Wildlife Conservation Internship at White Oak
Author: Madeline Smith
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. C. Tate Holbrook
Abstract:
The mission of White Oak Conservation Center is to “save endangered wildlife and habitats through sustainable conservation breeding, education, and responsible land stewardship.” Their summer internship program in wildlife conservation is designed to provide interns with hands-on experience in animal care. Interns at White Oak learn many of the skills and techniques required for a successful captive breeding program; such as diet preparation, animal handling, and animal husbandry. My internship was focused in the birds department where I gained experience in avian egg incubation and behavioral observation. Through extra volunteer hours I was also able to gain lab experience by assisting with a research project on the blue-billed curassow, an endangered bird species from Colombia.
