About the Organization

Sea Turtles 911 is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of sea turtles on Hainan Island, China. The warm coastal waters surrounding Hainan Island provide critical foraging ground for Green, Hawksbill and Olive Ridley sea turtles. Despite all three species being listed as critically endangered on the China Species Red List, little protection is afforded to sea turtles and a vast amount of illegal harvesting occurs, reducing their populations at an extraordinary rate. Sea turtles face a host of other obstacles further diminishing their rate of survival including: fishing, ingestion of plastic debris, and habitat loss. Sea Turtles 911 is actively working to alleviate the pressures that threaten sea turtles in China through rescues, reporting, research, rehabilitation and release. Read more at http://seaturtles911.org/. Additionally, see the "additional information" section for videos of IE3 interns at ST911 and see the kinds of good work going on there.

Job Description

Sea Turtles 911 interns may work in the following areas:

Sea Turtle Rehabilitation

Currently we have approximately 25 juvenile to adult sea turtles under our care, both at our floating sea turtle hospital and at our partner resorts. All interns will be given the opportunity to participate in our sea turtle rehabilitation program and some may choose to focus more on this portion than others. Interns will be asked to aid in the daily feeding of the turtles, medical treatments, hospital upkeep, and overall care for the turtles. Interns will be trained by knowledgeable staff in sea turtle rehabilitation, conservation and biology. It is important for all interns to be knowledgeable and have a first hand account of the human imposed threats that sea turtles face, and what better way than aiding sea turtles in their recovery!

Ecotourism

We have established partnerships with three hotel resorts. They house our turtles while providing us with a podium for our message of sea turtle conservation to the public. An intern working in this area would help develop education programs and events at each resort location, while improving our public relations. Depending on the resort, this could include making sea turtle conservation presentations, marketing ecotourism packages, and coordinating sea turtle kids camps. We encourage interns to advance the partnership with new ideas of ecotourism.

Public Awareness Campaign

This is a broad topic and covers many facets of interest. Our ultimate goal is to change the perception of sea turtles from an animal to be made into a product to a valuable living creature worthy of conserving! Thus, we are working to gain public attention to show people the compassion we have for these magnificent creatures. We do this through many methods, from bombarding tourist traps with sea turtle brochures, to standing on a crowded street juggling in a sea turtle costume. By using sea turtles as a flag ship species, we hope to spread marine conservation throughout China. Marketing the image of a sea turtle can be useful to advancing conservation awareness. This could be achieved by getting a corporation to adopt a sea turtle as their logo, or having a Chinese celebrity promote sea turtle conservation in China. Interns would research and locate potential ways to spread the conservation message. Interns would have the opportunity to develop their own method for public education. This could be anything from writing a children’s book about sea turtles, fabricating children’s sea turtle games, to creating an animation.

Web Site Management

We use our web site not only to recruit new volunteers and interns but also to provide funding, report illegal sales of sea turtles, and education. Our web site needs constant updating to manage our gift shop sales, and our adopt-a-sea turtle program.
An intern would create patient profiles for new rescued sea turtles, update resort pages with event information, develop new material for online sea turtle education and provide general web site updates.

Aquaculture

Our sea turtle hospital is located in the Xincun floating fishermen village, where the main source of income is the aquaculture of fish, crustaceans, and shell fish. Our sea turtle hospital is set up similar to that of aquaculture farms that surround us, with water free flowing through netted enclosures. Our hospital requires a great deal of maintenance to provide the most suitable habitat for the turtles under our care. Many species of sea turtles have a symbiotic relationship with fish. In the wild, fish clean the algae and other epibiota that grow on the turtles. To replicate the natural environment as close as possible, we raise several species of fish that aid in the cleaning of our turtles. Interns would utilize their knowledge of aquaculture to raise fish, on a small scale, and maintain the sea turtles habitat. Additionally interns could utilize their skills and knowledge to introduce new or “Western” techniques to help fishing families with their aquaculture. This will better our relationship with the local community and make it easier to spread our message of sea turtle conservation.

Online Marketing & Sales

Our sponsor company Yeh! for Games, Inc., a World of Warcraft® leveling service company, offers a combined internship with Sea Turtles 911. As part of the companies concern for environmental conservation Yeh for Games has pledged to donate 15% of every sale to Sea Turtles 911. Yeh for Games will also provide staff members to conduct intern training in online marketing. Interns will learn and gain valuable experience in SEO (Search Engine Optimization), PPC (Pay Per Click), email marketing campaigns, and targeted web banner ads.

The marketing interns will assist sales & marketing staff with a number of projects to support the company’s marketing needs. These tasks will include:

• Identify, research, and collect contact and demographic information of the gaming industry to whom we want to market our products and services.

• Research and review promotional strategies and make recommendations.

• Develop and present partnership recommendations.

• Work collaboratively with Sales & Marketing staff to accomplish work that would be available to the intern based on his or her skills, knowledge, and proficiencies.

Marketing interns may also be expected to manage social networking sites for both Sea Turtles 911 and Yeh for Games. By using Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and Youtube we are able to advance online marketing and public awareness of sea turtle conservation in China. Marketing interns will then apply the same techniques used in online marking with Yeh for Games, to aid in the marketing of our gift shop products to combat the illegal harvesting of hawksbill sea turtles. The hawksbill sea turtle is one of the world’s most critically endangered species, it is estimated that hawksbills will become extinct within the next 10 years; this is largely due to the growing demand for tortoise shell products. To help stop this demand and to fund our conservation mission we are marketing sea turtle inspired jewelry, to replace the demand for jewelry made from sea turtles. Interns would work on the local and global marketing of sea turtle jewelry, and sea turtle stuffed animals while promoting the message for sea turtle conservation.

