Main Office: 541-230-1220 | Wildlife Hotline: 541-745-5324 | Intake Hours: 9:00 am - 4:oo pm Please call Wildlife Hotline before bringing in an animal
Intern at Chintimini Wildlife Center
We are excited to offer several internship opportunities in our education and animal care programs. Our internships are an exciting opportunity for students and emerging wildlife professionals to build important skills and make connections in the realm of wildlife rehabilitation and education.
Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate requests for specialized internships at this time. You may apply for both internships, however you will only be able to complete one per session. For full consideration, all interns must attend a mandatory orientation. Must be 18 years of age or older to apply.
Wildlife Care Internship
Our Wildlife Hospital operates on about 5 acres and admits around 2,000 injured and orphaned wild animals each year from Benton County and the surrounding area. Interns work with our Wildlife Rehabilitation Staff to provide care to rehabilitation patients in our clinic. Duties include many aspects animal husbandry such as diet preparation, cleaning and maintenance of enclosures, assisting staff with patient treatments and other procedures, and more.
Schedule: Chintimini Wildlife Center offers multiple internship opportunities throughout the year that require a 13 or 14 commitment depending on the season. See below for the specific dates for each session.
Due to the training and competency required, interns must commit to 2 or more shifts in the Spring, and 3 or more shifts in the Summer and Fall.
Reports to: Wildlife Rehabilitation Staff
Compensation: This is an unpaid volunteer position, and participation in our internship program does not guarantee paid employment with us in the future.
Note: The next internship opportunity is Spring 2025
2025 Wildlife Care Position Description
2025 Hiring Schedule for Wildlife Care
Spring 2025: March 30th – June 29th
Minimum of 12 hours per week, 2 or more shifts
Shifts*: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm; 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Applications accepted: January 20th – February 8th
Mandatory orientation: Saturday March 29th 1:00 – 3:00 PM
Workshop: Sunday April 27th 1:00 – 3:00 PM
*Spring Shifts will change as patients increase
Summer 2025: June 15th – September 21st
Minimum of 18 hours per week, 3 or more shifts
Shifts: 7:00 am – 1:00 pm; 2:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Applications accepted: March 24th – April 12th
Mandatory orientation: Saturday June 7th 1:00 – 3:00 PM
Workshop: Sunday July 13th 1:00 – 3:00 PM
Fall 2025: September 14th – December 14th
Minimum of 12 hours per week, 3 or more shifts
Shifts: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm; 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Applications accepted: July 7th – July 25th
Mandatory orientation: Saturday September 6th 1:00 – 3:00 PM
Workshop: Sunday Oct 12th 1:00 – 3:00 PM
Wildlife Education Internship
We are seeking multiple Wildlife Education Interns to join our Education team. Our Wildlife Education Program operates on a 5-acre nature center and is home to a dozen non-releasable birds of prey as well as reptiles and invertebrates. These animals are our Animal Ambassadors and help us provide educational programs for the public. Interns will work with our Education team to provide care, training, and enrichment to our animal ambassadors. Duties include many aspects of animal husbandry such as diet preparation, cleaning enclosures, assisting staff with educational outreach, and more.
Schedule: Our Wildlife Center is open seven days a week, 365 days a year. Interns will report to work at Chintimini Wildlife Center for three or more of our scheduled 4-hour shifts per week and perform animal care activities onsite. Shift times are flexible but are always between 10am – 4pm. Internships last approximately 11-13 weeks and closely follow the Oregon State University academic calendar. Interns are also expected to take on a project to be completed by the end of the term.
Reports to: Education Co-Directors
Compensation: These are unpaid volunteer positions
2025 Hiring Schedule for Wildlife Education
Winter 2025: January 5th – March 22nd
Applications accepted Oct 20th – Nov 30th
Spring 2025: March 30th – June 14th
Applications accepted Jan 15th – Feb 15th
Summer 2025: June 22nd – Sept 6th
Applications accepted April 10th – May 10
Fall 2025: Sept 21st – Dec 20th
Applications accepted June 1st – Aug 1st
Wildlife Care Internship
Wildlife Education Internship
Wildlife Care interns assist Rehab Staff in our wildlife hospital. Interns will help to provide care to our more critical patients and young orphans. Diet prep, cage cleaning & setup, administering medications, and assisting with patient admissions/evaluations are at the forefront of the internship experience.
