Elizabeth Fontaine '27, Marine, Estuarine, and Freshwater Biology
Elizabeth Fontaine '27, from Derry, NH, is a Marine, Estuarine, and Freshwater Biology student in the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture. Elizabeth shared her experience as a Wildlife Rehabilitation Intern at New Hampshire Turtle Rescue, made possible by the COLSA SOAR Fund.
The supports undergraduate students by providing stipends that can be used to supplement unpaid internships or pay for transportation to interviews and career events. The SOAR Fund accepts applications year-round. While all COLSA students are invited to apply, applicants with financial need are strongly encouraged.
Where did you intern and what was your title?
I interned at New Hampshire Turtle Rescue and my title was Wildlife Rehabilitation Intern.
How did you get your internship?
I got my internship through New Hampshire Turtle Rescue because I have been volunteering there since September 2025, and they offered the position to me, asking if I was interested because they knew that I was a committed volunteer as well as a UNH student. The internship started in May 2026.
What did the day-to-day at your internship look like?
As a turtle rehabilitation intern, my daily responsibilities included a wide variety of tasks. I was involved in hands-on wildlife care, veterinary assistance, and field work. I helped to maintain the facility though cleaning the tanks of the patients, preparing diets for the animals, and disinfecting necessary areas. I assisted staff with medical treatments such as injecting fluids and pain meds, shell repair, and the intake process for new patients by recording where they were found, the species, weight, shell measurements, injuries, and photos. Also, I gained field experience through conducting turtle releases and using telemetry tracking equipment to monitor the survival and movements of turtles after their release.
What were your favorite parts of your internship? Any memorable moments?
My favorite part of my internship was working hands on with the animals and how rewarding it is to work in rehabilitation, though it is often difficult because of the nature of the situation that the animals are in. A memorable moment was participating in many turtle releases, especially when we would bushwhack to find suitable sites for the turtles to be released. I also enjoyed learning more about the medical side of things because I knew nothing about that going into it, and learning about it made me more confident and knowlegable.
What was the most valuable thing you learned?
The most valuable thing I learned is how to take care of patients in a clinical and field environment. I learned more about working with wildlife who are injured. I was taught how to safely restrain and handle patients for treatments and transport, manage data for intake of patients, and keep the environment sterile and reduced of stress. This internship was very valuable to me because it further showed me how much time, effort, teamwork, and precision goes into wildlife rehabilitation.
What are your future goals? Do you think the internship brought you closer to them?
My future goals are to continue my schooling into a graduate degree in the Marine Biology field and further work in the field of research. This internship brought me closer to that because it provided me with transferable skills and ideas
Any advice for students looking for an internship?
My advice for students looking for an internship is to not be afraid or to avoid applying for internships because it is out of your comfort zone or you are worried about being underqualified. Reach out to professors, volunteer or join a club with organizations you care about to meet more people with similar interests, and apply early if possible. Also, try to utilize the soar fund!
Tell us something you love about UNH.
Something that I love about UNH is the sense of community including the professors, students, and staff at UNH. I also appreciate the beauty of the campus and how it changes throughout the seasons. I also really appreciate that UNH has many opportunities such as the SOAR fund, lab opportunities, team-learning opportunities, and more.
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