# of Positions per term

6

Start Dates

Varies

Duration of Internship

3 or 6 months

Academic Background

Environmental Science, Fisheries & Wildlife Science, Aquaculture, Marine Biology, Business, Marketing, IT, Computer Science, or related field, depending on desired position.

Skills/Experience

Sea Turtle Rehabilitation

Requirements: Interest in wildlife rehabilitation, ability to swim, comfortable on the water, reliable and adroit worker

Preferences: Past experience in wild life rehabilitation, studying animal science, pre-vet, marine biology, conservation, environmental science or related fields.

Ecotourism

Required: An intern must be an adept public speaker and writer; have experience in environmental education; and have an interest in ecotourism

Public Awareness

Requirements: Imagination and enthusiasm to save sea turtles

Desired Skills: artist, graphic designer, writer, strong public speaker, experience in wildlife conservation

Website management

Requirements: Intern would need to be proficient in HTML, ASP, JavaScript, Photoshop, and be an articulate writer

Aquaculture

Requirements: Student of or experience in aquaculture, fisheries science, ichthyology, marine toxicology or related field; proficient knowledge of marine aquaculture techniques.

Online Marketing & Sales

Requirements: Passion for sea turtles and World of Warcraft®, quick learner, technology and computer savvy, some past experience in customer service and sales or marketing.

Language Ability

Preferably fluent English speakers, Chinese fluency or some ability is desirable but not required.

Other Requirements

A desktop computer will be provided for intern use; it is recommended but not required for interns to bring a laptop. 3G wireless internet will be available at the floating sea turtle hospital.

Board shorts and rash guard to wear over swim suits.

Sleeping bag for field trips

Total costs vary depending on how long you plan to be abroad, where you will be living, your personal spending habits, and current exchange rates. The following estimates will give you a ballpark figure for this internship. Get help with the math from our handy Cost Calculator.
ALL ESTIMATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

IE₃ Program Fee

For spring term 2012, the program fee for the first term of any internship is $2950 - $3150. The expected program fee beginning summer term 2012 is $3450 for the first term. You do not pay tuition in addition to the program fee. Visit your University's IE₃ page for details, costs for additional terms, and campus administrative fees.

Estimated One-Time Expenses

Expense Type	Price
Host Site Fees	PLEASE NOTE - The final cost for the supplemental program fee for Sea Turtles 911 will be worked out on a pro-rated basis, depending on length of the internship.  The supplemental program cost for the minimum 10 week internship is $1450, which includes the cost airport pickup, housing and 3 meals a day.  Each week in addition to a 10 week internship costs $125 per week (Thus, a 12 week internship has a supplemental fee of $1700).
International Travel	$1500
Visa Fees	$130
Recommended Immunizations	$500

*See Additional Cost Information below.

Estimated Monthly Expenses

Expense Type	Price/month
Housing	Included in supplemental program fee
Food	$30 (additional meals)
Local Transportation	$30
Recreation	$70
Personal Expenses	$25

Compensation

None.

Additional Expense Information

Please see Host Site Program fees section for more details.

Our location in the Xincun fishing village is an inimitable educational setting, exposing students to a diversity of marine species native to the South China Sea, marine aquaculture, fisheries practices, and a truly unique cultural experience. Most of the village residents live in floating houses on the water, where they work, sleep and eat. The houses have electricity, but lack running water except for the free flowing sea water under their homes. Fresh water for drinking, cooking, and bathing is kept in large barrels, so water conservation is an everyday practice. Interns will have the opportunity to experience this way of life by spending a couple days at our floating sea turtle hospital. From this experience, students will learn traditional fishing practices, and a more modest life style. For the majority of the internship, students will reside in more conventional housing on land, in an intern apartment. Three meals a day will be prepared by a personal chef with fresh locally grown fruits, and vegetables, and locally raised seafood, and meat.

Interns and Staff will be the only foreigners living in the village, making for a rather interesting experience. The families in the village are very welcoming and curious about foreigners.

There are many activates to do in the village such as fishing at our floating hospital, hiking to near by deserted beaches, and exploring the rain forest on Monkey Island. Night time entertainment in the village is surprisingly good there are several KTV bars (karaoke), singing performance venues and traditional dancing at outdoor courtyards. Read more at http://seaturtles911.org/.

An intern's report can be found at: LauraMcMahonfinalreport.ST911.Su10_.docx.

Videos of IE3 Interns and the kind of work done at ST911 are found at:

IE3 Internship video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YX-UNiMbaE.

Gift shop video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T_SG-RGJDg

Chinese language program: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcAeNg1uasQ

The School Trip Program: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ivt3xyW98cA

The Ecotourism Program: http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/gazPECj_8Yc/.

The dangers of ocean debris: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QgMenjEDGA

ST911 conducted a major rehabilitated sea turtle release on January 7th!

The video an IE3 intern made from film footage from the release found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC-wF5dogVA

A new news article about the release can be found at: http://www.whatsonsanya.com/news-14349-sea-turtles-911-holds-turtle-release-ceremony-at-the-ritz-carlton-sanya.html.

Additional Articles and Information

The following are a couple of articles highlighting sea turtle conservation challenges in Xincun fishing village at:

http://www.paulhiltonphotography.com/index.php/field-notes/30

http://www.paulhiltonphotography.com/index.php/field-notes.

From Best Friends Animal Society http://network.bestfriends.org/golocal/international/16387/news.aspx.

Field Notes Postings:

Sea Turtles 911: Saving the sea turtles in the South China Sea by Laura McMahon: Oregon State student and IE₃ Scholarship Recipient (April 4, 2011)

Ni hao from China by Laura McMahon: Oregon State student and IE₃ Scholarship Recipient (August 10, 2010)

A clearinghouse for information on China is http://www.mychinastart.com/.