• Volunteer & Intern

    Volunteer & Intern

    Conservation Training
  • 1

Training

Volunteers and Interns

The Amphibian Foundation has worked with and trained many amazing volunteers and interns over the years. Our programs and initiatives are dependent upon these important relationships. Whether you are interested in husbandry and helping us take care of the over 200 reptiles and amphibians in our education collection, rearing endangered species of amphibian for conservation programs, teaching Critter Camp or helping us post amphibian conservation advancements on social media, there are many opportunities to get involved with The Amphibian Foundation and saving amphibians! Volunteer engagement that inspires conservation action.

If our volunteers are 1) taught work ethics such as teamwork and leadership skills; 2) provided with training in presentation and interpretive skills; 3) taught skills in working with animals and their environment; and 4) exposed to career options in education, conservation, and science fields, then they will develop core conservation values, be stewards of the environment, and possess job and presentation skills to become positive and productive members of society.


Available Volunteer Positions

Volunteers

Volunteers are the backbone of The Amphibian Foundation. We would not be able to accomplish our conservation goals without the talent and support of our passionate volunteers. The Amphibian Foundation generally has over forty active volunteers at a time, and to keep things flowing, productive and organized, these volunteers are required to come in at a specific time/day. Live Collections Volunteers are assigned to specific tasks in certain laboratories so that their weekly shifts allow them to become familiar with the programs, initiatives, collections, and animals with which they work.

Collections Volunteer shifts are typically 2-3 hours per week on Tuesday and/or Thursday and/or Friday mornings from 9:30 am until 12:00 pm.

Education Team Volunteers generally have more flexible schedules, and it based on individual programs and classes.


Open Volunteer Positions
To see all available openings, visit the link below. You can direct questions to email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Available Volunteer Openings

  • Collections

    The Collections Team is looking for volunteers! Collections Volunteer shifts are Tuesday and/or Thursday and/or Friday mornings from 9:30 - 12:00.

    We provide all necessary training and support.

    If you are interested in volunteering in the live collections, please fill out the application linked here.
  • Education & Outreach

    The Amphibian Foundation's Education Team needs assistance for upcoming regional educational and outreach programs, including Critter Camp, our reptile and amphibian summer and school-year camp. If you are interested in gaining valuable teaching and outreach experience, and enjoy speaking with children about reptiles and amphibians, please fill out the application linked here.

    We provide all necessary training and support.

    There is more information about Critter Camp teaching positions on our Critter Camp website here: teach.critter-camp.org

Interns

Interns generally focus on a specific goal or project within the Foundation. The project can either be assigned by the Director or suggested by the intern and/or the intern’s academic advisor. The point is to provide a project goal which can be completed during the length of the internship. Internships can last a semester or longer, depending on what is arranged with the intern, the Director and/or the academic advisor. These internships are generally 2-6 hours per week at a set time/day or can be flexible depending on how the internship is arranged. Interns from Atlanta colleges can often get school credit for their internships.

Internships are typically unpaid unless prior arrangements have been made through a funding program. Internships at the Amphibian Foundation typically center on Husbandry & Captive Management projects. For research based projects, please see our Conservation Research Bridge Program page, which details our mentored, 1-3 semester training program.


Apply to the Internship Program
Please submit the materials listed below as your application to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  • Apply for an Internship

    Due to COVID-19 guidance and restrictions, we are unable to accept internship applications at this time. We hope to resume our internship program soon. There are still opportunities to get involved through our Volunteer program, or the Conservation Research Bridge Program.


    To apply for an internship, please provide the following materials: 1) A short Statement of Interest. Two or more paragraphs indicating your interest, experience and what you hope to achieve through an internship at The Amphibian Foundation. 2) A Letter of Support from academic advisor, professor or mentor. 3) Applicants are encouraged to provide a CV, but it is not necessary.

  • Scientific Illustration Internships

    The Amphibian Foundation offers semester-long internships in the field of Scientific Illustration. Illustration interns are generally expected to spend 2-3 hours per week on biology and conservation based illustration and graphic projects, which can be completed in a semester. There is only one available opening per semester, with the option of working in tandem with Emory University's Science.Art.Wonder program.

