The Value of an Intern

1. Connecting Educationwith Applied Conservation Practice: an Internship Program Lara Jefferson, Bianca Rosenbaumand Kay Havens  Institute for Plant Conservation, Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe IL 60022, USA The Challenge! Bureau of Land Management (BLM) vThe BLM manages public lands in a manner that will protect the environment vThe BLM is currently under-staffed, especially with botanists vThe BLM manages 264 million acres, it employs 390 biologists and 54 botanists; that is one botanist per 4.8 million acres. Institute for Plant Conservation, Chicago Botanic Garden vAdvances education and research in the conservation of rare and endangered plants and ecosystems vFocus of applying the results of scientific research to management and stewardship programs vServes as a liaison between stewardship and academic communities The Key! A partnership was formed and the mentoring program was created in 2001 and implemented in 2002. The program is designed to train the next generation of conservation biologists specializing in the recovery of endangered species and management of public lands. STEP 1 : Selection The selection of mentors was determined through an application process. Through this process the various BLM field offices outlined: vWorkload and type vPriority vAvailability of a mentor The selection of interns involved an application and interview process. In 2002, 57 graduates applied. The selection of applicants was based on: vEducation vSkills vInterests in conservation practices vExperience vEnthusiasm • STEP 2: Training • v   Intense 5 day workshop • vSubjects • Animal and plant identification and monitoring techniques • Geographical Information Systems (GIS) • Geographical Positioning Systems (GPS), map and compass skills • Literature Searches • Endangered Species Act • BLM rules and procedures • Land management practices • STEP 3: The internship • 17 interns were placed at 15 BLM field offices across the country • Length of internships: 5 or 10 months The Outcomes! • Measuring the success of the program • The success of the program was evaluated using 2 types of questionnaires: • Interns evaluating the workshop and their respective intern positions • Mentors evaluating the interns’ role in their respective field offices • What have interns gained from the workshop? • v   Networking, bonding, sharing knowledge, and a support group • vNew skills and preparation for the internship • vReady to ‘step up’ into the role of a practical conservation field worker What have the interns gained from their internship? vValuable experience working for a government agency vPlanning, organizing and completing work projects vLearning about the roles of the BLM vPreparation of biological assessments and reports vTremendous satisfaction that they have played a role in the conservation of rare and endangered plants and animals and their habitats What has the BLM gained from the mentoring program? vCompletion of projects that would never have been completed otherwise vCollection of valuable data specific to endangered species and their habitats The Value of an Intern The opinion of the mentors has highlighted the success of this program. The mentors were very satisfied and spoke highly of their respective interns. “It seems as though as each year goes by, the workload increases and the workforce stays static or decreases. [My intern] has assumed the project responsibilities for preparing a biological assessment for a resource management plan encompassing nearly 4 million acres of public land. Without her help this assignment would not have even started.” “Had [my intern] not been here this summer, many wildlife catchments would have remained dry and/or non-functional. Many antelope, deer, and bighorn sheep would likely have perished in search of water. [She] completed an update of our water catchments maintenance database that had been stalled for almost a decade.”