Conservation Science Volunteer, Palmyra Program

Application Instructions:

To apply to be a Conservation Science Volunteer at Palmyra Atoll, submit your materials (
resume and cover letter
) online. You can upload the cover letter in the same location as the resume.

This is an ongoing application period that will be used to fill multiple six‑month positions, starting in June 2026. If you are interested in being considered for any of the upcoming six‑month volunteer terms, apply at your earliest convenience. Your application must clearly indicate how you meet all six of the minimum qualifications presented below. If you have any questions about this position, contact the Palmyra Science Coordinator, Dana Sabine, ine.

Located 1,000 miles south of Hawai‘i, Palmyra Atoll lies at the center of one of the world’s most spectacular marine wilderness areas. The atoll contains 580 acres of emergent land surrounded by 480,000 acres of lagoons, coral reefs, and submerged lands. The Nature Conservancy owns and stewards 230 acres of this land, managing it as a Preserve. The TNC Preserve is encircled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, which extends 12 nautical miles from shore, and the entire atoll is further protected as part of a Marine National Monument that stretches 50 miles offshore.

TNC operates the Climate Adaptation and Resilience Laboratory at Palmyra, which focuses on three core strategies for developing actionable solutions to the accelerating effects of climate change: coral reef resilience, pelagic ecosystem protection, and island ecosystem conservation.

Conservation Science Volunteers are recruited for six‑month assignments to support scientific studies and conservation initiatives led by TNC, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and research partners. The duration of this assignment may be amended for safety reasons; if any adjustments are necessary, volunteers will be notified and fully supported by The Nature Conservancy. Volunteers work six 8‑hour days with one day off per week in hot, humid, and/or wet weather on difficult and hazardous terrain under physically demanding circumstances.

These conditions involve considerable physical exertion and/or muscular strain, frequent possibility of injury, long hours in isolated settings, exposure to chemicals (e.g. herbicide), contaminants (e.g. WWII-era fuel), and hazards (e.g. rusted metal from WWII-era equipment).

Conservation Science Volunteers are remotely supervised and must be capable of working safely and independently with minimal day‑to‑day guidance. Tasking priorities will be discussed on a weekly basis. Daily, weekly, and monthly tasking varies according to the needs of priority conservation science projects, which may include native plant establishment and monitoring, invasive plant removal, seabird and shorebird monitoring, maintenance and monitoring of seabird social attraction project sites, and many other varied conservation science activities led by TNC and partners.

Regular tasking also includes equipment and facilities maintenance, lab operations, data management, and reporting. Occasionally, volunteers may be asked to participate in community-based or visitor-facing activities, such as supporting philanthropy trips, presenting or demonstrating key conservation science projects to visitors, or assisting in other roles.

We seek early‑career conservation practitioners and scientists who are eager to volunteer to gain hands‑on experience with innovative, globally relevant conservation science projects on a remote tropical atoll. This is a six‑month, contiguous volunteer assignment designed for individuals who are motivated to learn, contribute meaningfully, and grow professionally in a field‑based research environment.

Well‑qualified applicants have experience supporting or conducting scientific studies, show curiosity and initiative, and bring a strong drive to learn. They are adaptable, exercise sound judgment, and demonstrate resilience in dynamic field conditions. Experience living in an island community or working with island communities to support conservation or resource management…