Butterfly House Intern

BACKGROUND
The Janet V. Machiewicz Native Butterfly House opened in 2014 as a way for the center to promote awareness of the ecologic and economic importance of our native butterfly and moth species, as well as the conservation requirements to protect them. The house is a paid exhibit run mid-June through mid-September by the non-profit Friends of Churchville Nature Center.

POSITION SUMMARY
The Friends of Churchville Nature Center are looking to fill two paid internship positions for the summer of 2024 to work in our seasonally run native butterfly house. Interns will work to rear butterflies through all life stages, lead educational public tours within the house, assist in maintaining house gardens, maintain house cleanliness, and work towards the overall management of the butterfly house under the supervision of the Director of Education and the FoCNC Naturalist.

Timeframe/Pay Rate: Internships will run approximately from June through August for 12 weeks. The tentative start date is June 4th to begin training and preparation for the house opening. Interns will be paid at a rate of $13.00/hour. Interns will work 4hrs/day, for the first 4 weeks during house start-up then switch to 6.5hrs/day during the operating season. Starting Saturday, June 29th, interns will be required to do alternating weekends except on the two event weekends where both interns will be required to attend. We may be able to accommodate flexibility in the schedule for ideal candidates.

Key Responsibilities

• The daily maintenance of the butterfly house including, but not limited to butterfly husbandry, gardening, and maintaining the cleanliness of the house
• Leading 20–25-minute educational tours of the butterfly house & answer visitor questions
• Supervising butterfly house docents and volunteers
• Keeping detailed notes on the butterfly rearing process

Requirements

• To be considered, candidates must be 18 or older and either have or be working towards a degree in ecology, entomology, environmental education, or a similar field of study
• Must be comfortable talking in front of a crowd and feel confident in their ability to lead an educational tour after a proper training period
• Can lift, up to, 50 lbs., and traverse uneven ground over extended periods of time
• Be able to work responsibly in both independent and team-based situations
• Have an outgoing, and enthusiastic personality