Environmental Science Internship Programmes

Work in some of the most beautiful and diverse conservation settings in the world! Our environmental science internships provide you with the opportunity to develop your fieldwork, research, analytical and identification skills whilst experiencing the incredible natural beauty of the Western Cape in your daily work.

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Environmental Science internships - quick video overview
The best Environmental Science Internship Programmes in Africa?

The best environmental science  internships in Cape Town? We think so. We pride ourselves on delivering customised internship placements and on the ground support that offer life-changing, valuable professional experiences.

The Western Cape is home to a wide range of beautiful conservation settings and this means we offer some wonderfully diverse environmental science internship opportunities.  We collaborate with some incredible local organisations that focus on a wide range of environmental initiatives and activities.

As in an intern you could be involved in; environmental protection and research, environmental policy, fieldwork, climate change research, report writing, planning and development, sustainable development education and the promoting of sustainable practices in relation to the environment, building visibility and support for your host organisations projects and plant species monitoring and testing.

Our environmental science internships provide you with the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the challenges of conservation in a different country, whilst experiencing the natural beauty of the Cape in daily work!

Read on for a full overview of the best environmental science internships in Africa.

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KEY INSIGHT

Environmental Science Internship Programme Overview

Here's what you can expect from the programme in a nutshell!

Environmental Science Internship Key Skills:

  • Communication
  • Critical thinking
  • Self discipline
  • Team work
  • IT and technical
  • Industry specific knowledge
  • Research and analytical
  • Fieldwork and identification skills

Academic & Career Benefits

  • Work under and learn from some incredibly experienced conservation and environmental science professionals.
  • Improve your understanding of global environmental issues and the challenges of conservation in a different country.
  • Discover more about your passions, strengths and weaknesses and gain a better understanding of what a career in the field of environmental science would entail.
  • Gain impressive, practical, international work experience to add to your CV.

Ideal Internship Applicant

  • A good knowledge and understanding of current environmental issues.
  • Good written and verbal communication skills.
  • Proficient in English.
  • A passion for conservation and the environment.
  • Some previous research or fieldwork experience would be beneficial.

Programme highlights:

  • Develop crucial skills needed to kick start your successful career in environmental science.
  • Gain valuable, practical work experience in a range of incredible conservation settings.
  • Explore and experience the beauty of Cape Town in your daily work.
  • Live and socialise with other like-minded people looking for an adventure of a life time!
  • Receive unparalleled support and guidance from our Bridging Gaps team.

Minimum Requirements

  • Minimum age: 18
  • Completed (or will have completed) A2-Levels or equivalent
  • Minimum of 2 weeks duration, no maximum
  • Not a resident of South Africa

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KEY INSIGHT

Skills you'll hone through your Environmental Science internship

Of course, the list is much longer - but these are the skills our intern alumni reported back that they grew in the most!

Critical thinking
Teamwork
Communication
Self discipline
Industry specific knowledge
Field and identification skills
Technical knowledge

Ready?

Turbo charge your career in Environmental Science

What are you waiting for - get started now!

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KEY INSIGHT

Environmental Science internship programme reviews & ratings

We managed to grab some detailed interviews from previous interns on this programme, you can click on them below.

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This is the second time I’ve come to South Africa on an internship program with Bridging Gaps. It was so amazing the last time, that I really wanted to come back again. South Africa is known for its wildlife and biodiversity so it was the obvious choice to do a nature conservation internship here… again!
Frankie Stratford
Undergraduate
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KEY INSIGHT

A hypothetical Environmental Science Internship Programme

What might your programme in this career field look like? Here's how it has typically shaped up for our alumni!

Week One

Arrival & orientation. Introduction to Cape Town, your accommodation and your internship host organisation and colleagues.

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Internship Programmes South Africa - Hypothetical week 1
Internship Programmes South Africa - Hypothetical week 2
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Week Two

Get stuck into your environmental science internship placement and establish yourself with your organisation. Come to our free social events.

Week Three

Enjoy a great work-life balance, getting out and about to see the sites alongside working hard on your internship.

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Internship Programmes South Africa - Hypothetical week 3
Internship Programmes South Africa - Hypothetical week 4
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Week Four

Pick up more responsibility in your internship as you prove your capability. Enjoy regular activities in Cape Town outside of work. Come to another social!

Week Five

Now you're flying (metaphorically) at work, you'll be more and more autonomous. Expect to pick up even more challenges!

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Week Six

Internship is going swimmingly, now go and do something crazy like swimming with some great white sharks or abseiling off of a mountain.

Week Seven

Regularly enjoy the benefits of Cape Town and at work, gather materials needed for portfolio (e.g. references from us and provider).

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Week Eight

Putting the finishing touches to your internship and gathering feedback from us and your internship provider for use in your academic / career portfolio. Finalise paperwork for university (if needed)

LEAVE TRANSFORMED
Download and read a free guide.

13 Essential Insights for a Fulfilling and Safe Internship in Cape Town

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KEY INSIGHT

Environmental Science internship programme features

What makes our internship programmes a worthwhile investment? Here's a swift overview of what you can expect!

Choice of two programmes

We have two primary programmes to suit your needs. In some instances we also offer virtual placements.

