Students were able to get hands-on experience for a number of different roles at the Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo this summer through the Bermuda Zoological Society’s internship programme.

Colin Brown, BZS president, said a wide variety of opportunities were on offer this summer, giving students a chance to gain industrial experience, fulfil volunteer hours and acquire mentorships.

Mr Brown said: “Our Aqua Camp summer programme teaches conservation and environmental awareness to the younger children of Bermuda, so being able to provide experiential learning methods to older students fulfils our mission to inspire appreciation and care through education.”

Four university students – Jayden Parker, Abigail Brewer, Maya Richardson and Hayley Dill – took part in the Ernest E Stempel Foundation Summer Internship Programme, which is intended for students pursuing careers in the life sciences.

The programme allowed the students the opportunity to learn about all aspects of the daily care of exotic animals, with the first three interns assisting Roma Hayward, the BAMZ animal care and quarantine officer.

Ms Dill, meanwhile, spent her time helping to develop enrichment activities for green turtles, working with the seals and octopi and helping to feed the fish in the aquarium.

Ms Richardson was also named the most recent recipient of the Titus Family Fund, launched to fund student experiences at BAMZ.

The fund will allow her to continue to work at BAMZ and other veterinary practices so that she may gain valuable clinical experience for a future in veterinary medicine.

Brandon Lee, a student at the University of Ottawa, received the John L and Karen C Pye Memorial Internship, which offers Canadian science or biology students a chance to participate in education and research opportunities at BAMZ.

Two students from Flagler College in St Augustine, Florida were also able to gain hands on experience at the facility through the Atlantic Conservation Partnership.

This year, Amanda Gattshall and Rory McElduff were selected for the programme and worked with the aquarist department while attending lectures and going through experiences in the field.

Shia Smith and Emily Dunstan also spent time volunteering at the facility through the Chubb Charitable Foundation, assisting on both BZS and BAMZ projects.

A BZS spokesman said that in addition to the other programmes, 20 students took part in the summer student volunteer programme, managing a craft table in the Aquarium Hall and monitoring lemurs in the Madagascar exhibit.

Numerous other volunteers also lent a hand a the facility, with the spokeswoman highlighting the work of Daelen Simons, a zoo wildlife and biology student at Malone University in Ohio.

The spokeswoman added: “The shared mission of BZS and BAMZ is to inspire appreciation and care of island environments, and as the support charity for BAMZ, the BZS is an example of a highly successful non-profit/public partnership.

“Each year the BZS provide more than 8,000 free educational experiences through our Stempel Foundation BZS Schools Programme in addition to popular community programmes for all ages, development of BAMZ exhibits, and conservation and research programmes.

“Each year, BZS Volunteers contribute over 10,000 hours of valuable husbandry support to the aquarium and zoo with all programmes being accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.”