Bat Care Intern (Bat Whisperer) 

Austin Bat Refuge is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization led by veteran bat rehabilitators Dianne Odegard and Lee Mackenzie. Founded in 2015, our mission is to promote respect for bats and their place in the environment through rehabilitation and release, community education, and conflict resolution. We care for 400 to 600 bats each year, providing them the resources and care they require to recover from injury and be released back to the wild. Bats that cannot be released live out their natural lives without fear or suffering, with the best environment, food, and medicine possible.

In the summer, many of the bats brought to our facility are pups, which require more frequent feedings than adult bats. We’re looking for Bat Care Interns to help us rehabilitate bats during pup season, May through September. Interns will work on-site at our facility in central Austin, two miles east of UT. They must be over 18.

To apply for this position, please go to our web page https://austinbatrefuge.org/jobs/ where you will fill out a form, upload a resume and cover letter, and indicate your preferred start date. You just might get a job in the poetic economy of the future! (See bottom of this post)

Job Responsibilities:

• Feed pups and adult bats according to feeding procedures and sanitation protocols
• Record the care given to bats in a rehabilitation database
• Examine bats to identify potential health issues, and alert the Refuge Manager of any findings
• Clean bat habitats, including bedding, water, and food bowls
• Wash dishes and laundry as needed

Interns will work part-time for 12 consecutive weeks and receive a $4,320 stipend. We are trying to fill two terms, one with a start date in late May, and the other with a start date in late June.. Interns must work at our facility five days a week for a total of 20 hours per week, and they may be required to work some holidays and weekends. Each intern will receive five days of paid time off.

Qualifications:

• Love of animals, particularly bats
• Adherence to established policies and procedures at all times
• Ability to work calmly and efficiently in a fast-paced environment
• Attention to detail, especially physical or behavioral anomalies in the bats
• Documentation skills
• Rabies pre-exposure vaccinations: We are happy to advise the selected candidates on how to acquire this vaccination at the lowest cost to them. Candidates who are already vaccinated will need to provide the results of a rabies titer check done within the last year, unless they received the vaccine less than a year ago.
• Ability to lift and carry 20 pounds and to climb an eight-foot step ladder

Hazards:

Interns will work outside during the Texas summer, so they will be exposed to high temperatures and mosquitoes. We offer many protections against these hazards, including bug-repellent clothing, bug spray, misters, fans, and required breaks during shifts. Climbing an eight-foot ladder is also a regular part of the job.

To apply for this position, please go to our web page https://austinbatrefuge.org/jobs/ where you will fill out a form, upload a resume and cover letter, and indicate your preferred start date.

Bat Whisperer 

Do you wake up at night and hear words when others hear squeaks? Do you have extraordinary night vision? Can you decipher the distances and shapes through sound? If you have these skills and you use them to maintain a conversation with the natural world, then you are the right candidate for being a Bat Whisperer. 

Bats are a crucial pollinator and pest control. That's why we also call them Guardians of the Sacred Crop: the corn. By caring for them, you also help preserve this fundamental part of culture. 

And as you know, bats are gentle and loving. From them we can learn resistance and adaptation. 

By hearing their words you can share their message with other humans so they, too, can advocate for our flying brethren. 

Apply to become a Bat Whisperer, also known as Bat Care Intern. Help us find out what other secrets bats are sharing through their echolocation sounds.