Animal admissions fluctuate with the seasons, which helps to create a unique experience with every term we offer. In the spring we receive an influx of young orphans, such as baby raccoons, squirrels, and songbirds. In the fall or winter, we have a much lower patient load and tend to admit emaciated raptors or vehicle-collided mammals. While there are plenty of basics to master, there is always something new to learn and experience.
Wildlife Care Internships last 12-13 weeks and can occasionally be accommodated for up to one year. Interns will report to work at Chintimini Wildlife Center for two or more 6 hour shifts per week, depending on the session and perform animal care activities on-site.
Wildlife Education interns work directly with our animal ambassadors, tending to their daily care, training, and enrichment. Interns conduct educational programs both on- and off-site, providing engaging presentations to diverse groups within our county and surrounding areas. You’ll gain valuable skills in animal husbandry, training/handling, and public speaking, and will assist the Education Co-Directors as needed. Using positive reinforcement, interns help staff build and maintain a trusting relationship that empowers the animals, increases their confidence, and keeps them healthy.
Internships will include a self-directed project at the discretion of the Education Co-Directors.
Wildlife Education internships last approximately 11-13 weeks (depending on the term) and can be extended one additional term. Interns will report to work at Chintimini Wildlife Center for three or more 4-hour shifts per week and perform animal care activities on-site. Some travel may be required if interns are performing off-site programming.
“An amazing opportunity you don’t want to miss out on! Each and every shift was a new and exciting experience as a wildlife care intern! The only guarantee at Chintimini was every day I got to make a difference while working with an extraordinary team. Speaking of the team, everyone at Chintimini is great and wants to see you succeed! They are extremely skilled and will give you the chance to learn so many amazing skills like subcutaneous injections, gavaging, diet preparation, medicine distribution, the list goes on! If you are looking for a once-in-life-time experience look no farther than an internship at Chintimini!” – Max Mengore, Fall 2023 Wildlife Care Intern
“If you love wildlife and are looking for an internship, this one is for you! I have had a fantastic and enriching experience throughout my time at Chintimini Wildlife, so much so that I have continued volunteering after my term completed. Being a part of this organization has allowed me not only to get experience within the field of wildlife rehabilitation, but I’ve also had the pleasure to work alongside incredible staff that are so passionate and dedicated to helping these beautiful animals. I’ve been able to learn so many valuable skills like calculating and administering medications, giving subconscious fluids, the proper identification and feeding of various animals specific to the Pacific Northwest as well as most importantly how to handle wildlife correctly. Through this internship you get to experience wildlife you might not get to see on a day to day basis and know that you’re making a difference in their lives.” – Michaela Coringrato, Fall 2023 Wildlife Care Intern
“Going into the Birds of Prey internship was one of the best decisions of my life. It provided me with amazing hands-on experience with the daily care, training, and education around raptor ambassadors. Additionally, Bree and Kathleen are exceptional supervisors, and their continuous support of my intern goals helped me grow as a both zoologist and a person. Even without that though, getting to know the unique birds housed at this facility is worth it by itself (Pip the one-eyed Red-tailed Hawk is definitely the bestest boy in the whole world). I would definitely recommend anyone wanting to have a career in wildlife to apply for this internship! It has absolutely changed my life!”
Rachel Martin, 2021 Wildlife Education Intern
“This internship is a perfect fit for me and is accommodating enough for anyone else I can imagine participating in it in the future. I am learning skills that I will use in my future veterinary career and learning about the everyday and special efforts required to interact with and help wild animals. I’ve been so lucky to spend one on one time with the experts and passionate volunteers at Chintimini. I know this internship will become more and more competitive as word is spread. I feel really lucky to participate in it.”
Annabelle Geisler, Winter 2019 Wildlife Care Intern
“I just really love working for the center. I love all the people I work with and I feel so fulfilled being able to care for all of our animals in their most vulnerable states. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”
Kira Burkett, Summer & Fall 2019 Wildlife Care Intern