We accept a limited number of interns each year to work alongside our biologists and field technicians and help check motion-triggered cameras on the Northern Jaguar Reserve and Viviendo con Felinos ranches.
This is extremely rough terrain, and interns need to be physically capable and mentally prepared for remote conditions. Camping accommodations are basic, and please know there are no opportunities for hands-on work with large predators. Spanish language is required.
We ask for at least a three-week commitment between January-May or October-November. Extreme heat and heavy rainfall make it difficult to accommodate interns during the summer season. If you are interested, please send CV, references, and a cover letter by email.
We also have volunteers who help with restoration projects, wildlife monitoring, carpentry, photography, filmmaking, fundraising events, artwork, and database entry. There are a variety of ways to get involved either in the field, office, or from home. If you are interested in volunteering, please be in touch – we would love to find ways you can help.
VOLUNTEER STORIES
“I found myself invited into a wilderness that defies expectation. We would spend two weeks on the reserve, camping, working, and hiking every day. We serviced trail cameras, changing their position or batteries and collecting pictures. The cameras are spread over the far reaches of the reserve, so we would hike deep into the wildest zones. If we found animal tracks, we would study them. If we saw a unique bird, we would identify it. All of my interactions with the reserve’s flora and fauna steadily filled my journal.”
“I could not possibly write enough positive words as I look back on my time on the Northern Jaguar Reserve, which was a remarkably rewarding experience. Not only was the physical nature of the reserve a magical sanctuary for a very special collection of life, but the passionate individuals involved in the project are equally as impactful. It was a privilege to intimately learn the land, the animals, the history, the day-to-day structure, and future goals of the organization.”
“I was extremely fortunate to volunteer on the Northern Jaguar Reserve in Sonora. Not only did the experience make the jaguar feel like a real animal rather than an abstraction, it also helped me appreciate NJP’s broader conservation work across an amazing landscape. Everyone I met, from ranch hands to administrative staff, was incredibly dedicated and professional.”
“Seeing the dedication of everyone working on the Northern Jaguar Reserve firsthand was a rewarding opportunity. As an intern, I shadowed the biologists in the field doing everything from checking camera traps to maintaining rancher relationships. The terrain is unforgiving, but seeing the results of our hard work was extremely fulfilling. I will always be grateful for my time spent in the field with people who not only love these amazing predators, but the landscape that these cats, and other fauna, call home.”
Photos: Hilary Lex, Jim Rorabaugh, Ian Fritz, Mikal Jakubal
