Externship
This program is designed to expose students to the work of a wildlife veterinarian in the sea turtle field. Based on their abilities and experience in the field, they will be assigned activities to develop during their stay, as well as receive training to perform these functions
The activities in which the students will participate are:
- Blood sampling of nesting turtles
- Hematology analysis at field
- Stranding response (field necropsies techniques, if its required)
- Sampling collection for pathology and toxicology research
- Nesting sea turtle patrol
- Nesting beach clean-ups
- Environmental education activities
- Workshops
*All of these activities will depend on the project and collaborating programs' agenda, events that occur during your stay (such as strandings), and weather conditions. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that all activities will take place during your stay.
Requirements
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Being a student in the last year of the degree (not having pending subjects) or a graduate (send proof of your obtain degree)
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Unofficial academic record (only students)
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Application form
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Cover letter
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Curriculum vitae (CV/Resume, maximum 3 pages)
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Two recommendation letters
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Only applicants who submit all requested documents correctly will be considered, applications are accepted all year round.
*All documents must be sent in a single PDF document. Once the documents are reviewed, if your application is approved, a video call will be scheduled for an interview and to conclude your application process.
Work environment
This is a 2-4 weeks externship, where the environment is characterized by a high sense of community. Disrespect, racism, or discrimination are not allowed. We're a multidisciplinary and international team, so basic knowledge of other languages is highly valued.
Field trips are made to nesting beaches and occasionally to feeding areas if environmental conditions allow.
Los sitios de muestreo corresponden a diversas playas de anidación a lo largo de los Estados de Yucatán (Marzo-Agosto) y Quintana Roo (Mayo - Julio), por lo que al momento de elegir una fecha de estancia se deberá tener esto en cuenta.
Physical demands
- A high affinity to field work (beach, open sea, and jungle), tolerance to insects and adverse environmental conditions (e.g. storms, high thermal sensation, high environmental humidity)
- Tolerance to stay in rural environments and nature reserves where facilities are limited
- Tolerance to unpleasant odors and blood
- 80% of the activities are at night (20:00hrs a 5:00hrs)
- Have an optimal physical condition to walk 5-10 km daily and climb occasionally
- Be able to lift a minimum of 15kg
- Have good color, peripheral and deep vision (the use of glasses is allowed).
- Swimming (preferable)
- Basic knowledge of first aid (preferable)
- Teamwork and being self-sufficient
*The physical demands are representative of the activities that any member of the team must comply with, reasonable accommodations can be made so for people with disabilities can successfully perform essential functions.
**Activities carried out are similar to the physical work demands carried out in turtle camps, so having previous experience as a volunteer or field technician is highly valued.
Expenses
- No accommodation, per diem or any kind of financing is offered, so the applicant must be able to cover all their expenses throughout their stay.
- Tabulador de gastos $15,500 MXN ($757 USD) + vuelo
*This tabulator is an estimate of the monthly expenses (4 weeks), which includes accommodation, transfers and three meals a day. Expenses may vary according to the personal needs and preferences of each person. Support to find accommodation is offered to candidates who request it and/or who wish to share expenses with other team members. No recovery fee is requested, the externship is free of charge
