Farewell Spring Natural Resource Interns!
By Amy Compare
ACT’s Natural Resource Management Interns have completed their spring semester! Our hard-working interns - Maylen, Molly, Lilly, Ashley, Thomas, Logan, Taylor, Rebecca, and Ally - collectively contributed over 1,500 hours of work to ACT over the past four months. Throughout the semester, interns learned how to use a variety of hand and power tools, learned about flora and fauna in North Central Florida, and worked tirelessly on land management projects on our preserves. They assisted with invasive treatment, hardwood reduction, trail maintenance, ground cover restoration, Gopher tortoise surveys, and prescribed fire at several ACT preserves including Little Orange Creek, Fox Pen, Orange Lake Overlook, Santa Fe River, and Santa Fe Springs. They also rerouted part of the Blue Trail at Prairie Creek Preserve and built kiosks for some of the ACT preserves opening later this year!
Spring interns also had the chance to learn from ACT staff and external partners about different areas of conservation and non-profits, which contributed to a more well-rounded natural resource experience. They learned how to write prescriptions for prescribed fire, learned about forestry concepts and participated on a timber cruise, participated in pre- and post-fire photo-monitoring and bird surveys, learned about grant writing, and were able to look at cave crayfish with an FWC biologist. Additionally, three interns lead invasive removal work parties for Gainesville’s Great Invader Raider Rally, removing invasive coral ardisia at Serenola Preserve and Caesar weed at Prairie Creek Preserve.
Here are what some of the interns had to say about their experience:
Internship applications for the fall 2024 semester will open at the beginning of June and close the first Friday, July 5th. The fall 2024 internship will run from the last week in August through the first week in December. For more information on the Natural Resource internship, check out our website here. If you have questions about the Natural Resource Management Internship, please reach out to Amy Compare here.
ACT’s intern programs are supported by people like you, who see the value in providing the next generation of conservation professionals with the tools, experiences, and skills to steward and protect land.
If you would like to support the growth and development of young natural resource professionals, please consider donating to the Internship Fund in Memory of Ryan Crowder & Julia Reiskind here.
