Information for prospective interns
About Cascadia
Research
Cascadia
Research is a private non-profit research organization founded in 1979.
Cascadia receives grants and contracts, primarily from government
agencies, to pursue research primarily on marine mammals. Cascadia
also makes educational presentations to a variety of audiences; from technical
talks to scientists at international conferences to presentations to elementary
school children. Based in downtown
Olympia, Washington, Cascadia has conducted field research in the Canadian
Arctic, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica, and
along the Pacific coast of Central America.
Although we
study many marine mammal species, most of our current work is focused either on
gray, blue, humpback and killer whales along the west coast of North America, or
a variety of species of odontocetes (e.g., false killer whales, beaked whales)
in Hawaii. Much of this work involves using photographic identification.
These species have natural markings unique to each individual, and by
photographing and cataloging these markings, we can identify animals and study
their behavior, movements, and population structures over extended periods of
time.
While photo-ID
is a large part of what we do, we utilize a variety of other research
techniques, including tissue sampling for genetics and other physiological
analyses; cetacean suction-cup tagging with a variety of instruments that can
record shorter term movements, dive behavior, sound, or video images; examining
dead stranded marine mammals and assisting in live stranding response and
disentanglements; satellite tagging a variety of species to track movements over
extended periods; and studies of
foraging behavior and prey sampling of killer whales.
Volunteer and Intern Responsibilities
The primary
activities of interns will be to assist staff in our long-term photo-ID studies
of humpback, blue, and gray whales off the US West Coast and the inside waters
of Washington state. In this capacity, interns will be expected to spend a large
portion of their time comparing photographs to our existing catalogs, and may
additionally be involved in digital image processing, data entry, and tasks
related to historical catalog maintenance. The position is largely office-based,
although there may be some opportunities to assist staff in field data
collection, in small boats or as a part of large ship surveys.
Required
and Desired Qualifications for Volunteers and Interns
The following
is required for consideration for a volunteer or internship position:
The ability to
commit to an unpaid position for
a minimum of 20 hours per week for a three-month time period (although we do
favor candidates who can commit to 35-40 hours per week)
A minimum of
junior standing at a college or university and some background course work
in general biology
The ability to work well with others or independently, and with various distractions going on around them
The following
is desired (but not required) of prospective volunteers or interns:
An interest in
the study of marine mammals
Some experience
with independent research
Basic computer
literacy and experience using Microsoft Office products (MS Access, Excel,
and Word)
How to Apply for an Internship or
Volunteer Position
For formal
consideration, we simply request your resume or CV and a letter stating your
interest, what you would like gain out of the internship, relevant background
experience, the time period you are interested in, the number of hours you can
work, and if you would be volunteering for personal experience or would be
seeking internship credit from your college or university.
To apply,
please submit the materials mentioned above to Kiirsten Flynn (kflynn@cascadiaresearch.org)
during the appropriate time period for the quarter in which you are interested,
according to the table below.
|
Position Period |
Application Period Opens |
Application Period Closes |
|
Fall Quarter
(September-November) |
1 July |
31 July |
|
Winter
Quarter (January-March) |
1 November |
30 November |
|
Spring
Quarter (April-June) |
1 February |
28 February |
|
Summer
Quarter (late
June-Aug) |
1 May |
31 May |
Special Instructions for International Applicants:
We recognize
that international applicants may need additional time to make travel, lodging
and Visa arrangements. You may apply up to 3 months earlier than the opening of
the application period for the quarter in which you are interested. In your
letter of interest, please indicate if your academic institution requires that
you complete a thesis project as part of your internship and include any
potential project ideas you may have.