My Bald Head Island Internship ExperienceMary

Mack Gray

Background

Bald Head Island Conservancy was established in 1983 in order to protect the population of nesting loggerhead sea turtles that visit the island every summer.It has since grown to encompass all island wildlife, including white-tailed deer, painted buntings, and American alligators.The Conservancy now acts to encourage research and scientific discovery and to promote education of the island’s unique wildlife and habitat.

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Internship Program

9-15 Interns accepted each year

2 Wildlife Interns, 2 Education Interns, 1 Kayaking Intern, the rest Sea Turtle Interns

All interns live in a house at the Conservancy on Bald Head Island

“Day-time” and “night-time” interns

Program cont’d•Minimum 2.5 GPA required to apply•Must submit official transcript and relevant coursework•Must submit a letter of interest in the form of an essay•If accepted, must participate in phone interview•May apply for more than one internship •PAID Internship – stipend of $1200, paid bi-weekly• Work closely with prestigious scientists and professionals from all fields of study •Work week is approximately 30 hours, depending on internship

Wildlife InternshipDescription One of the many Osprey on the

island. Photo by Mary Mack GrayConduct white-tailed deer

and American alligator surveys at night

Assist in any wildlife rescues (birds, alligator relocation, etc)

Give a lecture to the general public once a week on the island’s herps (snakes, amphibians, alligators)

Control the growth of the invasive species, beach vitex

Sea Turtle InternshipDescription Baby Loggerheads rescued from a

hatched nest. Photo by Mary Mack Gray Patrol the entire beach every night

from 9PM to 6AM looking for nesting sea turtles and caging their nests, getting measurements, and microchipping the mothers.

Conduct nest excavations once a nest has hatched

Check on nests nightly to ensure no predator disruption

Build runways to the ocean once it’s time for a nest to hatch. Make sure all baby turtles reach the water.

Lead turtle walks at night to educate the public on the nesting process and sea turtles in general.

Education and Kayaking InternshipsDescription Kayaking Description Education interns are involved

with running the children’s camps that operate at the Conservancy Monday through Friday, 9AM-12PM.

Also responsible for leading Maritime Forest hikes, Crabbing and Castnetting classes, BHI After Dark, and Beachcombing classes

Work closely with children ranging from ages 5-13

Learn about different shells and invertebrates found on the shore, all flora found in the Maritime forest, and become a castnetting pro!

Lead Kayaking tours through the creeks of Bald Head Island 4-5 days a week

Trips are usually 2 hours long. Wildlife interns assist with these trips.

Tell the public about flora and fauna found in the creeks and learn the importance of the marsh in a barrier island

Help with other programs such as BHI After Dark

Program cont’dMarsh of BHI. Photo by Mary Mack Gray

All interns do the work of another intern at some point or another, so even if you are an education intern, you will have plenty of opportunity to assist on a nightly turtle patrol or wildlife patrol!

Each intern must learn the job of other interns and help out around the Conservancy doing odd-and-end jobs. BHIC is a non-profit, so everyone has to pull some weight!

Each intern also helps in Turtle Central, the Conservancy gift shop, at least once every two weeks

Each intern also sits at the “Information Center” desk, where they answer phone calls and sign up people for programs. The Conservancy is funded almost entirely by our summer programs and donations, so this is an important job!

Bald Head IslandPhoto by Mary Mack Gray

Bald Head Island is a barrier island meaning it is very important during tropical storms (and for many other reasons) and it gets the brunt of the force during such storms. Its extensive marsh helps in controlling flooding and it creates an ecosystem with a diverse array of wildlife

Much of the wildlife on BHI could not survive anywhere else. The painted bunting will migrate to BHI during the summer to nest. This is the only place in the US that these birds will nest – they normally reside in Cuba

The American alligator is a threatened species. These are docile and fascinating creatures that are typically misunderstood and would not survive long in an area that is not as passionate about preservation as BHI

The lack of light pollution on BHI is one of the main reasons we are so successful with Sea turtle nests and survival rates. Lights from beach houses confuse and disorient both nesting sea turtles and the babies once they hatch and try to make their way to the ocean. BHI has a strict light policy.

BHI is also home to one of the only remaining pristine stretches of Maritime forest in the WORLD. This habitat is found in Florida but BHI is the only place it is found north of FL. In times like these when many unique ecosystems are disappearing, it is very profound to be able to interact with one of the last remaining expanses of such a habitat.

Independent Research ProjectBHI is full of ongoing research projects

conducted by schools such as UNCW and NC State.

Interns are encouraged to pursue their own independent research project involving anything they like on the island. Interns are also able to “dovetail” with research projects being conducted by visiting professors and staff at the Conservancy

Project topics range from nest protection methods (wire cages vs construction fencing) to red fox population dynamics

Benefits of InterningDevelop a close connection with prestigious and influential researchers and professionals, alone with other interns who come from all over the country. Plus, celebs!

Meet cool wildlife!

Be a part of something biggerReal research. Real change. Real results

Learn relevant skillsAs an intern, you will learn a large number of marketable and resume-enhancing skills. Some examples are:•Control of invasive and noxious species (beach vitex)•Wildlife spotlighting surveys•Research techniques•Collecting samples from wildlife (sea turtle tagging and DNA collection)•Interacting with endangered and threatened species•Learning the inner-workings of a non-profit organization•Naturalist skills, such as the identification of trees, birds, and other flora and fauna

Live on the beach AND in the forest!BHI is a known resort island, with seasonal famous visitors such as Jim Gaffigan and Kate plus 8!

Three words….Baby. Sea. Turtles.

Photos by Mary Mack Gray, Andy Adams, and Andrew Niccum

Never a boring moment…

Interns were the winners again of the annual July 4th pie eating contest between the Conservancy and Public Safety

Exhausted after playing ATV tag

Ramses, the family opossum

Questions?

Mary Mack GrayEmail: mgray4@ncsu.edu