Second Post
When I began my internship at the start of the summer, I didn’t know what a typical day would look like while working at Huntley Meadows Park. Excitingly enough for me, there was no “typical day” in terms of the work we were doing at the park. Some days involved smaller tasks, like trail maintenance, spraying herbicide on invasives, or setting up exclusion fencing to prevent beavers and Canadian geese from destroying important native plant species. Other days I was doing something completely new, like going to a different Fairfax County Park and hand pulling water chestnuts (an invasive plant species in Virginia) in a lake while balanced precariously in a kayak.
Over the course of the summer, I aided in three larger projects at the park; a water quality analysis, a turtle population survey, and I got to put together a wetland plant identification guide. The water quality analysis was very interesting to participate in, because it involved not only collecting the samples in the field but also the identification and analysis of the sample. For our water quality survey, we looked at the different types of aquatic macroinvertebrates (aka insects in their larval stages as well as snails, shrimp, worms, etc.) found at different sites around the park, and after the samples were collected we had to begin the long task of identifying each specimen. We collected over 800 organisms and had only 2 microscopes, so needless to say it took a while to complete. After identifying all our macroinvertebrates we were then able to use that data to make a determination on how much organic pollution is in the water and compare that to previous years’ data.
The turtle population survey I was able to assist with was also a lot of fun to participate in. We were using a catch and release method, so each morning for about two weeks another intern and I went to 3 different locations and set up traps using canned sardines as bait. At the end of the day we went back to each trap and documented certain characteristics of each turtle we found, including sex, weight, and certain shell measurements before using a non-toxic paint pen to mark the ones we had already documented and releasing them back into the wetland. This was the first year a survey like this was conducted at the park, so I am excited to see how it will continue in the future.
One of the perks of my internship is the connections I’ve been able to make with professionals working with the Fairfax County Park Authority. Part of my internship involved occasionally getting “loaned out” to other Fairfax County parks to help with their ongoing invasive species management. The change of scenery was nice every once in a while, but the largest benefit I gained from those experiences was being able to talk with other park managers and park authority employees about their work and how they got into their positions. The advice I received from people working within my chosen field was extremely helpful when considering my future career.
To any other Eagle who is considering applying for an internship grant but may be intimidated at the prospect, I would whole heartedly encourage you to just go for it. Being able to complete my internship with this grant has enabled me to make the most of my internship with less of a financial burden weighing me down and I do not think I would have been able to take as much as I did from this experience otherwise. I am so grateful that I was given this opportunity and the knowledge and practical experience I have gained make me feel more prepared for my next stages in life.