Paid Summer Internship: Freshwater Ecology Fieldwork

Hawke's Bay Regional Council; Napier; On-site; NZD 32,000 - 43,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid internship

Job summary

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council in Napier offers a paid Summer Student - Freshwater placement within the Freshwater and Marine Science team, running November 2026 to February 2027. This fixed term internship provides full-time work while you study and supports career development.

You will assist with freshwater, wetlands and habitat assessments, collect and analyse field data, and help with water quality monitoring and fish surveys.

Qualifications

• We are looking for students who are completing or studying towards a qualification related to freshwater science or environmental work.
• Strong organisational and analytical skills with the ability to work independently or in a team.
• Proficiency in MS Word and Excel; familiarity with GIS tools is useful but not essential.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Freshwater and Marine Science team on freshwater, wetland and habitat assessments across the region.
• Collect, record and analyse field and environmental data for habitat and ecological studies.
• Support water quality monitoring programmes, fish surveys and related investigations.
• Help review historical records to identify wetland loss and map barriers to fish passage.
• Contribute to delivering freshwater and coastal ecosystem projects.

Skills

Organised

Initiative

Teamwork

Interpersonal skills

MS Word

MS Excel

GIS

Education

Formal qualification in relevant field

Tools

GIS software

Job description

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council in Napier offers a paid Summer Student - Freshwater placement within the Freshwater and Marine Science team, running November 2026 to February 2027. This fixed term internship provides full-time work while you study and supports career development.

You will assist with freshwater, wetlands and habitat assessments, collect and analyse field data, and help with water quality monitoring and fish surveys.