Jobs, Internships, Volunteering

For more than 167 years, we have been dedicated to educating Chicagoans about nature and science.

We were originally founded in 1857 as the Chicago Academy of Sciences, an institution of scientific discourse and learning among scientists and nature enthusiasts. We continue to build on our legacy of natural history exploration and education at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum through immersive exhibits, critical conservation and research initiatives, public engagement, and education programming. Our mission is to create a positive relationship between people and nature through collaborations, education, research and collections, exhibitions and public forums to grow our region’s urban connection to the world of nature and science.

All current opportunities are listed below. If there are no current positions listed, please check back as we post openings as they become available.

Employment Opportunities

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum of the Chicago Academy of Sciences is hiring independent contractors to install and dismantle temporary exhibitions in the Special Exhibitions Gallery and for other events during the year on a temporary basis- generally winter, late spring, and early fall.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Requirements vary for each exhibition. Most contractors will be required, under direction of the Exhibit Production Supervisor and/or the Lead Exhibit Fabricator to:

Assist in preparing the gallery (including new construction, and repainting).
Assist the forklift operator loading and unloading trucks at the dock.
Handle crates to and from the dock, the freight elevator and the 2^nd floor gallery.
Pack and unpack exhibit components and move empty crates to and from storage.
Distribute and assemble or disassemble components per provided instructions and drawings.
Assist in hanging, moving, and focusing lighting instruments in the gallery.
Clear and clean the gallery and the exhibition in preparation for opening.
Ability to lift and hold up to 60 lbs.
Familiarity with the safe use of hand and power tools, dock equipment and personal protective gear, and general carpentry/assembly experience are preferred.
A positive attitude toward the work and the exhibition team, pleasant and professional conduct toward all museum staff and visitors, and self-motivation to complete assigned tasks are required.

Compensation: Compensation starts at $15 per hour working 6-10 hours per day.

Some evenings and/or weekends are required.

How to Apply:

Please send resume to CAScontractor@naturemuseum.org

No phone calls please. Only qualified candidates will be contacted.

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum of the Chicago Academy of Sciences is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in all areas of the organization. We strongly encourage applications from people of color and members of underrepresented groups.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the US. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment Visa at this time.

Location: Lake County, Illinois

Job Description: One ecological monitoring technician position is available to assist the Lake County Forest Preserve District with its Ecological Monitoring Program from late April through October 2026 (approximate dates). As part of a partnership between the Chicago Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Lake County Forest Preserve District (LCFPD). Lake County is located north of Chicago, IL and boasts 65 preserves managed for biodiversity and natural resources, set within a suburban landscape. Technicians will conduct primarily a variety of wildlife surveys and will occasionally assist vegetation surveys including: coverboard and live-trap surveys for fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals, camera trap surveys, observational invertebrate surveys, herbaceous plant monitoring, tree and shrub monitoring, plant-pollinator network monitoring, and may have an opportunity for involvement in telemetry/nest monitoring for endangered Blanding’s turtles, or smooth greensnake nest monitoring/egg incubation. Equipment will be provided for all essential job duties. Technicians will work with CAS Biologists and LCFPD Ecologists, and will be expected to work independently depending on scheduling and survey type. *This position is ideal for recent graduates looking to develop proficiency in a wide variety of wildlife and vegetation survey techniques*.

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum of the Chicago Academy of Sciences is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in all areas of the organization. We strongly encourage applications from people of color and members of underrepresented groups.

Qualifications: Ideal candidates will be comfortable independently working long hours in the outdoors with little shade and with abundant biting insects, ticks, and poison ivy. Familiarity with field sampling techniques across taxa. The most important qualification is an enthusiasm for fieldwork and wildlife biology.

Additional requirements include:

B.S./B.A. in wildlife, ecology, botany/plant ecology, environmental biology, natural resources, biology or related field with relevant coursework
Valid driver’s license and insurance
Familiarity with or *ability to learn* regional vertebrate, invertebrate, and plant species and ability to safely handle large and potentially aggressive animals (e.g. snapping turtles)
Ability to read maps and navigate to survey points with GPS
Adherence to safety and animal handling protocols
Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Ability to think critically and troubleshoot problems
Ability to communicate effectively with forest preserve agency personnel and the public regarding project details
Flexibility regarding work schedule and conditions
Ability to work outdoors in a variety of weather conditions and habitats
Physical strength, stamina, and endurance sufficient for full days of strenuous field work (several miles of hiking in waders while carrying heavy (35 lbs) equipment in hot weather)
Commitment to a safe, equitable, and inclusive work environment
Sense of humor. Everyone floods their waders, but it doesn’t have to ruin your day.

