Presenting/Assisting in Programs to Audiences Ranging from Toddlers to Senior Citizens

Runge Conservation Nature Center T2D2 Internship

My name is Marie and I was the 2010 T2D2 intern at Runge Nature Center, which is located in Jefferson City, Missouri. The Runge Center is a facility dedicated to teaching the public about Missouri's natural resources. I had a really rewarding experience working at Runge for the summer, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in science teaching or the field of conservation. The staff and volunteers at Runge are passionate about what they do and were excited to teach me as much as possible. Not only did I learn so much in just a short time, I was having fun doing it! I was always busy helping with something new, so the days went by quickly because of my interesting and diverse responsibilities.

Some of my duties included:  Presenting/assisting in programs to audiences ranging from toddlers to senior citizens  Feeding and handling the center's animals  Helping with special events such as a weeklong day camp, a river exploration for teens, a public event called Firefly Frenzy, and an event for kids called Beetle Mania  Planning the center's weekend activities which educated kids about a specific topic  Developing two scavenger hunts for high-school-age visitors  Researching questions from the public and calling them back with an answer  Gathering touchable items from outside for an area devoted to kids in the exhibit area  Helping with some outdoor-area management  Pinning insects for the center's collection  Writing an article for the newsletter  Other tasks that contributed to the organization as a whole

The most important requirements would be a willingness to learn and the desire to work with others. You should be comfortable speaking to groups of people, as a main duty is presenting programs. These programs cover anything that incorporates Missouri's fish, forest, or wildlife resources, so it is also important to care about these topics so that you can give an effective program. This internship is a great opportunity and you will not want to miss it!