Unlimited duration as standard

You can come for as long as you need without paying any extra fees.You'll receive the same level of support.

Backed by concrete promises

We are 100% on your side. We guarantee every aspect of your trip with unrivalled promises.

Career
Focus

Need to focus on a precise niche or two? No problem! Your programme can focus on your specialist areas.

Immersive cultural experience

We'll help you engage with the culture and personal benefits of being in a foreign country.

Virtual placements

Save on travel and accommodation costs, pay a far lower fee. All while building your professional network.

Academia friendly

We will handle all aspects of academic accreditation, including direct liaison with your tutors and academic staff.

Future career friendly

We will write full reference letters for your placement(s) to optimise future employers' first impression of you.

ACTION

Current Environmental Science Job Openings

Here are some current or recent internship job opportunities in this career area. We do not publish all openings - so please contact us to hear about others.

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Explore your custom Environmental Science programme now

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KEY INSIGHT

A straightforward process

We have worked very hard to streamline our process to make your experience easy, fun and highly rewarding personally and professionally. Flick through the steps below, or read about our process in more detail.

Introduce yourself to our friendly team

Getting your dream internship all starts with you saying hello! Just pop your details into our enquiry form and we'll reach out to schedule a conversation with you that we call a 'discovery call'.

Ask questions & learn how we can help

In your discovery call, you can ask us any questions you still have. We'll talk about your options in the career fields you've told us you're interested in to help you imagine your placement and decide if our service is right for you.

Complete your programme application

If everything sounds good to you, complete your application to put into words your dream programme. This forms the basis of the 'design' of your customised placement and will be the primary framework against which we validate potentially suitable opportunities.

We'll source you the best opportunities

We maintain a large and varied network of the best organisations in Cape Town. We will identify the best potential fits for your programme goals and preferences and reach out on your behalf to assess those organisations for suitability (learn about their current projects and initiatives).

Prepare and plan for your experience

Once you've confirmed which placement offer you prefer, we'll start helping you plan the rest of your trip. We'll book your accommodation, help with your travel arrangements and provide extensive advice and information on how to get ready for your time in Cape Town. Your Bridging Gaps mentor will be on hand to make sure you're fully prepared for your placement.

Maximise your experience & learning

Finally, every member of our team will move mountains to make sure you get what you came for and MORE! It's essential to us that you're safe, you're learning and growing in confidence and developing the most important skills for your future career.

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KEY INSIGHT

Environmental Science internship programme cost

Our programme fees are shown below, for a full description of our service offering please click to view the programme or a side-to-side comparison.

Bootstrap

£
795
one-off, fixed

Bespoke programme

Backed by 4
concrete promises

VIEW BOOTSTRAP

Concierge

£
1195
one-off, fixed

Comprehensive support

Visa & travel assist

Accommodation assistance

Social events & excursions

... and lots more

VIEW CONCIERGE

Virtual

£
395
one-off, fixed

Tailored Search

Ongoing support
& mentoring

VIEW VIRTUAL
Click to see detailed programme feature comparison.
FAQ
Environmental Science Internship Programmes FAQs

We've answered some specific questions about this internship programme below.

How long does it take to become a conservationist?

This depends on your education and work background. Generally, most entry-level conservation jobs will require a minimum of a bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline as well as some previous field experience. An internship is a great way to get your foot in the door in this competitive industry and make important contacts that can help bolster your career.


Which environmental degree is best?

Some of the top environmental degrees with great career options include: biology, environmental engineering, environmental law, renewable energy and sustainability. 


What is the highest paying job in environmental science?

The highest-paying jobs for environmental science include: environmental lawyer, environmental planner, sustainability managers for companies, conservationists, environmental engineer and many others. 


Is an environmental science degree worth it?

Most certainly! Environmental science degrees can act as a stepping stone to a variety of sought after fields. These fields can include, conservation work, environmental law, consulting, fieldwork, research and more. 


What can someone do with an environmental science degree?

There are a lot of career paths that environmental science students can take, some of the top being: environmental scientists, conservation scientists, environmental lawyers, environmental consultants, zoologists, ecologists, environmental engineers and environmental educators.


What is the highest paying job in science?

There are a lot of different possible careers in science. Some of the highest-earning positions in science include; physicists, astronomers, pharmacists, geoscientists, biochemists and medical scientists. Chemical and nuclear engineering are also lucrative career paths. 


What should I expect from a research internship?

Research internships often entail a lot of independent work, although asking questions, being proactive, and making the most of your resources are key to a successful research internship. Medical internships or those in the field of biology are often heavily focused on research and interns will either be asked to complete their own project or contribute to ongoing research. These types of internships will also involve laboratory work. Research is also often integral to internships in human rights, law and public policy.


What type of work will I be doing during my environmental science internship?

The daily projects and tasks you will be involved in during your internship depends largely on your individual internship organisation, which we find for you based on your personal and professional goals.  However, some general activities you can expect to be involved in as an environmental science intern include; carrying out field work, researching environmental issues and solutions, creating proposals, liaising with clients, researching policy changes, delivering educational workshops, promoting initiatives and working on fundraising, analysing data and identifying species.

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Environmental Science Internship Programmes

Hi, we're really sorry but we are no longer offering internship opportunities in this career field. However, we wish you the best with your search.