Employment Opportunities
Join our team of wildlife professionals!
Summer Internship Program
Our application period for summer 2025 internships is CLOSED for 2025.
We look forward to welcoming applications next winter for 2026's season.
Job Description & Application instructions
past intern testimonials
There are three internships available for Summer 2025. Internships are typically 8 hours per day, 5 days per week (including weekends) for 8 weeks. Compensation is $10/hour, with maximum pay of $3,200 for the 8-week time period. Housing is provided at no cost.
Approximate internship dates for Summer 2025 will be:
Session 1: May 6 - July 1
Session 2: May 20 - July 15
Session 3: June 17 - August 12
Please let us know in your application if any of these internship periods would not work for you.
Applicant Requirements:
- Applicants must be 18 years or older.
- Applicants must be a United States citizen.
- Applicants must be up to date on their tetanus vaccination.
- Applicants must complete the rabies vaccination sequence prior to the start of the position. Funding is available for this important vaccination if your health insurance will not cover it.
- Applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including a booster shot, and be willing to wear a mask when required. We mask and wear PPE when handling all patients. Due to the zoonotic nature of COVID-19, this vaccine requirement is non-negotiable.
- Applicants must have access to a car for transporting animals (and yourself) to the Sanctuary.
What does an internship at a wildlife rehabilitation facility entail?
Animal Care
- Provide excellent rehabilitative care to all animals at the facility.
- Daily cleaning and feeding of all animals housed at the facility, including our rehabilitation patients and our education ambassador animals.
- Monitor patient health, attitude, weight, appetite, etc., and maintain written records of each animal’s progress.
- Assist with restraint, examination, diagnostic procedures and treatment of animals, as needed.
- Assist with admitting patients and completing associated records. Examine and initiate first aid to patients or new arrivals under supervision of staff.
- Assist with arranging transport of incoming animals to the Sanctuary and transport of severely injured animals to the Wildlife Center of Virginia.
- Clean and prep outdoor enclosures in a variety of conditions, including designing fresh enrichment for different species in care.
- Maintain high standards of cleanliness in nurseries, kitchen, laundry room, and animal housing areas.
- Prepare specialized meals for a variety of species.
Other Duties
- Answer the phone and respond to rehabilitation related questions from the public when needed.
- Assist in collecting photographs of mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds for our website, social media accounts, newsletter, and presentations.
- Help with fundraising and/or outreach events, when necessary.
- Other duties, responsibilities, and special projects, as requested.
What should I expect to gain from my internship at RWS?
- Hands-on learning and experience with wildlife, with species ranging from field mice to foxes and songbirds to large raptors (and don’t forget reptiles!).
- A greater appreciation for the natural history of Virginian wildlife and their role in the environment.
- Time management and multitasking skills. You will learn how to efficiently approach a large workload that is time-sensitive in a fun and interesting environment.
- Experience with humans! You will be working with a small team of rehabilitators as well as working frequently with the public by intaking animals and answering phone calls throughout your internship.
- How to handle hard situations, like the death of a patient or difficult public relations.
- Appreciation for the value of teamwork and the importance of curiosity.
- An opportunity to learn whether or not you want to pursue wildlife rehabilitation or any other animal care/conservation field.
What shouldn't I expect from my internship at RWS?
- Making copies, filing paperwork, or other administrative tasks.
- A sedentary job. Our rehabbers, volunteers, and interns average 20K steps daily!
- Staying clean. We work largely outdoors in hot, humid conditions, and a lot of the most important tasks (like cleaning outdoor enclosures) can get pretty messy. We leave work every day pretty seriously ready for a shower!
Compensation:
We are happy to offer a paid internship program and care deeply about increasing equitable access to hands-on wildlife career opportunities. Compensation is $10/hour with no overtime pay available, although interns do need to work some overtime occasionally.
Housing:
We provide housing free of charge, but the housing is not on the property of the sanctuary. Thus, it will be necessary for you to have access to a car for the duration of your internship.
