Internship Programme

The Hong Kong Biodiversity Museum (HKBM) is the first museum in Hong Kong dedicated to biodiversity. As a natural history museum, we are committed to advancing knowledge, education and preservation of biodiversity in Hong Kong and Asia.

 We welcome applications from tertiary students aged 18 or above who are passionate about biodiversity, ecology, education, and conservation. Through the internship programme, successful applicants will have the opportunity to: 

• Deepen their knowledge of ecology and biodiversity

• Engage with the public and develop their communication skills

• Learn how biological specimens are prepared, catalogued, labelled, stored, and preserved

• Gain practical experience in environmental education, museum curation, and biodiversity research

• Support the development of specimen-based educational and outreach materials

• Develop valuable experience and transferable skills for future careers in museums, research, conservation, education, and related fields

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HKBM’s work spans a wide range of activities and is supported by two enthusiastic and complementary teams: the Curation Team and the Education Team. While both teams contribute to the museum’s mission, they involve different responsibilities and require different skills. 

Applicants may indicate their preferred team when applying. Please note that you may apply for only one team during each internship period. If you are interested in both teams, you may apply for them during two separate, non-overlapping internship periods. Please read the descriptions below to learn more about each team and identify the opportunity that best matches your interests and strengths.​​

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Team Introductions​

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Curation Team

Museum collections are rich in specimens, and their daily care is a vital task for the curatorial team. The team's work encompasses everything from specimen preparation, preservation, identification, and display to image capture, database organization, and item description. It also involves presenting the collection within a coherent framework, allowing visitors to appreciate its diversity while learning about various aspects of the specimens' biology.

We are seeking candidates who share our passion for biology—specifically botany and zoology—and those who wish to gain hands-on experience. As an intern, you will assist the team to perform the following duties:

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• Organize specimen databases

• Capture images using professional cameras and scientific photography equipment

• Mounting scientific herbarium sheets, preserving specimens in fluids, restoring specimens, and assembling dioramas.

• Maintaining accurate specimen records, ensuring items are properly labeled and stored. 

• Assist with other curational tasks as needed

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Eligibility and desirable qualities for the Curation Team

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The ideal candidate must be meticulous, possess excellent attention to detail and strong organizational skills, and be able to work independently. Proficiency and some experience with Google Sheets (or similar software) are required. Additionally, you should be a good team player and be available to work at least 5 hours per week.

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• Tertiary students aged 18 or above with knowledge of biology, ecology, and anatomy (Preferred)

•  Be organized and able to work independently 

•  Be proactive and creative on how to implement ideas or projects

•  Have basic experience with craft-based activities or skills 

•  Have basic experience with Microsoft Office Suite 

•  Be responsible, detail-minded and handle specimens with care

•  Good communication and strong team player  

•  Have basic design, editing, content creation and copywriting skills

•  Have basic experience with photography and specimen digitization

•  Be enthusiastic about researching factual information and knowledge related to biological specimens

Education Team​

Sharing knowledge about biodiversity is at the heart of the Hong Kong Biodiversity Museum. The Education Team plays an important role in bringing the museum’s collections to life by communicating accurate scientific knowledge and inspiring the public to appreciate the natural world.

The Education Team provides interns with practical experience in public engagement, science communication, environmental education, and museum interpretation. Interns will also develop their public-speaking, educational content creation, and scientific communication skills through the following duties: 

• Lead guided tours during museum opening hours, introducing the museum, its mission, and its specimen collections

• Engage visitors through small workshops exploring the ecology and biodiversity of specimens

• Contribute articles and other content to the HKBM’s social media platforms

• Develop educational materials that introduce distinctive species and biodiversity topics to the public

• Assist staff in occasional field work

Eligibility and desirable qualities for the Education Team

The ideal candidate will have a strong aptitude for public outreach and communication, with the enthusiasm and confidence to engage audiences from different backgrounds. Applicants should be able to present scientific information clearly, warmly, and accurately, while showing a genuine interest in inspiring the public to appreciate biodiversity. Specifically, applicants should:

• Be aged 18 or above. Tertiary students majoring in ecology, biology, environmental science, or related disciplines are particularly encouraged to apply

• Demonstrate a strong interest in biology, ecological education, or nature conservation, together with scientific rigour and a willingness to learn about species biology

• Have strong spoken and written communication skills in both English and Chinese (including Cantonese and Mandarin)

• Be primarily available to support public-opening days on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays)

• Have familiarity with Hong Kong’s ecology (preferred but not essential)

• Have experience in digital marketing, photography, graphic design, video production, or related fields (preferred but not essential)

• Proactive and collaborative team player with strong creative thinking and problem solving

• Physically fit for outdoor work​​

Period

Each intern needs to complete a minimum 200 service hours from September 2026 and January 2027. Working hours are flexible and may be completed through half-day or full-day shifts. The internship period and working arrangements may be adjusted where necessary, provided that all arrangements are coordinated in advance and approved by the relevant Team Manager.  

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Stipend

This is an unpaid internship. As a token of appreciation, HKBM may assist interns in applying for credit-bearing internship courses offered by their institutions, where applicable. Upon completion of the internship, interns will receive a certificate of completion. Interns who demonstrate satisfactory performance may also request a reference letter.

Application

To apply, please prepare a CV and fill up this form. [CLICK HERE]

Deadline: 7 Sept 2026 12:00 p.m.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited for interviews.

Our Privacy Policy also applies to this internship programme. The personal data provided in your application process will be used for the internship application, selection and internship related operational purposes only.