RISE Internship: Wildlife Data Intern at Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection
Position Title: Wildlife Data Intern
Reports to: Kate Hotten
Hours/Week: 8
Internship Date Range: 1/20/2026 to 5/15/2026 (17 weeks)
Location: 738 N. 5th Ave., Suite 205, Tucson, 85705
About the Resilience Internships and Student Experiences (RISE) Program
The RISE Program is hosted by the Arizona Institute for Resilience (AIR) and provides undergraduate and graduate students with paid internships related to resilient environments and societies. RISE internships give students workplace setting experience with an opportunity to grow their core skills and prepare them for careers after graduation.
About the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection
The Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection (CSDP) protects the biodiversity of the Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona through science-based advocacy, education, and collaboration. We do this through proactive land use planning, opposing destructive projects, and protecting and enhancing landscape connectivity and wildlife linkages. CSDP has five paid staff and is guided by a Board of Directors and our members. We work on a grassroots level, leveraging the expertise, experience, and knowledge of our Coalition members, volunteers, community scientists, and more into long-lasting positive change for the Sonoran Desert. Learn more at www.sonorandesert.org.
CSDP is committed to cultivating a culture that values differences and fosters inclusion. Our volunteer, internship, and employment positions are open to all. We value diversity and do not permit any discrimination against applicants, employees, or volunteers based on race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, disability, neurodiversity, ethnicity, marital status, familial status, economic circumstances, and/or veteran status. We strongly encourage women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply.
We are grateful for the opportunity to live and work on traditionally Native lands, including those belonging to the O’odham, Tohono O’odham, and Pascua Yaqui.
Internship summary:
Interns with the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection (CSDP) actively contribute to meaningful conservation projects that protect wildlife and open spaces and are, working directly alongside the CSDP team, exposed to many elements of running an environmental non-profit. Interns will be mentored and managed by CSDP staff, both collaboratively and independently completing tasks. There are opportunities for specific mentorship in an area of interest through a chosen final project.
Internship description:
Duties and Responsibilities
Interns assist the Conservation Science Director with maintaining CSDP’s wildlife camera photo database to help translate community science into tangible conservation outcomes. Interns will gain knowledge in community science program management, photo database management, image analysis software, and wildlife species identification. They will also gain experience in data entry and basic analysis and reporting. Interns will work with data from several landscape connectivity research areas focusing on wildlife movement and wildlife-highway interactions in Pima County, with field work as an optional component. Finally, interns will assist CSDP with its outreach work, to include preparation for and hosting visitors and volunteers at relevant events.
Outside of the day-to-day tasks, interns will also complete a project that aligns with the intern’s desired professional goals (for example, writing a blog post, using CSDP data in a school project, or designing a map) and practices a skill related to data analysis, field research, project or volunteer management, science communication or outreach, or another relevant area.
This position offers a hybrid in-office and remote work-from-home model, as well as flexible hours.
Preferred skills
- Interest in wildlife and habitat conservation
- Strong work ethic
- Detail oriented
- Ability to work independently
- Open to learning new skills
- Commitment to community building and fostering equity
- Curiosity and willingness to ask questions
- Familiarity using Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, or other database experience a plus
- Sonoran Desert wildlife species identification (training provided)
- Experience with wildlife camera monitoring and research (training provided)
Compensation:
The intern will be hired and paid by the University of Arizona. The pay rate is $19/hour.
Credit Requirements:
The intern will be hired as a U of A student employee.
- For internships during the academic year: applicants must be active U of A students enrolled in at least 6 credits.
Allowable Work Hours:
- During the semester, student employees are limited to 25 hours/week (20 hours/week for international students) across ALL U of A positions.
International Students:
International students should consult with International Student Services (ISS) if work authorization is needed before securing an internship. ISS advising information can be found here.
How to Apply:
Send your resume or CV and a brief (no more than one page) cover letter that describes your interest and experience to hiring@sonorandesert.org with the subject line “CSDP Wildlife Date Internship.”
If you need any special accommodations for the application or interview process, please contact us at hiring@sonorandesert.org or at (520) 388-9925. Please note that we encourage up to date vaccination (including boosters) for Covid-19 for all staff, including our interns.
Sunday, November 16, 2025: Application deadline
Early December: Interviews to take place
Monday, January 20, 2026: Internship begins