All young South African graduates who are looking for career opportunities are invited to apply for internships.
Based at the Gondwana Game Reserve, a leading conservation reserve in central South Africa, our GIS and Reserve Management interns will learn how to use GIS software, collect GIS data on the ground, and apply data and skills to solve real-world African conservation issues. Develop essential transferable skills with leading open-source software QGIS.
This is an in-country internship, with accommodation and meals provided. If you can’t quite commit to traveling but still want to participate in our GIS Internship, click here to explore our remote Environmental & Marine Sciences internships that you can complete from home.
The GIS & Reserve Management internship consists of three components:
Preparation
The GIS internship requires interns to spend time familiarizing themselves with GIS prior to the internship. It’s important to be familiar with GIS mapping before arriving on-site, and you’ll need to know and understand basic concepts such as vector, raster, attribute, and projection. A basic overview of map elements is also expected. An online introduction to GIS and our GIS Internship will be provided once you have confirmed your participation, which usually takes between 1-5 hours to complete, depending on your existing level of proficiency.
Bio-monitoring
Upon arrival at Gondwana Game Reserve, you’ll assist with field studies to gain hands-on data collection experience. Activities may include biodiversity surveys, game transects, vegetation assessments, bird-point counts, camera trap servicing, ecological monitoring, and alien plant species removal. There’s also a data processing component.
Your primary focus will be completing the first ten modules of the official QGIS training manual at your own pace, in between optional field activities. Each module includes follow-along lessons using tutorial data, with support from the Field Ecologist. While some fieldwork activities are optional, if you prefer to focus on the GIS modules, you’ll need to gather your own spatial attribute data during surveys (e.g., settlement or fence attributes and crossing points of rivers and canals).
You’ll have access to a Trimble GPS with preloaded software for accurate data collection, enabling you to learn about ground-truthing and the challenges of collecting real-world data.
Conservation project
The third component of the GIS internship is related to assisting a real-world GIS conservation project. You’ll combine your own field data with spatial data held at the reserve to answer important conservation questions and complete a project. This provides useful data for the conservation program, while also providing you with real-world field work and bio-monitoring experience. Interns submit solutions to their supervisor at the conclusion of their internship, for review and feedback. This activity also earns you a relevant certificate of completion, outlining the skills you’ve learned, the types of data you’ve manipulated, and the experience you’ve gained.
Typical Schedule
- Interns usually work full-time Monday to Friday, but flexibility is important! Depending on weather and research needs, you may occasionally assist outside regular hours or on weekends, and we’ll coordinate to fit your schedule. Your experience is our priority!
What are the career benefits of interning abroad as a GIS & Reserve Management Intern?
GIS & Reserve Management interns learn from a qualified and experienced supervisor, and can be involved in:
- Using and learning GIS mapping techniques
- Data collection for field research
- Assisting surveys, transects, camera trapping, and conservation issues
- Completing training in QGIS
- Collecting spatial attribute data
- Carrying out your own research project in conservation or other issues
Professional development opportunities:
- Practical application of a range of GIS mapping techniques
- Experience gathering and interpreting data on a South African game reserve
- Undertaking a research project based on collected and supplied data
- Gain practical skills and boost your employability, with guidance from Intern Abroad HQ’s Experiential Learning Curriculum to support your learning and cultural intelligence
Eligibility requirement
GIS Specialization for Environmental Conservation internships are suitable for students and recent graduates with an interest in developing skills related to surveying, applied science, geography, computer science, environmental conservation, etc. Interns must have an intermediate level of English, experience with computers, and understanding of standard software and common functionalities.
Language requirements for this internship
Our GIS and Reserve Management Internship is conducted in English.
Associated career paths
After completing our GIS and Reserve Management Internship, you’ll be better-prepared for exciting career opportunities in: GIS Analyst / Technician/ Coordinator, Cartographer and Photogrammetrist, GIS Programmer and Software Developer, Geographer, Surveying and Mapping Technician, Oceanographer, Geoscientist, Environmental Biologist, Environmental Engineer, Seismologist
Embark on GIS and Reserve Management Internships Abroad at Gondwana Game Reserve! Located in the heart of central South Africa, this leading conservation reserve provides an exceptional opportunity for interns to immerse themselves in the field of GIS. During your internship, you will learn to use GIS software, collect and analyze data on the ground, and apply your skills to tackle pressing conservation challenges in Africa.
What to expect from your GIS & Reserve Management internship:
- Real life experience using GIS and mapping techniques
- Time spent conducting research on an operational game reserve
- Completing a research project with genuine conservation benefits
- Learn about real-world reserve management for conservation
Your internship abroad host organization:
- Gondwana Game Reserve in South Africa
Apply here
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