Intern Experiences - Essay Testimonials

 

"The greatest benefit to this internship has been the relationships I have created with all the people I met out here. They are friendships I will carry with me for years to come. These are the people that have inspired me to learn new things and experience the world from a slightly different point of view. For this alone I am eternally grateful."
- Daniel Winkler, Vernal UT Read more...

"Picture giant trees and moss-drenched riparian landscapes, and you get an idea of my work environment for the last 16 months."
- Candace Fallon, Portland, OR Read more...

"It all started 5 months ago. I was faced with the decision to either attend graduate school in the fall or embark on a journey across the country where I would live and work for nearly half a year...I chose the journey!"
- Wes Glisson, Carlsbad, NM Read more...

"I can't properly express with words, the pride I have felt for these lands, and the work I have done to help protect them and allow them to be enjoyed by others. Life changing experience doesn't really seem to fit because I feel now like this is my life. Our land is so far beyond us, in quality and in quantity, that all we can do is hope for the chance to let some of it inside of us."
- Bryon Harris, Medford, OR Read more...

"We have a favorite place to camp that is by a little creek, a rare natural feature in the desert. In the creek we have built up rocks downstream from an existing pool and now have a cool, wonderful, bubbly bath. The swallows fly down the canyon and miss our heads by inches as we soak off the days work and they deftly pluck insects out of the dry air"!
- Eric Rook and Tara Granke, Winnemucca, NV Read more...

" The week before I was scheduled to start my internship, my mentor called and asked if I would be interested in participating in a three day survey for the rare fungus Bridgeoporous nobillisimus with the Interagency Special Status Species Program team. I graciously accepted and quickly learned to expect the unexpected."
- Camille Duncan, Portland, Oregon Read more...

" I learned to ride horses while I was here and was able to do riparian monitoring on horseback."
- Maggie Eshleman, Vale, Oregon Read more...

"Coming to live and work at Kalaupapa National Historical Park has been a great way to easy back in to mainstream American life. Kalaupapa is a tiny, community with a unique history located on a very isolated peninsula on the Island of Molokai, "the most Hawaiian island." I applied for the Conservation and Land Management Internship while finishing up my service as a Peace Corps Environment Volunteer in Morocco
- Nathan Johnson, Kalaupapa National Historic Park, Hawaii Read more...

"On a personal note, I learned to collaborate with people having diverse personalities and interests both at work and outside of work. I learned what it is like to be a conservation-minded individual in a multi-use government agency. And, I grew to love the desert."
- Matt Koski, Carson City, Nevada Read more...

"I discovered old mines in moss covered forests; saw roving painted turtles, praying mantis, hummingbirds, dragonflies (that too closely resembled helicopters), snakes, frogs, deer, coyotes, elk..."
- Alina Lahti, Spokane, Washington Read more...

"Now, as a direct result of my experiences in Utah, I'm scheming as to how I can go to grad school to study some flavor of ecology or ornithology or ichthyology or botany and am quite excited about the idea of ecological maintenance."
- Nelson Stauffer, Cedar City, Utah Read more...

"A trip to the airport..."
- Betsy Verhoeven, Worland, Wyoming Read more...

"A great thing about being a CLM intern is that everyone is really psyched to teach you what they know. Therefore, with an open mind and a willingness to learn, the opportunities for a CLM intern can be limitless!
- Josh Richard, Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado

Coming from Toronto, Ontario to Vernal, Utah was quite the experience for me. I have spent little time in the US, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this small town which has turned out to be unlike any other place I have ever lived. I have received a lot of help from friends I have made here and co-workers who all worked hard to make sure "The Canadian" felt welcome. I got to learn a lot about my own abilities to adapt and I now know that I am capable of moving to an entirely new place on my own and surviving it! - Leanne Moss, 2008 CLM Intern

 

Overall, this internship was a great experience and I am glad to have had the opportunity to participate in the Conservation and Land Management program. Not only did I gain skills in wildlife management and conservation techniques, but I also experienced the inner workings of a government agency and learned about the various specialties (archaeology, wildlife, rangeland, recreation, law enforcement, riparian, oil/gas development, etc.) involved in managing public land. – Tammy Zoeller, 2008 CLM Intern in Glasgow, Montana

 

I learned a lot of new things and had numerous wonderful experiences. I fully recommend the Yuma Field Office for CBG internships. The people are very helpful and nice. The desert landscape was extremely different from my Missouri home, and this helped broaden my knowledge base and perspective. I will now be able to tell my friends and family that I survived the Sonoran desert in the summer!! – Lisa Miller 2008 CLM Intern in Yuma, Arizona tells tales of the Sonoran desert in the summer!

 

I learned of the Chicago Botanic Garden Internship opportunity during my final weeks before graduating with a degree in Botany from Humboldt State University in Northern California. In fact, I was putting together my poster for an Electron Microscopy presentation while on the phone interviewing with my mentor Pam Camp. I had no idea what I would be doing after graduation but I knew I wanted to do field work and learn about invasive species and native plant restoration. I had no idea where or in what kind of environment I would be working in but I felt I had the skills to handle anything that came my way. My internship took place in north central Washington State and I rented a room in a beautiful house in west Wenatchee. Wenatchee is located on the Columbia River in Chelan county Washington. I was given a wide variety of assignments that were mostly Botany oriented but I also helped out answering phones and working with the other people in the office with projects ranging from tree planting to fence building. This internship has helped me grow both personally and professionally and I am just that more confident about my future as a Botanist. - Chris Boever, 2008 CLM Intern in Wenatchee, WA knew he wanted to use his degree in Botany to learn more about invasive species.

 

I felt like this internship gave me the opportunity to be apart of something bigger. Being able to collect seed for restoration work, research, and for a seed bank, makes me feel liking I am doing something good for both people and nature. This experience has given me a glance at how a government agency works, and I have gained skills that are useful. I have learned to be more flexible, open minded, and better at communicate my ideas and working with others. - Mary Colbert - Carson City, Nevada BLM Field Office

 

 

“We Get Paid To Do This?”
Claire Nicholson - Buffalo, Wyoming BLM Field Office
(Click on the image on the left to open the file "Claire Nicholson_Buffalo WY.pdf")

 

 

Plants were the focus of botany major Josh Drizin
Josh Drizin - Rawlins, Wyoming BLM Field Office
(Click on the image on the left to open the file "J Drizin.doc")

 

 

Read how CLM interns contribute to the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew Millennium Seed Bank Project!
Van Nguyen – Rawlins, Wyoming BLM Field Office
(Click on the image on the left to open the file "Van Nguyen.doc")