Please let us know in your application if you have an up-to-date rabies vaccination. If not, we pay for our summer interns to receive rabies vaccinations prior to their internship.
To Apply:
If you're interested in joining the RWS team this summer, please send your resume and a cover letter (focusing on your experience and/or passion for wildlife or nature) to info@rockfishwildlifesanctuary.org by February 5th, 2025. Please write "[Last name] Internship Application" as the subject line. Please include which of the three sessions you are available for. We can't wait to hear from you!
NOTE: Flexible, part time unpaid internships may be available as well for local residents unable to commit to a full internship. Housing would not be provided so these would be best for folks who live commuting distance to the Sanctuary.
Applicants who have rehabilitation experience already and are available for six months (approx. April 1 - October 1) are encouraged to apply to our Seasonal Full-Time Rehabilitator position as well. If so, include contact information for three references in your application and note in your cover letter that you would also like to be considered for that role.
No phone calls, please. Help us keep our phone lines available for wildlife emergencies.
Mia, 2024:
"My summer at Rockfish was the most enriching experience I have ever gotten to participate in- I couldn't have done more, learned more or enjoyed it more! I was always thoughtfully taught and led by RWS's (wonderful) staff. I never felt uncomfortable or unready when practicing new skills, and felt welcome and supported from day 1, as someone starting out with little-to-no previous rehabilitation experience. My summer at Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary led me to finding my passion in wildlife rehabilitation and conservation, and for that I could not be more thankful!"
Sophie, 2024:
"Interning at Rockfish was everything that I hoped for and more! It gave me a whole new perspective on rehabilitation and taught me so much. The staff trains and encourages interns to be able to work independently throughout the sanctuary, which helps to ensure a true hands-on experience! Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary is the best place I've ever had the opportunity to work, and it's full of wonderful, fun people!"
Sydnie, 2023:
"My intern experience at RWS was unmatched. Every day, there were new opportunities for hands-on learning and there was not a single day where the work felt monotonous or boring. The staff are incredible people who are invested in helping the interns learn and expand their skills. I am forever grateful for the experience and to have been part of the RWS family!"
Erika, 2023:
"Rockfish is a wonderful place and I am incredibly grateful for the summer I spent there. You could not ask for a better group of people and learning environment! From the first day, I was learning hands-on skills, daily operations of a nonprofit and all about native wildlife. There's also plenty of opportunities to learn more about the parts of rehab that you are especially interested in. Most of all, I was excited to come in every day and work with all the animals and people at RWS."
Kris, 2022:
"Being an intern at RWS was exactly what I wanted for an entry into wildlife rehab. At no point did I feel like just ‘the intern.’ This staff is amazing at making everyone feel equal and part of the team. My experience was very hands-on, and I am forever thankful for my time spent there."
Maddie, 2022:
"I thoroughly enjoyed my time working at Rockfish. It was a perfect amount of time for an internship right out of college to figure out what I am interested in for my career. I learned so much about wildlife rehab. I also acquired communication skills as well as lots of problem solving skills. This is a really hands-on position, and the staff wants you to learn as much as possible during this time. They are always willing to let you get your hands in on a project. This job is really fulfilling, and you can feel good about the work you are doing everyday! A huge plus for me was the accepting and fun work environment fostered by the staff there! Overall, such a great learning experience for my future career."
Seasonal Full-time Wildlife Rehabilitator
Our application period for our seasonal role is CLOSED for 2025.
We look forward to welcoming applications next winter for 2026's season.
Job Description & Application instructions
Our ideal timeframe for our seasonal team member is from April 1st - October 1st, 2025.
Job Responsibilities and Duties:
Animal Care
- Provide excellent rehabilitative care to all animals at the Sanctuary.
- Perform daily cleaning and feeding of all animals housed at the Sanctuary, including our rehabilitation patients and our education ambassador animals. We have two indoor nurseries and over fifty outdoor enclosures, so we are quite busy during baby season!
- Monitor each animal’s health, attitude, weight, appetite, etc., and maintain written records of each animal’s progress.
- Assist with restraint, examination, diagnostic procedures and treatment of animals, as needed.
