Internship & Volunteer Opportunities
Lincoln Park Zoo Comparative Nutrition Internship
Center for Experiential Learning
COMPARATIVE NUTRITION INTERNSHIP - Lincoln Park Zoo
Location: Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL
Duration: 12 weeks (Fall, Spring or Summer)
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
-Be provided with practical training in the field of comparative animal nutrition.
-Develop an understanding of zoo animal nutrition including the following:
comparative digestive physiology and diet implications, common zoo species’ nutritional idiosyncrasies, diet formulation and review, physiologic assessment criteria, relevant background literature and sources of data/information, nutritional analysis, nutrition center management, record keeping, HACCP procedures, zoo-based nutrition research, roles of zoo personnel as they pertain to animal management.
-Conduct an independent research project.
INTERN’S RESPONSIBILITIES:
-Become familiar and assist with daily zoo operations, including nutrition center and satellite kitchen tasks.
-Read archived journal articles for weekly discussion on various topics.
-Learn the diet review process and perform diet reviews for selected species.
-Become familiar with zoo data programs such as Zootrition and Ration Balancer.
-Develop, research, document, and present a limited project or assemble a case report which will be presented to the department at the conclusion of internship.
QUALIFICATIONS:
-Applicant must be enrolled in relevant field such as animal science, biology, zoology, wildlife biology, food science, nutrition. Completion of at least one college-level nutrition course is preferred.
-Proficient in Microsoft Office (e.g. PowerPoint, Excel).
-At least 3 months experience in at least two of the following areas: animal husbandry, research laboratory, independent research, food preparation.
-Ability to lift and carry 50 pounds and work in extreme temperatures
TO APPLY:
Please send a resume, cover letter, unofficial transcript and completed employee application form to Karina Carbo at kcarbo@lpzoo.org.