Internship Positions

Education internships are offered year round. Some of the exciting things our interns do are: 1. Provide structured presentations to students and informal learning opportunities utilizing live insects. 2. Help with outreach programs for groups throughout the metropolitan St. Louis area . 3. Staff the instructional cart, a hands-on area, where guests can touch bio facts. Interns will teach very diverse audiences and see how a variety of concepts can be worked into a single lesson plan. Projects may include assisting in the creation of new programming or presentations. Interns will have direct interaction with the public on a regular basis. This internship requires experience either in education, public presentations, or class work in a biological field.

The entomology internship involves hands on work with all non-venomous invertebrates and other animals at the Butterfly House.  Interns will help maintain the collection and help process shipments.  This will include feeding, tank cleaning and when needed tank set-up. Weekend and summer interns will be required to spend time in the classroom for hands on demonstrations with education animals after completing animal handling training.

Interns will be responsible for following all USDA/APHIS requirements and animal record guidelines.  Interns will have direct interaction with the public and should be capable of answering questions about the butterflies and animals at the Butterfly House.  They must also be willing to help educate the public about animals and their interactions with the natural world.

The horticulture internship provides practical, hands-on work experience in a unique garden setting. Interns will assist the horticulture staff and volunteers in maintaining the tropical Conservatory garden, Native Habitat, prairie garden, annual garden, and grounds. Duties may include planting, pruning, watering, and pest management. Interns will have direct contact with visitors and be responsible for answering general questions about the Butterfly House including questions about the plant collection and general butterfly questions. The internship requires an interest in horticulture and coursework in botany, horticulture, or a related discipline.

Qualified candidates will possess a professional, service-oriented attitude, enthusiastically performing a wide variety of tasks, including: client interaction, project preparation and staffing during both business hours and after-hours events. A special events intern is energetic, flexible, punctual and dependable.

Primary responsibilities include: providing efficient special events support, assisting special events staff with weddings and receptions, maintaining client correspondence and performing clerical work. 

A special events intern must be able to work Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays including evenings (as late as 10 p.m.). Ideal candidates must have the ability to perform physically demanding tasks in all weather conditions.

The social media intern will be responsible for executing social media campaigns, analyzing social analytics, and assisting with communication efforts on behalf of the Butterfly House. Interns will assist in producing engaging digital content to support the Butterfly House’s branding and communication strategies across our social media platforms, with the goal of increasing audience size and engagement. This position will keep abreast of industry and social media trends and assist in influencer recruitment and outreach for the Butterfly House.