Essential Job functions:

Capturing, handling, and identifying, fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and invertebrates
Safely marking and measuring reptiles and small mammals
Setting, baiting, checking, and cleaning aquatic and mammal traps
Deploying and maintaining camera traps
Conducting vegetation surveys for herbaceous plants, trees, and shrubs
Following disinfection procedures and biosecurity
Traveling among field sampling sites and wildlife facilities
Maintaining accurate notes/reliable data entry, data entry into database
Basic data summarization for end-of-year reports
Working without direct supervision

Salary: Range: $17.75-$19.75/hr (depending on qualifications), 37.5 hr per week; bunkhouse style lodging available first come first serve~$217/month; work vehicle provided for trap deployment/removal, but personal vehicles may be required for daily sampling activities (with mileage reimbursement).

How to Apply: Those interested should submit their application to hr-biofieldtech@naturemuseum.org as a single document (PDF) containing a brief cover letter, resume/CV, and contact information for 3 references. Please indicate within the cover letter which position you are more interested in (wildlife or vegetation focused), but all applications will be considered for both. The email subject should read: "LastName_EMPTech_Application_2026" and the document filename should be: "LastName_EMPTech_Application_2026". Applications received by February 20th, 2026 are guaranteed consideration. However, applications will be reviewed as they are received.

No phone calls please.
Only qualified candidates will be contacted.

Internship Opportunities

There are no open positions currently available. Please check back for opportunities as they become available.

Volunteer Opportunities

There are no open positions currently available. Please check back for opportunities as they become available.

A Note on Volunteering

Regardless of their role, all Nature Museum volunteers must have a commitment to our mission and a genuine passion for nature and science.

We invest a lot of time in bringing new volunteers on board and finding the right fit for their interests, talents, and schedules. Please know that it may take up to two months to become an official Nature Museum volunteer. If you have an urgent need for service hours, we encourage you to seek out other opportunities. You can browse the variety of volunteer positions offered below. Questions? Please contact our Volunteer and Intern Coordinator, Anabel Hirano, at ahirano@naturemuseum.org.

Host Volunteers provide meaningful assistance and support to museum guests of all ages. They provide wayfinding assistance throughout the museum, highlight daily programs and upcoming events, and help to answer questions from guests. Host Volunteers provide invaluable support by acting as a conduit between museum guests and museum staff and volunteers.
Public Interpretive Program (PIP) Volunteers serve as the voice of the Museum, helping to lead all of the programs the Museum offers to the public on a daily basis. These programs include animal-focused programs like Critter Connections and Animal Feedings; activities that connect visitors to our exhibits and collections; and story time for our littlest visitors.
Special Event Volunteers support larger museum events such as Summer Nature Fest, Bugapalooza, and Booseum Bash. Special Event volunteers do a variety of roles, depending on the day’s needs. Roles may include things such as greeting and checking in guests, facilitating craft activities, or helping guests collect insects in the prairie. This role is best suited for those who want to be involved, but may not be able to commit to a regular schedule.

Living Collections Volunteers assist staff with the care of the animals in the museum’s Living Collections. This may include preparing food, feeding, and cleaning enclosures. The animal care volunteer cares for a wide range of animals including (but not limited to) snakes, turtles, frogs, salamanders, birds, and many invertebrate species. Duties may vary by day and at the discretion of the Living Collections staff.
Horticulture Volunteers work in the museum’s outdoor and indoor garden spaces to maintain and restore landscapes.
Butterfly Lab Volunteers care for the butterflies within the Judy Istock Butterfly Haven. They keep the receiving lab area and pupae cases clean, keep records of butterfly emergence, prepare food trays for the butterflies, and process shipments of new chrysalises. All work in the lab must follow strict USDA regulations.
Collections Volunteers assist Collections staff in preserving and organizing the scientific collections and archives of the museum. Work takes place primarily at the museum’s off-site Ravenswood Collections Facility. Collection Volunteers who are preparing new specimens (taxidermy) primarily work at the Nature Museum’s Beecher Lab.