One important consideration for you city-dwellers out there is that national park internship placements won’t likely be in the center of a bustling metropolis. If you’re looking for state-of-the-art modern conveniences, you might want to direct your internship search toward a “national mall” rather than a “national park.” However, if you don’t mind roughin’ it or sacrificing your daily showers to help the planet, national park internships could be perfect for you. We should probably mention your precious cell phone will likely be out of service (a #happyplace for some, modern torture for others).
The United States is not the only country to have an exemplary national park system that seeks to protect some of the most beautiful natural wonders and habitats on Earth, but it is one of the best known, and draws some of the largest crowds. Within the U.S. National Park Service, interns have the opportunity to work and learn from nearly every role in a park, and the diversity of parks (compare examples such as historic Harper’s Ferry National Park with remote outdoors Denali National Park) provide a huge range of options to choose from.
One great region to look for national park internships abroad that can teach you skills for a national park career is Central and South America. Costa Rica is a natural choice, with its incredible biodiversity and high prioritization of conservation within the country. Similarly, Ecuador offers wonderful opportunities to experience the wilderness and wildlife in their country, as does Chile, which also has several environmental preservation internships based in national parks.
You could also spend time among the “Big Five” in a game preserve in South Africa, intern in a wildlife rescue center in Uganda, or work with locals in Tanzania teaching them hospitality and stewardship for their own natural resources. The diversity of internships options isn’t quite as big as the number of species and ecosystems in Africa, but it’s close!
While you may wish to end up interning in a national park specifically, don’t forget to consider game preserves, conservation zones, and companies that may not have geographic boundaries, but provide similar opportunities.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qLvAm6momZRjsLC5jqKlrZ2io3qirtGomJ1no5qus6%2FHaKWarJmku6K4jKmYq6Nfnru1sdGnqqGhoKh6oq7RqJidZWE%3D