Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge
Prairie Learning Center
P.O. Box 399
9981 Pacific Street
Prairie City, Iowa 50228-0399
(515) 994-3400

For General Questions, Please Contact: buffalo@tallgrass.org

Internships

Friends of Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge sponsors internships throughout the year in biology, visitor services and the Land Management and Research Demonstration Program (LMRD). Internships are available to any qualified person 18 years or older with a valid driver's license.

The internship will generally run 9 - 12 weeks, with interns needed from March through October. Timing of internship is flexible, with positions available spring, summer, and fall. The intern will receive a stipend of $2880 - $3840 to cover expenses. Housing will not be provided, but nearby housing may be available for rent. Refuge staff will work with students to fulfill internship credit requirements at individual universities. Non-students are eligible to apply.

Refuge biology interns will be a crucial part of the prairie and savanna restoration work, including monitoring and controlling invasive species, propagation of plants in a greenhouse, planting out seedlings, biological monitoring, hand-harvesting seeds of native prairie plants, and data entry. Biology Intern Application Instructions

Refuge visitor services interns will assist Neal Smith NWR staff in a diversity of Visitor Services projects including: environmental education, curriculum development, program presentations, Partner School Program development, staffing the Visitor Center information desk, assistance with public special events, and trail maintenance. Visitor Services Intern Application Instructions

The LMRD intern will participate in field research projects with a focus on botanical surveys, and will record and electronically enter field data. Additional experiences include assisting in development of a field-based training workshop, research and management fact sheets, and electronic outreach tools. The LMRD intern will get exposure to a well-developed research program, to adaptive management and structured decision-making processes, and will assist in implementation of the new 5-year LMRD Plan. LMRD Intern Application Instructions