Conservation Biologist Internship

When was the last time that your professor gave you the option to choose what you wanted to study? When was the last time your boss told you to follow your own passion? 

At Para La Tierra we specialize in training life sciences undergraduates and graduates in the skills they need to enter further education or the job market. Supported by Rolex, the Rufford Foundation and US Fish and Wildlife Service, we are here to help you develop your project design and management skills while you gain experience of a wide variety of field work techniques. You will leave Para La Tierra with an excellent knowledge of how to carry out field projects as well as an understanding of neotropical flora and fauna. At the same time you’ll be immersed in Paraguayan culture in one of Paraguay's most understudied locations - Ñeembucú.

Para La Tierra is currently the only year-round scientific research station in the country. Over the last 7 years, PLT has published the most scientific papers of any scientific organization, discovered tens of new species for Paraguay and a couple new for science! You can be a part of the next stage of ecological work in Paraguay by joining our scientific team!

As an intern you will begin your project before you even leave home as you work with our intern supervisor to design your project and complete a literature review. You can choose to begin your own project from scratch depending on your own interests, or you can pick a project from our list of options which you can find on our website. By the time you arrive you’ll be in the final stages of planning and ready to start exploring. Your fieldwork will start soon after and you might want to enlist some of Para La Tierra’s volunteers to help you. At the end of your fieldwork, you’ll write up your project results and give a short presentation of your study to the other interns and volunteers in the house. After all your hard work you’ll leave with an academic reference and a certificate, plus hundreds of fantastic memories to share with those at home. 

Paraguay remains one of the least visited countries in South America yet is also amongst the most friendly, safe and traditional. Paraguay is perfect for an adventurer ready to explore a different world off the beaten track. Para La Tierra is based in the city of Pilar, a beautiful location in the south of Paraguay. Far from the fast pace of modern life, this quaint colonial city is based around the lazy "Arroyo Ñeembucú", a large stream which feeds into the impressive Rio Paraguay. 

Ñeembucú is composed of a mosaic of habitats, including grasslands, marches and humid Chaco. Deep forests lining the rivers and streams running through the area are bursting with wildlife. As with the rest of the country, Ñeembucú is almost completely unstudied and is the only department in the country without a single protected area. Some sample project ideas include:

• Study of the herpetofauna that inhabit four different habitat areas of the Neembucu Wetland system
• Foraging patterns of the Snail Kite and the impact of habitat structure on diet
• Comparison of feeding technique and gape size of fruit eating bird species in the Cerrado
• Micro-mammal species-richness in the Atlantic Forest and transitional forest habitats of Paraguay
• Ecological factors affecting the abundance, distribution, and diversity of dragonfly species in flooded wetlands.
• Edge effects and disturbance in Atlantic forests on the distribution and behaviour of Capuchin monkeys

You will be directly involved in helping us to conserve this threatened habitat by aiding us in scientific investigation of the area and making our results public to help raise awareness of the ecological importance of Ñeembucú. You will also be given the opportunity to see your name in print in a scientific paper, book or in some of our educational material and we are always careful that interns receive full credit for their work. 

Costs -   

$1,195 per month for the 1st 2 months and $995 for each subsequent month. You can also pay on a weekly basis pro rata. There is a 25% discount for South American nationals.  

This price includes all of your living costs during your stay with us. The meeting point is the bus terminal in Pilar. You’ll get three meals a day, a bed in shared accommodation with hot showers and access to WiFi. The fee also covers small administrative costs associated with your stay, and a small contribution to Para La Tierra's conservation and education projects.   

You must be able to stay a minimum of three months but we recommend more if you can to make the most of your experience. Apart from that there are no start or end dates, so you can organise your trip to suit you. So if you're motivated to do something 'Para La Tierra' [For the Earth] and make a real contribution to conservation in a little-known corner of South America, then get in touch with us at paralatierra.py@gmail.com 

Applicants must be over 19 years old and have or be working towards a degree in a biology related subject. Conversational English or Spanish is required.

The Para La Tierra Internship program prepares young biologists to continue their career into masters and PhD programs, into jobs with zoos and government agencies. The job market for scientists is already tough enough, do something today to set yourself apart.