Final Day

Wow, time really flew by!  Sadly, our winternship has come to an end.  This was a short but very rewarding experience.  As any other day, the morning was focused on finishing up our projects and video.  But this morning was a little bit different.  I found it nice and a little funny that our internship started with everyone working in their own separate areas at their own desks but today John, Conor, and Allison (while missing Alyssa) all sat at the same table and enjoyed each other's company.  Something as small as that can really show how well this internship was and how everyone got to know each other.  For our farewell lunch, we had delicious Lino's food as well as a birthday cake for Sarah (courtesy of Maryanne).  

I think I can speak for all the interns when I say that this was a great experience!  We learned a lot in a short amount of time while also having fun.  Everyone was very welcoming and I feel lucky to have met the people who make Conserve Lake County what it is.  If anyone is looking for an internship, you should definitely consider this one.  You won't be disappointed!

Last but not least, here is our final video of our "winternship"..

Day 10

On Thursday, we mitigated what is a thorn in many peoples' lives: Buckthorn. But before that, we worked on the video. We realized that because choosing music was the hardest part of the project, we did a good job.

At 11:30am, the interns left to cut Buckthorn. It was an educational experience just as much as it was a laborious activity. But there was more than just cutting Buckthorn. There was more than burning Buckthorn in a bright blaze of glory. And there was more than realizing that we ourselves have an inner fire that changes our surroundings for the greater good. We were afforded the opportunity to lay seeds and the seeds of our efforts across a prairie with Restoration Ecologist Ken Klick. Mr. Klick did this, along with his short lecture on the intricacies and nuances of prairies and the management thereof. It is because of all these wonderful experiences that I say thank you to Mr Klick and all the good people of Conserve Lake County. Viewing an environmental imperative as just another day at the office is something to be proud of.

Day 9

Today was just another work day for our projects, the only special thing was that it was Alyssa's last day and so from this point on we will be one person short in our little work room. We are all just finishing up our individual projects and after lunch to take a break we cleaned out another old storage space that was tucked away behind an office. A list of things we found included a windows 95 CD, old photo albums, and that apparently the space was originally supposed to be used at a shower until it was filled up with old boxes. To celebrate the end of the internship (today and not Friday so that Alyssa could join) Maryanne made up brownies, which were fantastic, and we just got to talk with all of the staff about our future plans, mostly focusing on Alyssa because it was her last day to the joy of the other interns and I. We are looking forward to tomorrow as well so that we can finally get some outside work under our belts cutting down buckthorn!

Day 8

Yesterday's field trip was a nice change of pace. Today's assignment was project work. Conor had the opportunity to attend a conference were he heard lectures about trees. Allison, John, and I remained in the office. All of us have been working hard and it seems like it was a productive day. We have entered the final stretch of our internship and the four of us are doing our best to make some headway on our projects.

Looking back at the last week, I reflected on some of the progress we've made since we first set foot inside CLC headquarters. Just walking through the building I could see some of the stuff we've accomplished like the recently cleaned space and the tidied conference room. And there are other things that aren't visible to the naked eye, like the experiences we had on field trips and the many lessons we've learned about conservation and working in the real world.

Day 7

The day started off with our usual projects and worked on our video.  The afternoon, however, was different.  Maryanne took the interns and the newest member of the Conserve Lake County family, Cary Nourie, to the Liberty Prairie Foundation.  There, the interns met the members of the foundation:  Mike Sands, Erin Cummisford, Brad Leibov, and Emily.  We enjoyed lunch together and talked about what the foundation is involved in...FOOD!  We discussed the foundation's role in local food systems.  They strive to support and develop a sustainable local food system.  Let's just say that at the end of this "meet and greet", all I wanted to do was go to a farmer's market!  After lunch, Maryanne took Cary and the interns on a tour of the area while I was able to talk to Dave Holman.  Dave is the GIS specialist at Conserve Lake County and also does work for the Liberty Prairie Foundation.  I have taken a few GIS classes and was interested in talking to him about his work.  It was awesome being able to just sit down and talk to him.  I learned a lot!  Afterwards, we all headed back to Conserve Lake County to finish up our work for the day.

Day 6

*Inhale*

The fun that the interns have had in this internship thus far is matched only by the work we have done this day. In the morning, I began, with my fellow interns, cleaning an old room that is hoped to be a conference room in the near future. Later on, Conner and I, along with Associate Director Nathan, went to Casey Farm two times. We unloaded materials that were in the room that we are cleaning. Moreover, after lunch, my fellow interns and I began cleaning various part of the building, along with rearranging furniture. It is at this day’s conclusion that I write how profoundly exhausted and exhilarated I am. Working for Conserve Lake County not just on a computer is a treat worth cherishing.

Day 5

Today started similar to the other with a cup of coffee and project work. At 10:30 however we went to Casey Farm, which is a local sustainable organic farm. We learned about sustainable farming practices and about the years work of a small time farmer. It seems to be much more work than we originally thought. We visited the green house and the barn, the greenhouse was considerably warmer! After this we got together with the family who runs the farm and the rest of the CLC staff and had some $2.75 pizza, which by the way was fantastic! After our meal of watching the farmers children play with their pizza and talking we settled back down to our individual projects and finished our box of Conservation@home signs.