Squam Lakes Natural Science Center

“As the Animal Care Intern, I had the opportunity to participate in the care of each and every animal at the Science Center! It's a great way to gain experience working with a variety of species. Though there is a lot of shadowing/assisting, interns are also given a good amount of independence. For example, after proper training, I was allowed to perform daily cleaning and diet distribution for all exhibit raptors and program animals on my own. I also got to design and carry out my own animal training project! As an intern, you also get to research and formulate your own Up Close to Animals presentations for the public. It's a great opportunity to develop your interpretation and public speaking skills! The staff is all super supportive and they want to help you succeed. The animal care staff would rather have you shadow and learn new things than spend all day doing dishes. You feel truly appreciated as an intern! You get a stipend and (rustic, but free) housing as well, which is relatively rare for animal care internships, especially AZA ones!”

“I liked the experience in educational programs and getting to work with the animals. ”