret educational materials and lead activities and demos related to invertebrates, other animals, and plants.
• Learn about invertebrate welfare and enrichment
• Conduct routine maintenance and partake in both horticultural and animal care
• Learn USDA containment guidelines and AZA regulations
• Work to develop a project related to invertebrates and/or plants

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Demonstrated attention to detail & willingness to learn about living collections
• Demonstrated customer service skills
• Self-motivated, willing to work independently and as part of a team

LENGTH OF INTERNSHIP: Fall 2021 (September December)

WORK SCHEDULE: Two (2) days per week from 9am-5pm (14 paid hours, one unpaid lunch hour each day). One weekend day is preferred.

PAY RATE: The pay rate for internships is $13.50 per hour for an undergrad or $13.75 for a graduate or an individual in graduate school.

APPLICATION NOTES: All internship applications require a resume and cover letter. No phone inquiries, please. Qualified applicants will be contacted within four weeks of initial application.

BENEFITS: Intern benefits include free parking in the Museum garage, close proximity to the Green Line, free admission, discounts in the Museum store and cafe and much more!

The Museum of Science is fully committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and to attracting, retaining, developing and promoting the most qualified employees without regard to their race, gender, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, citizenship status, veteran status, or any other characteristic prohibited by federal, state or local law. We are dedicated to providing a work environment free from discrimination and harassment, and where employees are treated with respect and dignity.

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