Project Proposal
I am going to be interning at Ecosphere Environmental Services, located in downtown Durango. They specialize in natural resources consulting, environmental planning and monitoring, public outreach and participation, and environmental compliance and permitting. Their markets include Oil & Gas, Mining, Linear Projects, Renewable Energy, Tribal resource Planning and Development, Transportation Infrastructure Planning, Site Planning & Development, and Water Resource Development. Ecosphere works a lot with local and federal government agencies, private industries, commercial developers, and public and private utilities. They are consulted a lot to survey land and to help agencies and developers complete their proposed projects while still following environmental regulations. They do a lot of stuff behind the scenes that a lot of the public doesn't know about that helps keep the land healthy and helps major companies (like oil and gas) do their work right.
My mentor is Jen Zahratka and she is a Wildlife Manager at Ecosphere. Because there are a lot of Biologists at Ecosphere, everyone is pretty much on the same level. There aren't too many bosses; everyone just works together to get the project done. I think that Jen can teach me a lot about the reality of working outside with the environment and working with animals and I will learn if it is really interesting and exciting work or a little bit slow and you have to follow a lot of regulations. However, she is super cool and fun and I think we are going to get along great! She wants this to be an overall positive experience for me, and I think it will be. Maybe I can even come back to get a job in the future!
I think the biggest goal I have for this internship is to find out if I really want to do environmental stuff for a career. I have this grand idea of environmental engineering or something like that were I help change the world and fix Global Warming and re-modernize renewable energy and save the animals and the rain forest, but I have a feeling that this idea is extremely unrealistic. My goal for this internship is find out what an environmental career really entails, and then see if I still want to pursue it in college and later in life.
For my project I am planning on doing two things. The first is create an informational, scientific poster that will have an overview of the New Mexico Meadow Jumping Mouse, and why it is being proposed to be put on the the endangered species list. I will then write and Op-Ed and submit it to the Telegraph on how the New Mexico Meadow Jumping Mouse being put on the endangered species list affects land owners and the people who live in the Four Corners. This is beneficial to Ecosphere because when a company consults them, they need to know exactly what they can do with their land, and Ecosphere can provide information about the land and animals living there and how the person can still complete their project. My poster will be a reference for Ecosphere, and my Op-Ed will inform the community about what's happening with this species because I'm sure most people have no idea about this kind of thing. I hope to learn more about what it takes to be on the endangered species list, and what the rules are pertaining to that animal once it is put on the endangered species list.
One program that is very important that I am going to have to become familiar with is the GIS and GPS systems. I want to be able to map where suitable habitats are for the New Mexico Meadow Jumping Mouse, and I will have to use GIS to do that. I am planning on working with Scott Roberts who is a Biologist and an expert in GIS on my maps. Otherwise, the other skills that I need are research skills, and learning how to write a really good Op-Ed. For my Honors Humanities project I had to research a lot about Native Americans, so I think I have the appropriate research skills, and Ashley also taught us how to write Op-Ed articles at the beginning of the year, so I think I am also appropriately prepared for that.
I think that the process of completing my project will be most effectively done if I space out the work appropriately. I shouldn't save the work until the very end. I will also try to get some peer critiques on my Op-Ed before I send it to the Telegraph so that I can guarantee it will be quality work.
So far, most of the obstacles that have arisen have been related to scheduling. I haven't known if I was going to JO's this whole year so I didn't know if I would have to push my internship back a week and skip Spring Break. Another obstacle has just been just the task of getting my internship. I was late to figure out what my internship would be, and it was a little stressful. Because I was so busy with Nordic and focusing on making it to the Junior Olympics, I didn't really have the time and energy to plan the perfect internship like many of the other kids did. However, I think I found one that will be very interesting and fun to participate in.
For this reason, I am feeling extremely excited to start this internship. It is going to be a very exciting month for me, with going to Junior Olympics and then doing this internship! I love the idea of being in the real world and doing important work and having my own schedule and being able to have more freedom. I have no idea how I'll want to go back to school after this! I'm a little nervous to see if I am going to be bored with environmental services...I hope it isn't too slow. However, even if it is, I am going to make the best out it and make this a very positive experience. I am extremely lucky to be given this opportunity and I can't wait to start!
My mentor is Jen Zahratka and she is a Wildlife Manager at Ecosphere. Because there are a lot of Biologists at Ecosphere, everyone is pretty much on the same level. There aren't too many bosses; everyone just works together to get the project done. I think that Jen can teach me a lot about the reality of working outside with the environment and working with animals and I will learn if it is really interesting and exciting work or a little bit slow and you have to follow a lot of regulations. However, she is super cool and fun and I think we are going to get along great! She wants this to be an overall positive experience for me, and I think it will be. Maybe I can even come back to get a job in the future!
I think the biggest goal I have for this internship is to find out if I really want to do environmental stuff for a career. I have this grand idea of environmental engineering or something like that were I help change the world and fix Global Warming and re-modernize renewable energy and save the animals and the rain forest, but I have a feeling that this idea is extremely unrealistic. My goal for this internship is find out what an environmental career really entails, and then see if I still want to pursue it in college and later in life.
For my project I am planning on doing two things. The first is create an informational, scientific poster that will have an overview of the New Mexico Meadow Jumping Mouse, and why it is being proposed to be put on the the endangered species list. I will then write and Op-Ed and submit it to the Telegraph on how the New Mexico Meadow Jumping Mouse being put on the endangered species list affects land owners and the people who live in the Four Corners. This is beneficial to Ecosphere because when a company consults them, they need to know exactly what they can do with their land, and Ecosphere can provide information about the land and animals living there and how the person can still complete their project. My poster will be a reference for Ecosphere, and my Op-Ed will inform the community about what's happening with this species because I'm sure most people have no idea about this kind of thing. I hope to learn more about what it takes to be on the endangered species list, and what the rules are pertaining to that animal once it is put on the endangered species list.
One program that is very important that I am going to have to become familiar with is the GIS and GPS systems. I want to be able to map where suitable habitats are for the New Mexico Meadow Jumping Mouse, and I will have to use GIS to do that. I am planning on working with Scott Roberts who is a Biologist and an expert in GIS on my maps. Otherwise, the other skills that I need are research skills, and learning how to write a really good Op-Ed. For my Honors Humanities project I had to research a lot about Native Americans, so I think I have the appropriate research skills, and Ashley also taught us how to write Op-Ed articles at the beginning of the year, so I think I am also appropriately prepared for that.
I think that the process of completing my project will be most effectively done if I space out the work appropriately. I shouldn't save the work until the very end. I will also try to get some peer critiques on my Op-Ed before I send it to the Telegraph so that I can guarantee it will be quality work.
So far, most of the obstacles that have arisen have been related to scheduling. I haven't known if I was going to JO's this whole year so I didn't know if I would have to push my internship back a week and skip Spring Break. Another obstacle has just been just the task of getting my internship. I was late to figure out what my internship would be, and it was a little stressful. Because I was so busy with Nordic and focusing on making it to the Junior Olympics, I didn't really have the time and energy to plan the perfect internship like many of the other kids did. However, I think I found one that will be very interesting and fun to participate in.
For this reason, I am feeling extremely excited to start this internship. It is going to be a very exciting month for me, with going to Junior Olympics and then doing this internship! I love the idea of being in the real world and doing important work and having my own schedule and being able to have more freedom. I have no idea how I'll want to go back to school after this! I'm a little nervous to see if I am going to be bored with environmental services...I hope it isn't too slow. However, even if it is, I am going to make the best out it and make this a very positive experience. I am extremely lucky to be given this opportunity and I can't wait to start!