An All-in-One Experience

By Alifia Merchant, Senior in Environmental Science

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service offered me with one of the most diverse work experiences I have had. I gained experience in civil engineering, stream ecology, government land and water conservation contracting, land surveying, and environmental education all in one summer!

Over the course of the summer I became familiar with farm land around central Ohio. I learned about water resource management and informed land owners about different conservation programs. It was really an eye opening experience working with people who had over three decades of employment within the USDA.

One of my supervisors was Mary Ann Core and she often told me about how the rules and regulations have evolved over the years. She also allowed me to shape my experience so I could gain exposure to different fields of study.

The most fun I had was when I worked with elementary school students at Shepherd’s Corner Farm and Ecology Center. This experience gave me an overview of work life in a government agency and prepared me for graduate school.

I’m a pretty good fly fisherman.  I’ve heard some fishermen say that I’m a very good fly fisherman for my age and years of experience.  My arm is pretty good, and I can cast really far.  But when I see Darwin Adams, I come back to earth quickly.

Darwin is the most able fly fisherman I know personally.  I got to see him in action again because he and I taught a workshop this week for elementary school summer campers in Highland Park.  He was extremely patient with the kids, who were ages 9-11, and they loved watching him whip the line back and forth. I have to admit that I was entertained myself. I guess there’s nothing like an old hand.

I learned something just from watching him. It will take the kids awhile to get the hang of casting because it’s so much harder than it looks, but I was glad to see that a few of them were genuinely interested.  When it was my turn to teach, I spoke to the kids about my first experiences fly fishing when I was 11 years old.

I was lucky because my dad took me fishing on the Pecos River in New Mexico. He is my best fishing partner, and he taught me everything he knows about fly fishing.  At 67, he’s still a more accurate caster than I am, but he cannot cast nearly as far as I do.  Still, fly fishing has been a hobby that always brings us together, and some of the best times of my life have been when I have been fishing with my dad.

I’m really hoping that some of the kids I spoke to at camp will feel the same interest that I did and find that fly fishing brings  them to a love for nature and the beauty of the river and fish.

When I signed up for this internship, I thought that I would be working to make people care about environmental issues. Maybe a little letter to the editor and newspaper article writing. Some phone calls to senators and congressmen here and there. Little did I know, was I going to get a wake-up call as to how our society works, and even learn a lesson about life on our precious planet.

What I am specifically referring to is how various groups of people responded to me throughout my time interning for Environment Ohio through various interactions.

I basically interacted with four different groups of people this quarter. The first group of people was students. Mostly just OSU students, I would talk to them face to face on campus while postcarding for Clean Air (asking for signatures on postcards for support) or I would call them from a  volunteer list (obtained from talking with them face to face) and recruit them to come out to various events. The second group I interacted with was adult volunteers obtained from a list similar to the student volunteer list. I only interacted with them over the phone a couple of times, asking them to make a phone call to a various governmental office showing their support for an environmental issue. I also interacted a small amount towards the end of the quarter with adults who had donated money in the past to Environment Ohio. These interactions were short over-the-phone conversations to thank them for their donations. The last major group of people that I interacted with was mayors and city councilmen from all across Ohio. This group was the most extensive, with a huge list of people to contact, endless offices and staffpersons to talk to, and countless voicemail pickups. I worked for weeks contacting these people via phone and email to ask for their support for Clean Air.

After a full quarter of interacting with these various groups of people, I’ve come to a few realizations.

First of all, has our society really gotten to the point where courteous expressions of gratitude are so rare that they are met with surprise and sheer disbelief? When I was able to speak to people on the phone to thank them for donating to Environment Ohio, they always seemed rather weary and somewhat taken aback that I was “only” calling to thank them for their donation. It got to the point where I was almost offended by some of their reactions – no, I’m not calling to ask you for more money. Why can’t I just call and say thanks for what you already gave? Is that so unheard of? This isn’t to say that if someone called me doing the same thing that I wouldn’t be just as surprised and suspicious. It just saddens me that we all are prone to react that way to something so innocent and genuinely simple. We all suspect ulterior motives from one another.

Something that pleasantly surprised me, however, was how warm and welcoming most students were in either talking face-to-face on campus or during phone calls for volunteer events. It is also disappointing, in a way, that their willingness to help and hear me out surprised me in a good way so much. It shouldn’t be surprising at all – it should be how we all are naturally. I even had students stand off to the side and watch me reach out to a few people as I was postcarding, have those people reject my offer to talk (which is fine – it happens!), then have the students watching the whole thing come over and offer to hear my spiel and sign my postcard because they saw how hard I was working to talk to someone.

