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  The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center
Internships are for a minimum
twelve week period and are not limited to summer.

 Interns in the 12 week program
 will have housing provided.

An internship offers students the opportunity  to work hands on with endangered and threatened sea turtles.

Work at the center includes:

Daily care of the sea turtles, including
preparation of  food and feeding 
the sea turtles; and cleaning tanks.

Involvement in  medical procedures and the administration
of some medications.

Introducing  the public to the current  turtles  in residence and  the operation of  the hospital, during afternoon visiting hours.

Involvement with the nesting program.

At this time stipends are not available.
SUMMER INTERNS 2009

FRONT: Kelsey Blackburn, Caroline Lea, Ava Bace, Meghan Gahm, Caitlin Cavanaugh
BACK:  Ben Sciance, Charlie Lynch, Meghan Lobsinger
   Missing: Carolyn Odenwelder

Ava Bace- University of North Carolina at Asheville
Major- Ecology /Pre-Vet
A former beach bum before moving to the mountains for school, Ava is now enjoying the beach once again when she is not at the turtle hospital. She enjoys lifting the turtles and is the only vegetarian among the interns. She keeps a smile and has an awesomely retro watch that is the envy of the other interns and keeps the time like a pro. She plans on seeing Kelsey, Caroline and Caitlin at NC State’s vet school in the future and thoroughly enjoys wildlife rehabilitation.
 
Kelsey Blackburn- Wake Forest
Major- Psychology/Pre-Vet
Minor- Chemistry
Kelsey loves turtles, almost as much as she loves ice cream. She also enjoys scooping out the tanks and giving a good soapy bath to the younger turtles. She is a master chef and makes a mean sweet potato casserole. She plans on attending vet school at NC State in the future. To control her ice cream habits, Kelsey enjoys running on the beach and catching some rays.

Caitlin Cavanaugh- NC State College of Veterinary Medicine
Caitlin graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in Animal Science and just completed her first year at the vet school. The official photographer of the group, Caitlin loves to document the progress of the recovering turtles. Caitlin keeps up her studious ways even after an exhausting day at the hospital. She likes to soak the turtles in betadine while treating her own wounds in the process. She loves being in the great state of North Carolina, where there is lots of sun and plenty of surf. She does not know where her future lies, but as a veterinarian she will help change the world

Meghan Gahm- University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Major- Marine Biology
This former advertising major is now delving elbows deep into turtle tanks. Escaping the frigid winters of New Hampshire she now enjoys lounging on the beach after a long day of cleaning turtle tanks and filters. Her future goal is to work with large marine mammals and thoroughly believes that she was a dolphin in her former life. Her favorite turtle activities are scrubbing the turtles’ shells well enough to get a butt wiggle and giving flipper high fives.

Caroline Lea- North Carolina State University
Major - Animal Science
Minor- Nutrition
Our quick- witted comedian, Caroline is a spunky red head who always makes the best out of every situation. She thoroughly enjoys giving our 200 pound loggerhead turtle a betadine bath and working her biceps in the process. She is an excellent dolphin spotter and loves to write. She plans on attending vet school at NC State, keeping her options wide open regarding animals she plans on working with. During the school year, Caroline likes to volunteer with animal service projects but at the hospital, preparing fish and squid for the turtles is her specialty.

Meghan Lobsinger- University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Major- Biology and Environmental Science
Working as a counselor at Marine Quest last summer, Meghan is familiar with the sea turtle hospital from taking kids to visit. She saved our little Kemps Ridley named Ridley and has been her primary caregiver. A volunteer at the Fort Fisher Aquarium, Meghan enjoys conservation education and sees herself working with Natural Resource Management. After a two-week stint in Australia, Meghan would also like to continue to travel any chance that she gets. Scratching the turtles backs and getting a butt wiggle is one of her favorite activities at the hospital.

CHARLIE LYNCH: Sophomore, Pennsylvania State University
 Major - Community and Environmental Development.
Despite many attempts to scare him away, Charlie Lynch has once again returned to augment the intern squad with pretty much anything that they need. He plays a mean Saxophone and also gives a mean Betadene bath (fortunately, not at the same time).
 
Ben Sciance- Christopher Newport University
Major- Environmental Science
Minor- Chemistry
Better known as Tony throughout the hospital, Ben loves to shred it up on the waves and extensively search youtube for music. In the future Ben would like to base jump and travel. Interested in weather, he sees himself working for NOAA after school. He likes hanging with all the turtles in the hospital and looks forward to the day when they can return to chilling in the ocean, cruising the Gulf Stream.

Head Intern -Carolyn Odenwelder- Graduate of University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Degree in Marine Biology
A former intern herself, Carolyn has paved the path for the summer 2009 interns. She lathers up in plenty of sunscreen before hitting the beach for fear of turning into one big freckle. She is our recycling queen and likes to pass on her wisdom regarding the planet’s health. She would like to continue her marine animal rehabilitation at an aquarium in the future and likes to thinks that the fish we cut up for the turtles should be used for educational purposes as well.
Life as an Intern:
The work schedule  for interns is 5 1/2 days per week,
with Wednesday afternoon and Sunday free.
A daily schedule always includes morning food and vitamin preparation, and feeding of all sea turtles in residence.
Feeding is followed by cleaning the tanks and providing care to the individual sea turtles as needed.  This might involve medical procedures, special feeding elements and  medication administration.

Five days per week the center is open to visitors, two hours in the afternoon.
During this time interns have the opportunity to introduce our visitors to the sea turtles in residence, their injuries and ailments, and the background and operation of the center.

Some days will also include beach survey work early in the morning, locating and identifying sea turtle tracks, and the relocation of nests when necessary.
Some nights will include searching for nesting females and nest sitting in anticipation of a nest emergence, and post hatch nest data collection.
TO APPLY SUBMIT THE  FOLLOWING:
A brief letter including:
Name
Permanent Address
School address
Phone number
email address
Name of School
Length of Internship desired and;
Dates available.
A brief essay
State why you are seeking an internship at the 
Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center;
and what your expectations are of the experience.
Two letters of recommendation
One from  a professor or teacher,
One from a community leader (i.e. scout ,church, civic).
Mail your completed application to:
Jean Beasley, Executive Director
Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center
PO Box 3012
Topsail Beach, NC  28445