- Admit new patients and complete associated records. Examine and initiate first aid to patients and new arrivals.
- Arrange transport of incoming animals to the Sanctuary and the transport of severely injured animals to the Wildlife Center of Virginia.
- Maintain high standards of cleanliness in our nurseries, kitchen, laundry room, and outdoor enclosures.
- Prepare specialized meals for a variety of species.
- Assist with observations of patients to provide information for release considerations.
- Set a positive example of clear communication and a good attitude for interns, volunteers, and the general public.
- Be able to lead a shift independently without permanent staff supervision after a two week training period.
- Train, supervise, and mentor rehabilitation interns and animal care volunteers.
- Answer the phone and respond to rehabilitation-related questions from the public.
- Assist in collecting photographs of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds for the website, Facebook, Instagram, newsletter, and presentations; abide by RWS social media policy.
- Assist with outreach programs, as needed.
- Enter patients into WILD-One, our online patient database, and disposition patients from WILD-ONe as appropriate.
- Assist with data collection, as needed.
- Help with fundraising events, as needed.
- Other duties, responsibilities, and special projects, as requested.
What We’re Looking For:
- Time-efficiency. Our days are fast paced from sunrise to sunset. In order to feed, clean, and take care of all of our patients, it’s important that our rehabilitators move quickly without sacrificing thoroughness or their attention to detail.
- Accountability. Our seasonal rehabilitators will often be working long hours by themselves, so it’s important that they can work independently while maintaining our high standards for animal care.
- An appreciation for teamwork. Our team is small, with just four staff rehabilitators and three summer interns. While many of the day-to-day tasks are done individually, maintaining a good attitude and a commitment to a positive team dynamic is important at RWS.
- Enthusiasm! Our seasonal rehabilitators must be able to take on the more physically and emotionally challenging aspects of the job, whether it’s cleaning out and scrubbing enclosures in the hot sun, dealing with a stressful phone call from the public, or making the difficult decision to euthanize a patient. A good attitude can go a long way in achieving our mission of rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing as many patients as we can.
Applicant Requirements:
- Applicants must be 18 years or older.
- Applicants must be a United States citizen.
- Applicants must be up to date on the tetanus vaccination.
- Applicants must complete the rabies vaccination sequence prior to the start of the position. Funding is available for this important vaccination if your health insurance will not cover it.
- Applicants must be fully-vaccinated against COVID-19, including this year's booster. Due to the zoonotic nature of COVID-19, this vaccine requirement is non-negotiable.
- Applicants must obtain a Category IV Wildlife Rehabilitation Permit from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. This requires completing six hours of approved continuing education related to wildlife rehabilitation.
- As housing is not provided for this position, applicants must secure their own housing. There are often spring/summer sublet rooms available in surrounding cities due to high student turnover at universities.
- Applicants must have access to a car for transporting animals (and themselves) to the Sanctuary.
- Applicants should be able to lift 50 pounds and be enthusiastic about working long days in challenging outdoor conditions. Wildlife rehabilitation can be a dirty job!
- Applicants must be willing to work five days a week including weekends, with two consecutive days off (most likely Tues/Wed off). Shifts will primarily be from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM, although opening shifts may be occasionally required as well. Those shifts are from 7 AM to 3 PM. Some overnight feedings of neonatal mammals may also be required, as permitted.
- Applicants should have prior wildlife rehabilitation experience.
Compensation:
$16/hour for 40 hours/week with overtime pay available at 1.5x/wage, from approximately April 1-October 1, 2025.
To Apply:
Please submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references to
info@rockfishwildlifesanctuary.org by February 5, 2025. Please write “[Last name] Seasonal Rehabber Application” as the subject line. If you have limited wildlife rehabilitation experience or are not available for the full six month time frame, we encourage you to apply for our summer 2025 internship program.
No phone calls, please. Help us keep our phone lines available for wildlife emergencies.
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Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. EIN 51-0498181.
Thank you for supporting our mission to help native wildlife in Virginia and beyond.