[Q1] What was the nature of your placement?
[A] I applied for an internship as a paid Wildlife Biologist in Nevada, where I was a member of a multi-disciplinary field studies team composed of teachers, USDA staff from Nevada and California, and the local Wildlife Biologist. My assignment included studying both flora and fauna. Part of the time, I was out in the field identifying indigenous grasses and growth in fields and forests. I also got first-hand experience conducting surveys on spotted owls, goshawks, spotted frogs and stream life. A highlight of my internship related to a major project I was assigned, an environmental study of an endangered species of trout named the Piu Cutthroat.
[Q2] What was of greatest academic significance about your internship?
[A] The chance to take the environmental science knowledge and skills learned in classrooms and labs, and test them against the demands of a real-world setting. I got to use a lot of hands-on materials, had adventures in animal habitats, and saw first-hand how change impacts wildlife populations.
[Q3] What was of greatest personal significance about your internship?
[A] This was my first time far from home in Elkins, WV. Through my travels and internship I learned to be completely independent while working in a real job. I met tons of great people that I'm still in contact with today. The chance to work with wildlife in a natural environment was the most valuable experience I've had in my field. The Nevada internship has really helped me to focus on career goals.
[Q4] A unique memory you'll never forget?
[A] The greatest experience of the internship involved a project surveying the environment of the endangered Piu Cutthroat trout, which is limited to 4 streams in Nevada. To get there, I travelled to the Silver King Mountains, where I backpacked a grueling 8-10 miles inland and then up another 9-10,000 feet. Once up there, I spent an entire week surveying the water and the trout diet, testing acid levels, and collected material for my report. The whole camping experience was fantastic.
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