Internships
© Wildlife Qld
About our internships
Since 2014, Wildlife Queensland has hosted students from a range of educational institutions seeking placement opportunities in the environmental conservation industry.
Students placed with Wildlife Queensland undertake projects in policy development, wildlife monitoring, and community engagement, and support Head Office staff in the day-to-day running of the Society.
Wildlife Queensland’s placement projects are designed to offer students the opportunity to develop both discipline-specific and transferable skills, as well as an understanding of the contributions and obligations expected of a professional graduate in the environmental field. Activities undertaken during placement include:
- volunteer management
- event organisation
- field surveys
- reporting
- stakeholder engagement
- desktop research
- administration and general office duties.
© Wildlife Qld
UQ Placement Student Penelope Webster measures the diameter of a tree at Sheep Station Creek Conservation Park prior to nest box installation, as part of her Greater Glider placement project.
With support, each student takes ownership of their specific project, from experimental/survey design and recruitment/training of volunteers, through to analysis/reporting of data and presentation of findings/recommendations.
In particular, Wildlife Queensland has been a strong supporter of the University of Queensland’s 14-week industry placement, a compulsory course in the Bachelor of Environmental Management (Honours) degree program.
Wildlife Queensland has hosted approximately eight per cent of all environmental management students undertaking their placement, demonstrating a significant contribution to the program.
The support and guidance provided by Wildlife Queensland staff and Council members have raised the profile of the Society among the University of Queensland’s students as a preferred placement provider.
Holly Bryant Award
Wildlife Queensland values the input of students and benefits from the outcomes of the placement projects, which have become a fundamental part of the Society’s operations. Each year, an award is granted to one of the Society’s placement students in recognition of their contribution. Find out more.
Meet our interns
© Hayley ParkerHayley Parker
Wildlife Queensland intern, 2023
Hayley Parker is in her third year studying a Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Queensland. Her internship at Wildlife Queensland involves writing a directional paper to help establish Wildlife Queensland’s position on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs).
What’s an OECM?
An OECM refers to an area that delivers positive and sustained biodiversity conservation outcomes, apart from traditional protected areas like national parks or nature refuges. The central difference is that OECMs may have a conservation objective but are not required to. An OECM can be:
- a community-based conservation effort;
- a sustainable resource management practice;
- a habitat restoration project;
- or an indigenous or local knowledge system that contributes to conservation outcomes.
Future plans
“In the future, I would like to work for a non-government organisation helping people and wildlife through policy and advocacy work,” says Hayley.
“I would like to do something meaningful and have a positive impact on the world.”
Hayley is enjoying her internship, finding her office buddies at Wildlife Queensland “friendly, down-to-earth and passionate”.