Title: Tropical Avian Conservation Ecology Intern Organization: Third Millennium Alliance, El Observatorio de Aves Jama-Coaque (OAJC, aka The Jama-Coaque Bird Observatory) Location: Reserva Jama-Coaque, Manabí province, Ecuador Start dates: Multiple in 2019, see tmalliance.org/internships
SUMMARY: Third Millennium Alliance (TMA) is a registered non-profit dedicated to conserving the last remnants of Pacific Ecuadorian Forests and empowering local communities to restore what's been lost. The organization’s flagship project is the Jama-Coaque Reserve and Bird Observatory – Ecuador’s first international bird observatory dedicated to long-term, year-round avian monitoring, research, conservation and capacity-building. TMA offers field-based internship opportunities to engage in hands-on research in a beautiful tropical rainforest on Ecuador's Pacific coast over the course of 4-8 week sessions. TMA’s Research Internship is rooted in Ornithology, Tropical Ecology, and Conservation. The program is designed to provide both an excellent educational opportunity for emerging scientists and to collect ecological data in support of TMA’s research and conservation initiatives. All internships are lead by experienced and certified (North American Banding Council) ornithologists and bird banders. Interns will participate in ongoing projects investigating demographic trends, seasonal movements, molt patterns, habitat use, nesting ecology, and more. Interns will also have the opportunity to participate in other research studies being carried out in the Reserve during their stay (e.g. camera trapping, primate surveys, herpetofauna studies), but these activities will be supplemental to the more in-depth ornithological research activities at the core of the internship. BASIC SKILLS GAINED: - Mist-netting - Bird banding - Bird identification - Bird handling techniques - Aging and sexing techniques - Study/sampling design - Nest searching/monitoring - GPS navigation - Data management - Camera-trapping - Wildlife monitoring - Conservation practices 2019 INTERNSHIP CALENDAR: Taste of the Tropics (4-week sessions) 1. January 28th – February 22nd 2. February 25th – March 22nd 3. May 27th – June 21st 4. June 24th – July 19th Tropical Immersion (8-week sessions) 1. January 28th - March 22nd 2. May 27th - July 19th A complete description of the TMA internship with the 2019 schedule and prices can be found on our website: http://tmalliance.org/internships/about/ PREREQUISITES: Prior experience working with birds or other wildlife is not required to participate. Each internship session begins with an intensive two-week training period to help develop necessary skills. Interns may also be asked to review literature supplied by TMA before beginning their programs. Interns will receive the full tropical field ornithology experience, which means many days spent waking before the sun and hiking in difficult field conditions while carrying equipment, thus applicants should be in good physical condition. Given these realities, passion for wildlife (particularly birds) and conservation, a hard work ethic, and a positive attitude are all critical to your success and our top requirements. * Accreditation–For students looking to get academic credit for our internship program, please discuss the options available with your advisor or internship office. TMA does not currently have the ability to independently provide academic credit, but we are happy to work with your university to ensure all requirements are met by our program. Our staff is happy to provide an evaluation of performance and complete any paperwork required by the university. HOW TO APPLY: Application material (Application Form, Cover Letter, and CV/Resume) is available on the TMA website here: http://tmalliance.org/internships/how-to-apply/ Please submit your application to TMA (i...@tmalliance.org). The subject of your application email should read as follows: “APPLICATION – Internship Length/ Start Date (Your Name)”. For example: “APPLICATION -Taste of the Tropics Jan. 4th (John Doe)”. We look forward to working with you soon! Jama-Coaque Reserve Team Third Millennium Alliance Ecuador www.tmalliance.org