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Collections Volunteers

Cheyenne Hogan

Cheyenne Hogan

Flatwoods Salamander Lab
Ashley Byrd

Ashley Byrd

Flatwoods Salamander Lab
Jake Kassel

Jake Kassel

Flatwoods Salamander Lab
Becca Rodriguez

Becca Rodriguez

Conservation Collections
Cassie Ashby

Cassie Ashby

Amphibian Lab
Brittany Szafran

Brittany Szafran

Amphibian Lab
Amanda Ramsay

Amanda Ramsay

Amphibian Lab
Ana Luisa Ahern

Ana Luisa Ahern

Amphibian Lab
Roxana Pena

Roxana Pena

Amphibian Lab
Jermiko Sims

Jermiko Sims

Amphibian Lab
Kyra Bassett

Kyra Bassett

Amphibian Lab
Jessica Kemper

Jessica Kemper

Amphibian Lab
Raquel Gonzalez

Raquel Gonzalez

Amphibian Lab
Nicholas Holmes

Nicholas Holmes

Squamate Lab
Lyssa-Jean Yonezawa

Lyssa-Jean Yonezawa

Squamate Lab
Cheri Robinson

Cheri Robinson

Squamate Lab
Abbie German

Abbie German

Squamate Lab
Christine Beard

Abbie German

Squamate Lab
Karl Guyton II

Karl Guyton II

Squamate Lab
TieuAnh Phung

TieuAnh Phung

Squamate Lab
Emma Brown

Emma Brown

Special Collections
Susan Sweeney

Susan Sweeney

Special Collections
Mireille Lofquist

Mireille Lofquist

Special Collections
Chelsea DesJardins

Chelsea DesJardins

All Labs
Juan Taquechel

Juan Taquechel

All Labs
Taylor Cone

Taylor Cone

All Labs
Michaela Daniel

Michaela Daniel

Inventory Specialist
Jeffrey Weiss

Jeffrey Weiss

Tractability Specialist
You?
See available opportunities to get involved in Collections or other teams. get.amphibious.af

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Volunteer Networks

Volunteer Match

Volunteer Match

You can see our open volunteer positions on VolunteerMatch. A great way to get involved in your community.

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Handshake

Handshake

Are you a student at a local Atlanta college? See our openings through Handshake and you may be able to get credit through your school.

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Can't commit to a weekly shift? Join our Special Projects Team!

Can't commit to a weekly shift? Join our Special Projects Team!

Sign up for our Special Projects Team and get alerted when there are opportunities for field work, or projects at the Amphibian Foundation. We'll send out an email when opportunities arise, and if you are available to join us, please do!

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Education & Outreach

Education & Outreach

Through our Critter Camp and educational & outreach programs, there are many opportunities to work with children, teaching them about reptiles and amphibians, conservation, including how to perform scientific experiments and collect data. We have training and paid opportunities for ages 14 and up!

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Work Hands-On With Reptiles & Amphibians

Work Hands-On With Reptiles & Amphibians

Our volunteers help us care for a large living herpetological research and teaching collection, learning valuable husbandry skills from a team of experts in the field. We have about 250 frogs, salamanders, turtles, lizards and snakes and are fully licensed and permitted. Contact us if you are interested in volunteering at The Amphibian Foundation!
Captive Husbandry and Propagation

Captive Husbandry and Propagation

If you love working with animals, particularly reptiles and amphibians, then consider volunteering your time with The Amphibian Foundation. We are a positive bunch - enthusiastic about this fascinating group of animals.
Field Work

Field Work

Volunteers and Interns have opportunities to get in the field and contribute to research and conservation. After 3 months, volunteers can be added as sub-permittees and have supervised access to resticted areas in the southeast, as well as opportunities to work with state and federally listed species.
Artificial Ephemeral Wetland Design & Implementation

Artificial Ephemeral Wetland Design & Implementation

Ephemeral wetlands (or temporary, seasonal, vernal wetlands a.k.a. 'puddles') are a necessary component for 25% of Atlanta's amphibians, but are vital for 60% of them — and they are disapppearing. What might not look like more then a swampy depression in the woods could be valuable habitat for amphibian communities struggling to stay viable in our urban landscape. Our team identifies areas which can support ephemeral wetlands and work with land managers to develop these wetlands. We even 'stock' them with with our captive produced offspring.
Rearing Endangered Species of Amphibians

Rearing Endangered Species of Amphibians

Volunteers can also help with rearing state and federally listed amphibian species like Gopher Frogs (Lithobates capito) and Frosted Flatwoods Salamanders (Ambystoma cingulatum) as well as in assisted metamorphosis (head-starting) programs for endangered species.
Outreach — Bringing Reptiles & Amphibians to Schools

Outreach — Bringing Reptiles & Amphibians to Schools

We work with regional schools and programs to teach students about reptiles and amphibians, as well as the conservation issues surrounding these groups.
Scientific Illustration & Specimen Prep

Scientific Illustration & Specimen Prep

We also work with students on valuable research skills, and specimen preparation techniques such as: preservation in ethanol, fixing specimens, and preparing skeletal specimens with flesh-eating-beetles (dermestids).

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Field Studies for Children

Field Studies for Children

Nothing excites kids more about science than getting out in the field and finding animals! If you love engaging children and getting outdoors, then contact us about our Critter Camp, Atlanta Urban Ecologists, Amphibian Foundation Field Trips, In-School Programs, Home School Programs and Metro Atlanta Amphibian Monitoring Programs.
Scientific Illustration Interns

Scientific Illustration Interns

We train interns from the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, SCAD and others in the scientific illustration of reptiles and amphibians — their anatomy, morphology, physiology and conservation. We train in both pen and ink as well as digital renderings using Adobe PhotoShop and Illustrator to create compelling graphics for scientific research. We produced an exhibit in 2016 featuring the illustrations of our interns in a gallery in Decatur, the production was called The Ribbit Exhibit, which raised awareness for amphibian conservation.

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Always Opportunities

Always Opportunities

We encourage further fascination with this remarkable group of critters. We do this by providing opportunities for volunteers, students and interns to work directly with the animals; teaching others, collecting data, caring for the animals and getting out into the field. In most cases, prior experience is not necessary — just an enthusiasm for conservation.
Critter Camp Counselors

Critter Camp Counselors

We are always looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help with teaching Critter Camp, our popular Reptile and Amphibian Summer and School-year Camp for ages 6 - 14. Volunteers work with the campers and animals, lead activities and help feed the animals. For more information about Critter Camp, see our website: critter-camp.org