Internships :: Riverbanks Zoo & Garden

An opportunity and experience you’ll never forget.

The internship program at Riverbanks is an opportunity for college students to acquire experience and knowledge by working along side our professional staff. The experience will in no doubt benefit any future endeavors in the zoological field or related area of interest. Internships and other opportunities are available to college students in animal care, summer camp, education programs, ZooTeen program, horticulture, and other areas of request.

Individuals participating in Animal Care or Horticulture internships will be eligible to apply for The Weinkle Family Internship Scholarship. This scholarship at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden will be awarded annually to one or more students participating in a zookeeping or horticulture internship at Riverbanks. Scholarship opportunities will be needs-based and made available to future zookeepers specifically but may also be awarded to future horticulturists. Participation in either of these areas will expose students to the zoo industry as well as the field of conservation and horticulture. Interested students should submit an up-to-500-word essay describing the reason for participating in Riverbanks’ internship program and the nature of financial need.

Upon receiving the completed application, selected students will be contacted to schedule an interview. Efforts are made to place students in their area of interest.

For questions or more information, please contact the Director of Human Resources, Tracy Hughes.

Current Internship Positions (last updated on May 5, 2025)

Aquarium Department Fall Internship- Unpaid

Posted: 5/5/2025

Ambassador Commitment: Create meaningful connections and inspire actions that will have a lasting impact on wildlife and wild places.

Responsibilities: The Aquarium Department at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is proud to offer internship experience for qualified students. The purpose of an internship in our Aquarium is to gain an in-depth knowledge of working in a public aquarium. At the completion of the internship, you will have a greater understanding of maintaining a living collection of fishes and aquatic invertebrates, as well as hands-on skills related to this profession.

Our Aquarium Reptile Conservation Center, commonly referred to as the ARCC, is comprised of five distinct ecosystems showcasing our aquatic and reptile collection in over 80,000 gallons of water. Interns, alongside our staff, will provide the highest standards of care for our living collections, conserving biodiversity through careful utilization of all available resources.

The categories of study during the internship are water chemistry, fish and invertebrate identification, life support systems, veterinary practices, fish disease, and fish and invertebrate husbandry. Skill development and learning opportunities in these categories will include the following:

- Assisting with daily maintenance of animal enclosures and exhibits.

- Learning about animal nutrition and preparing diets.

- Learning about animal behaviors in both captive and natural environments.

- Observing operant conditioning techniques of captive animals.

- Designing and implementing environmental enrichment techniques.

- Observing medical procedures alongside Aquarists and Veterinarians.

Each intern will have the opportunity to work with different members of our aquarium staff learning specific skills and knowledge from the above categories.

Interns who wish to include diving activities as part of their experience must provide proof of holding the following certifications upon acceptance of an internship offer: Open Water SCUBA (or higher), First Aid, CPR, AED, and Dan Emergency Oxygen Administration. These certifications must be valid or updated to be continuous throughout the entirety of the internship. Dive team members must also complete a dive physical and required on-site check out dives. Becoming a member of the dive team is not guaranteed, it is based on the needs of the dive team as a whole and availability to staff divers. If you wish to include diving as part of your internship, please indicate this on your application and we can send you additional information.

Education and Experience: This is an internship open to undergraduates seeking degrees in biology or related fields. Interns must complete at least 180 hours over a minimum of 10 weeks and complete a minimum set of learning objective skills as determined by the staff supervisors. Working hours are typically 8:30am-5pm for full days and 8:30-12:30 and 1-5pm for half-day blocks. Applicant must be able to work any day of the week, including weekends and holidays.

Apply today! Submit an online internship application.

Internship Requirements

Review and consider if interested in an internship:

Major must be related to internship area.
Must be a hard worker, enthusiastic, and willing to learn.
Animal Care Interns must be at least 18 years old.
There are two levels of time commitment for college internships, but we are willing to accept students for non-credit. Level 1 college credit assigned project for 40 hours per week (minimal of 3 months.) Level 2 college credit assigned project for 20–40 hours per week (minimal of 2 months.) Non-college project for 20–40 hours per week (minimal of 2 months.)
A current tuberculin skin test prior to interning.
Must follow Riverbanks Appearance Policy. Riverbanks supplies interns with T-shirts and a nametag. Interns have the option of purchasing additional uniform items at their own expense. Interns are responsible for purchasing khaki pants/shorts and closed-toe shoes.