Lehigh Valley Zoo

Education Intern In Conservation Biology

August 2023 • Schnecksville, PA

What I liked

What I like from this Intern is how I am able to relay information to people of all ages on how important it is to have conservation within the zoos and not only do it for money but for the existence of animals and its status on population; making sure we keep the endanger animals alive and producing a healthy environment.

What I wish was different

To be able to handle every animal at the zoo.

Advice

Always practice your communication skills. It's important to know how to talk to people and relay information in order to guarantee people can understand and make a difference too.

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Conservation Education Intern

June - August 2020 • Schnecksville, PA

What I liked

I loved the close knit working environment, the mission of the facility, and the overall position.

What I wish was different

I wish COVID had not affected the programming/opening of the facility, as well as more husbandry.

Advice

It is what you make it: work hard to get more experiences!

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Volunteer

May 2019 • Schnecksville, PA

What I liked

getting to be around animals all day

What I wish was different

Advice

definitely bring an umbrella just in case of unsuspected rain

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Lead Associate of Operations

June 2017 • Schnecksville, PA

What I liked

I gained significant amounts of managerial experience in a position relevant to my career plans. The company allowed me to hold great responsibility and authority to oversee daily operations. I was also a part of several leadership teams which allowed me access to upper level management practices and mentoring. I helped plan and oversee several large fund-raising events. Not only did these provide wonderful work experience, but they were also fun to be a part of.

What I wish was different

I would have liked a higher pay rate. I do not believe my hourly wage fairly compensated me for the amount of responsibilities and duties placed upon me. Several full-time employees who did not do nearly as much as I did were paid at much higher rates because they are no longer in school and can work year-round.

Advice

Summer jobs are a great way to build career-oriented work experience. This does not mean that they cannot be fun at the same time. Try to find a way to connect your work to things you enjoy. This will help you perform at your greatest potential while still enjoying the work you do.

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Volunteer

April 2018 • Schnecksville, PA

What I liked

I was quickly given responsibilities that included keys to open and close animal exhibits, and I was able to interact with guests on a personal level to educate them about our animals and the mission of the Zoo.

What I wish was different

I wish one of the volunteer coordinators hadn’t resigned and left! He was so great and he taught me a lot.

Advice

Just put yourself out there and stick with it. I started by working at craft tables for 6 hours straight, but once the staff saw how responsible I was, I was able to lead giraffe feedings and work with the lorikeet feedings.

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Conservation Education Intern

May - August 2018 • Schnecksville, PA

What I liked

As Education Interns, we worked with the staff of the Education Department to care for and present the zoo's collection of Animal Ambassadors. We, as interns, were given a lot of responsibility. We were quickly trusted to run programs on our own, and the staff made sure that we were always learning. The office culture was also incredibly supportive, friendly, and fun!

What I wish was different

The internship was set up so that there were 6 full time, paid interns, and about 10 part time, unpaid interns. On some days, only two interns would be scheduled and there would be a lot of work for them to get done. On other days, nearly all 16 interns would be scheduled, and it turned into a lot of sitting around.

Advice

If you're interested in working with animals in any capacity- whether as an educator, behavioral researcher, veterinarian, or zookeeper- this type of internship is invaluable. Learning what you don't like is just as important as learning what you do like, and this internship helped me to hone in on exactly where in the zoo world I want to end up.

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