Meet AWC’s interns: Andrew Quinn

AWC offers opportunities for promising graduate students to gain valuable conservation field experience via our Internship Program. Andrew Quinn shares his experiences below.

When did you start your internship? How are you finding it?

I started my internship in mid-February and from day one, it’s been a blast! It’s been so great to be a part of such a passionate team doing a diverse range of fieldwork, while feeling like I’m making a tangible difference in the world, through conservation.

What are your long-term goals in the science field?

As of now, I’m still deciding exactly what I want for myself in the future. I have a broad range of professional interests, but all of them are focused around ensuring that the planet’s natural beauty remains for future generations to enjoy. Key to that, is ensuring I have the skills and the experience to be able to make a difference anywhere that it matters!

Mahalia Booth-Remmers/AWC

How did you hear about AWC’s science program?

While I was at University, a colleague I had met through volunteering undertook an AWC internship and started posting pictures of the stunning landscapes and beautiful creatures he had seen. This captivated me and enticed me to apply once I had finished my degree.

What enticed you to apply?

Aside from the natural beauty and biodiversity of the AWC properties, I did my own research into the organisation and was impressed with the calibre of work which they had been able to achieve over the years.

David Damschke/AWC

What were some of your expectations going in?

I haven’t completed any other internship and honestly, I only had very vague ideas of what I would be doing – a myriad of surveys, lots of animal handling, etc. However, I also expected to become a part of a small, experienced team, with whom I would be able to develop my own skills and form lifelong bonds.

What elements of the program have surprised you so far?

The biggest surprise for me was the true scale of the work which AWC achieves. The first time I saw the fence at Mallee Cliffs, I was in awe. Then subsequently, I’ve been amazed with the amount of monitoring work which the science team has to undertake in order to manage the wildlife within these sanctuaries.

Mahalia Booth-Remmers/AWC

Is there a unique moment in the internship so far that you’ve really enjoyed or that stood out as a moment you’ll always remember?

I’ll definitely remember getting bogged at Scotia. The rain there is infrequent, but incredibly heavy when it does eventually come. The rain almost literally came out of nowhere and turned the otherwise dry and sandy landscape into a series of cascades and pools.

Such a transformation was beautiful to see as all the colours of the land suddenly became vastly more vibrant, and the unseen creatures of the earth (termites and the like) all emerged to take respite from their temporarily flooded homes.

Unfortunately, the vehicle I was in happened to be caught in one of the aforementioned pools of water, and both the driver and I had to be rescued by the sanctuary manager in a Landcruiser! Oh yeah, it was also Easter Sunday!

Jessica Holding/AWC

Would you recommend it to others interested in science-led conservation and why?

I would absolutely recommend this internship to others interested in conservation. AWC is at the forefront of science-led conservation, and this internship is a unique opportunity to get equipped with a suite of critical fieldwork skills. Not only that, but the people you meet will be lifelong connections in the conservation community.