Robert A., Senior

I am a senior Environmental Sciences major with a land focus. I am also minoring in Environmental Economics.

This past summer I lived in San Francisco, California working with a non-profit organization called Global Exchange. The organization itself focuses on many projects at one time all surrounding social and environmental justice. I worked with Kevin Danaher on two projects surrounding the local green economy.

Kevin and Global Exchange hope to be consultants for three large real estate projects around the city of San Francisco. One project is a mixed use eco-mall which serves as public housing for civil servants as well as a functioning all green mall with an organic, local food court.  Another project is an eco-industrial park that works as a co-op producing green products like wind turbines and solar panels. The third project is a social justice farm retirement center for leaders of the green movement. The farm will be pretty similar to a commune.

Working on these projects was fun because it exposed me to a green movement that is dramatically different than what I am used to here in Ohio.  I also learned a lot about real estate and economics which is important for when I look for a job after Ohio State.

While I spent a few weeks doing research for these projects, most of the work I did this summer was writing a book with my supervisor, Kevin Danaher. The book incorporates these three real estate models and expands to talk about how the current economic model is unsustainable and there needs to be a focus back to the local green economy. Kevin comes from a primarily social background and I have a more science background and we have discovered that we work very well together.

I learned a ton working on this book. I learned a lot about the science and economics of the green movement doing research for the book. Just learning how to write professionally was a great skill to learn because I hope to write books by myself in the future.  I am excited that this fall I will continue working with Kevin in hopes that the book is finished by 2012.

{in all that we do, sustainablity guides us}

Come see where and what President Gee did on his Ohio tour this summer…you will see a lot of “what we do” in all that he did.

Wilderness Ranger Kevin

Kevin K, Senior

I am going to be a senior this autumn in Parks, Recreation and Tourism.  I am interning this summer at Willamette National Forest in the Cascade Range in Oregon.  I am working as a wilderness ranger.  I backpack 4 days to patrol the backcountry.  My responsibilities are to make visitor contacts, check permits, perform trail maintenance, and maintain campsites.  I hope to work as a wilderness ranger once I graduate in Canada or Alaska.

Fibropapillo…what?

Hannah G, Junior

I am a junior majoring in fisheries and wildlife management. This summer I am working at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton Fl.

THIS picture is not Hannah in Florida...but Hannah on another cool adventure.

Once there I will be working with many endangered Florida wildlife including the gopher tortoise. I will also participate in sea turtle hatchling releases and conservation. Communicating with the public will also be a large part of what I do at Gumbo Limbo. As a gain experience working in these areas I will begin training to join the sea turtle specialist program where I will work with juvenile green sea turtles that have a virus called fibropapillomatosis. I think this will be a great internship for me and that I will learn a lot from working here.

My summer in outdoor education as a naturalist intern

Amanda S, Junior

I am about to be starting my third year at The Ohio State University, majoring in Parks, Recreation and Tourism with a focus in Environmental Education and Interpretation.  This summer, I have the opportunity to work at Three Creeks Metro Park, which is one of the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks.  I will be working as a Naturalist intern.  I have actually already been working at Three Creeks, part-time, since March.

While there, I work under the Hub Naturalist, Jill Snyder, and help to give public programs. Along with simply presenting the programs, I am also responsible for preparing for and cleaning up after them. I’m also responsible for our office critter care, helping Jill with any projects, monitoring blue bird boxes, and designing and implementing my own programs!

My hope is that, with this awesome experience under my belt, I’ll be able to get another naturalist internship with the metro parks next summer and then when I graduate to continue to work as either a naturalist, an interpretive ranger, or another type of environmental/natural educator. Optimally I think I would like to work for the national parks but, at this point, I’m open to whatever life throws my way!

