Perhentian Turtle Project
Volunteer co-ordinator Internship

Love turtles and committed to starting a career in marine conservation? Join the Perhentian Turtle Project team on this Turtle Conservation Internship as a Volunteer Coordinator where you’ll pick up vital field skills, collect data on a daily basis and patrol nesting beaches at night. Plus develop your people management skills as you will be responsible for small groups of volunteers who you’ll educate about turtles and marine conservation each week.

Introduction

As a Volunteer Coordinator you will mainly be in charge of leading volunteers on project-related activities. In order to do so, you will receive training on the nature and activities of the project as well as sea turtles and marine conservation. Consequently, you will develop your leadership, communication and community outreach skills. Alongside that, you are expected to work together with the assistant data coordinator in collecting the data of the foraging, nesting, and hatchery data of sea turtles on a daily basis. This means that the Volunteer Coordinator should expect to frequently be around and interact with people.

Benefits

What we need from you for turtle conservation internship

To apply for this role you’ll need to meet a few requirements and be committed to ensure our volunteers have a fantastic experience. You can also find out a bit more about the role itself by reading about the duties you’ll be completing throughout the internship.

Requirements

• Must have an interest and passion for sea turtle and marine conservation and the work of Fuze Ecoteer.
• Must have a strong interest and experience in outdoor activities, especially water-related activities
• Must have a strong interest and experience in public outreach and engagement 
• Ability to free dive preferred; training can be provided upon arrival
• Must be open-minded, respectful, willing, and determined to try and learn new things, skills,  languages, and cultures
• Must be flexible and quick to adapt to new surroundings – especially humid tropical climates and changes in sleep schedules –  and sudden changes in schedules
• Must be able to work (awake, alert, and active) night shifts in tough conditions and on a small isolated island with limited resources
• Experience living in basic and rustic conditions preferred
• Fluency in written and spoken Bahasa and English is essential.
• Must be able to swim and tread water
• Experience in public outreach and engagement preferred
• High level of water safety awareness preferred
• The candidate should be a team player but able to work independently and as part of a team to develop and implement conservation projects with minimal supervision
• Strong leadership skills preferred
• Must have a strong sense of responsibility, discipline and display a professional example to villagers, volunteers and colleagues at all times.
• Must possess efficient time management and organisation skills to meet set deadlines
• Must be competent in Windows OS, Microsoft Office and Microsoft Power BI
• First Aid training desirable but basic training can be provided upon arrival.

Key duties and responsibilities of turtle conservation internship

• Coordinate and facilitate volunteers to engage in daily project activities including kayak surveys, beach cleans, snorkel tours, Malay dinners, night beach patrols at Tiga Ruang etc
• Provide a programme introduction and training for volunteers, outlining key aspects of our activities, objectives and expectations
• Complete relevant safety briefings and ensure all applicable forms are signed and recorded
• Guide volunteers through a water confidence training session where you will assess their abilities in the water to identify the necessary safety precautions for each volunteer in future water activities (some of whom may or may not be able to swim)
• Educate volunteers about important conservation issues by leading them to conduct awareness campaigns, beach cleans and snorkel tours
• Introduce the volunteers to the local communities and cultures through village tours and Malay Dinners
• Interact with and assist the local Department of Fisheries rangers in nesting beach and hatchery management, and encourage volunteers to do the same, to maintain our relationship with them
• Ensure all safety precautions are taken and the Standard Operating Procedure (S.O.P) are followed whilst in the water and make sure all volunteers are accounted for during water-based activities
• Collect and record feedback from volunteers and regularly review the programme to maximise volunteer experience and produce reports when requested by the project manager
• Ensure the project house and Tiga Ruang’s campsite are kept clean & tidy with the help of the team members and our volunteers through daily chores on a rota basis
• Assist in collecting and analyzing photo-ID and nesting data when necessary – this includes conducting kayak surveys (1.5-2 hours) at least twice a week to survey for and collect facial photographs of foraging sea turtles
• Help to assist the local Department of Fisheries (DOF) rangers and the Field Research Assistant to:
  • Patrol a 400m nesting beach in every hour in 2 shifts between 08.00 PM and 7.15 AM for nesting turtles and poaching activity
  • Collect biometrics and facial photographs of nesting sea turtles
  • Collect and relocate eggs from nesting sea turtles into the hatchery
  • Collect hatchery data
  • Release hatchlings
• Identify and implement ideas of mini project to increase the diversity of project and/or conservation-related activities to increase volunteer engagement
• Complete projects and reports as required by the project manager such as producing informative displays and research impact reports to share with tourists
• Follow agreed timetables to deliver work in a timely fashion
• Be a professional example of a leader and marine conservationist to local community members, volunteers and colleagues
• Adherence to all safety measures, protocols, procedures and budgets as directed by Fuze Ecoteer
• Any other duties that may be required including helping with group events, cover for colleague’s leave and illness, shop for project supplies (e.g. food and cleaning supplies), and participate in local/island events
• The successful candidate will report to the Project Manager of Perhentian Turtle Project and work together with another team member to reach the project’s objectives.

How To Apply

Please submit your CV, and Cover Letter to adventure@fuze-ecoteer.com.

For more information or if you have any further questions about the role please email adventure@fuze-ecoteer.com.