Internship - Scientific Illustration

Archbold Biological Station and Buck Island Ranch•Venus, FL

13d•Hybrid

About The Position

Archbold Biological Station is seeking an artist to work as a Science Illustration Intern for a period of four months. The intern is expected to live and work at Archbold for at least two or a maximum of three months, with free accommodation provided. The intern will create a series of at least eight illustrated factsheets (infographic-style) focused on the relationship between fire, Florida scrub ecosystems, and rare species persistence. These factsheets will educate public and private land managers about the critical role of prescribed fire in Florida scrub ecosystems and communicate the need for appropriate fire management to ensure the persistence of rare species. The series will cover a suite of rare, fire dependent species studied at Archbold, including Florida Scrub-Jays, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, Florida Grasshopper Sparrows, Gopher Tortoises, and several rare plant species. The illustrated factsheets will also compare and contrast fire management needs across multiple rare species to highlight potential tradeoffs among species with differing ecological requirements. The series will communicate how land managers can address these tradeoffs using adaptive strategies, such as varying fire return intervals across space and time to support multiple species within working landscapes. This comparative approach will train the intern to synthesize complex ecological information and translate multispecies tradeoffs into clear, decision relevant visual communication. In addition, the series will include an overview of Archbold’s prescribed fire management program, how land managers evaluate the effectiveness of fire management, and the importance of fire in working ranch landscapes, drawing on Archbold’s agroecology research. Living at an active research site during the internship will allow the intern to experience the research first-hand and find inspiration through immersion in the unique Florida Scrub environment. This internship aims to build a bridge between artists and researchers, and help researchers spread awareness about Archbold’s conservation work through unique and eye-catching artwork to be used in public outreach and science communication. The intern will have significant creative freedom over these illustrated factsheets while also incorporating input and receiving mentorship from researchers, artists, science illustrators, and species specialists.

Requirements

Currently enrolled in, or be a recent graduate of, an art-focused, undergraduate or graduate level program.
Ability to create at least eight illustrated factsheets (infographic-style).
Ability to incorporate input and receive mentorship.
Provide a link to an art portfolio.

Nice To Haves

Interest in science illustration.
Interest in conservation work.
Ability to synthesize complex ecological information.
Ability to translate multispecies tradeoffs into clear, decision relevant visual communication.

Responsibilities

Create a series of at least eight illustrated factsheets (infographic-style) focused on the relationship between fire, Florida scrub ecosystems, and rare species persistence.
Develop engaging, visually driven factsheets to educate public and private land managers about the critical role of prescribed fire in Florida scrub ecosystems.
Communicate the need for appropriate fire management to ensure the persistence of rare species.
Include accessible, plain language summaries of scientific information describing relationships between prescribed fire regimes and rare species ecology.
Incorporate management recommendations, supported by original illustrations, addressing appropriate fire return intervals and fire seasonality for rare species conservation.
Compare and contrast fire management needs across multiple rare species to highlight potential tradeoffs among species with differing ecological requirements.
Communicate how land managers can address tradeoffs using adaptive strategies, such as varying fire return intervals across space and time to support multiple species within working landscapes.
Include an overview of Archbold’s prescribed fire management program, how land managers evaluate the effectiveness of fire management, and the importance of fire in working ranch landscapes.
Experience research first-hand and find inspiration through immersion in the unique Florida Scrub environment.
Build a bridge between artists and researchers.
Help researchers spread awareness about Archbold’s conservation work through unique and eye-catching artwork for public outreach and science communication.
Incorporate input and receive mentorship from researchers, artists, science illustrators, and species specialists.