My summer in the park…

Amanda F., Senior

I am a senior and my major is Environmental Policy and Management with a Wildlife specialization.  This summer, I will be working at Lowe-Volk Nature Center in Crawford County as a Summer Naturalist Intern.   Most of my responsibilities are concerning environmental education and I will be assisting Josh Dyer, the current Naturalist at Lowe-Volk with the summer day camp for kids.  There are three different age groups we will work with including 5-6 year olds, 7-9 year olds and 10-12 year olds.

During Nature Day Camp we take the kids on hikes (some off trail), teach them about ecosystems, animals, plants, wetlands, soils, fire responsibility, and general environmental education.  I am responsible for attending daily staff meetings, monthly board meetings, assisting with nature camp, first aid, photography and whatever else the park employees need from me.  While I realize that environmental education is not my major, I believe a strong foundation for environmental legislation decisions begins during childhood and have chosen to learn more about the development of an environmental awareness.  I hope to someday obtain a job working for a non-profit group or government agency assisting with environmental legislation.

How I’m Spending My Summer…NJ Dept of Environmental Protection

Shaina M., Sophomore

I am a sophomore majoring in Environmental Policy and Management.

This summer, I’ll be working at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.  I will be primarily working out of the Office of Community Relations in the Site Remediation Program.  I am the only intern in this office, however, there are many other interns in other offices that I will occasionally work with.

On my first day, I will help coordinate and attend a NJ Mayor’s Roundtable Meeting that will introduce me to exactly what the site Remediation program does.  After that, my main responsibilities will include helping out professionals with guidance support, assisting with and coordinating site remediation projects, and overseeing the clean up of said sites.  I hope to gain insight on natural resource management from this internship, and I hope to start career someday in environmental management after I complete my degree at Ohio State.

Octopus Intelligence – How I’m spending my summer…

Michael F., Junior

I’m going on my 3^rd year majoring in, Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife. This summer, I’ll be working at Dolphin Research and Marine Life Center in Texas. I’ll be working in the Gulf of Mexico studying octopus Intelligence.  I’ll be constructing a series of mazes as well as games in a 6 foot tank and record their behavior. Octopus are said to be as smart as a dog and I well put them to the test. My job will be to find a way to capture live octopus in the wild to be able to test their capabilities, I will also be assisting in the marine life center by helping to catch other species of marine life. I hope to get a job someday as a Marine Biologist after I complete my degree at Ohio State.

How I’m Spending My Summer…

Jawnie P., Senior

I am a senior in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism with a specialization in Environmental Education and Interpretation.

This summer I am a fellow with TogetherGreen Youth.  I will be stationed at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium working as an interpreter and also working with youth.   As an interpreter I talk with zoo guests and educate them about animals in the different areas we are stationed throughout the zoo and take guests on guided walking tours.

Later in the internship, continuing into fall quarter we will be creating a project dealing with the importance of conservation and teaching underserved youth using this project.  I hope to continue working in a zoo and furthering my career within the zoo whether it be the Columbus Zoo or another after graduating from Ohio State

How I’m spending my summer

Brent M., Senior

This autumn quarter I will be a senior majoring in Environmental Science with a concentration in soil science.  During the summer I will be working at the Ohio EPA field office in Groveport, OH.  I have been assigned to the Wetland Ecology group under supervisor Brian Gara and manager Randy Bournique.

Since completing my training I have started accompanying the wetland ecologists to National Wetland Condition Assessment (NWCA) sites.  These sites are located throughout Ohio and have varying difficulties of accessibility.  Once on site my primary task will be to work with the EPA soil scientist to analyze soil samples from the site transect area.

For this project I will be working together with three other interns.  One of the interns is an Ohio State ENR graduate who will be attending graduate school this fall.  Of the other two interns one is a graduate student at Miami of Ohio and the other is an undergraduate at Otterbein.  Both interns are studying environmental science at their respective schools.

I’m excited to continue visiting wetland sites around Ohio and practice my soil identification skills as well as develop plant identification and GIS abilities.  Hopefully these skills will help in ascertaining a position after graduation within the EPA or perhaps with an environmental consulting firm.