Also, in making phone calls to both student and adult volunteers, although it was difficult to get through to a person to talk to (many people don’t answer phone calls from unknown numbers anymore, including myself), if I did end up getting through to a person, they were almost always very warm, friendly, and agreed pretty quickly to whatever it was I was asking of them.

On the complete opposite side of the coin, probably the most disheartening experience with this internship was dealing with the mayors and councilmen signing on to the Clean Air letter to Obama. It was so hard to get in touch with even a staffperson, let alone the actual person I was trying to reach. I played phone tag for weeks, called each person at least 3 times (a lot of which I left voicemails for all three times and never once got a call back!), and emailed frequently, and I did not get one single person to sign on to our letter urging Obama to approve the new Clean Air regulations. It was a little disappointing, to say the least. That isn’t how our leadership system should operate. I understand these people are very busy and listening to a college kid rant about “another environmental issue” is low on their agenda, but we have to work together to help each other out. We also have to recognize that environmental issues, while unimportant to some, really are important things that can’t be ignored or pushed back anymore. I think my great unsuccess with contacting these government officials speaks to our current working world and how so many working adults get swept up in their jobs and have whirlwind lives. That isn’t what life’s about.

Life’s about enjoying the precious moments you have and interacting with your fellow humans and your earth.  If this internship has taught me anything, it’s that students and some younger adults luckily still follow this idea. But too many of us, including those with pressure-filled government jobs, forget the true ideals of life. This is bigger than a few councilmen not returning my phone calls. This shows me exactly how I don’t want to live my life. If a fellow human is trying to interact with me, I am going to make an honest effort to interact back. If there is an environmental issue that needs addressing, I will do my best to tend to it. Because after all, in this life, material possessions, money, power, jobs, etc don’t matter. All we have in the end are our friends, family, peers, fellow human beings, and mother earth.

Today I am using the elemental combustion system to determine the amount of total carbon I have in my Antarctic soil samples. At a later date, I will acidify the soil samples after I weight them out on the balance and before I run them on the elemental combustion system to remove the inorganic carbon species. By removing the inorganic carbon species I can determine how much organic carbon is present. Because total carbon = inorganic carbon + organic carbon, I can easily figure out how much inorganic carbon is present in each sample as well.

The soil samples I am going to be analyzing this quarter are from a soil core that was taken from beneath Lake Hoare during the 2002 field season. Lake Hoare is a perennially ice-covered lake about 4.2 kilometers long and is located between Lake Chad and Canada Glacier in Taylor Valley, a dry valley in Victoria Land, Antarctica.

I have seven samples from different depths below the bottom of Lake Hoare: 2cm, 4cm, 6cm, 8cm, 10cm, 12cm, and 14cm. I will use X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluoresces, and a scanning electron microscope to determine the mineral phases, and an elemental combustion system to determine the percentage of inorganic and organic carbon in each soil sample

By Chloe W., Grassroots Intern at Environment Ohio

A couple of weeks ago on a Friday morning, my coworkers and I met at a small gas station in German Village, waiting to make a public statement. We had been recruiting OSU students all week to come and take part in making this statement and we had been told by our boss that there would be TV cameras present to film the whole affair.

Our statement was a rather simple message: the importance of choosing “clean” cars – i.e., those that do not run solely on gasoline – over regular fossil fuel burning ones. Hence our ability to be hosted willingly by a local gas station – we were not condemning the use of gasoline, merely suggesting cutting back. This is all for the sake of reducing greenhouse gases to reduce global warming and to help our air become cleaner in the long run.

Our slogan, “Don’t kick the pump, join the fight,” as shown to the right, is currently present on small posters at many gas stations all around Columbus.

After about 30 minutes of waiting, some students had shown up, but not the crowd that we were hoping. The TV cameras were not present, either.  We decided to make the best of it and rather than having Julian Boggs, Environment Ohio’s State Policy Advocate and my boss, make a statement on camera, we chose to stage a few pictures to send out to the media!

That’s when something terrific happened – State Representative Tracy Heard and her assistant showed up to back up our campaign! Representative Heard has been a great source of help and support for Julian and Environment Ohio. She was extremely enthusiastic and quite knowledgeable about the issues.

We also were able to borrow a Chevy Volt, a hybrid car manufactured by General Motors, to use in our photographs.

We crowded around the car, holding our campaign signs (which I made!) while Julian and Representative Heard stood near the doors. We then took a few in front of our gasoline pump signs that were already present.

All in all, our pictures turned out pretty well and will be used on our website, in publications, and of course in sending out information on our Clean Air campaign to the media and to the government. I think that our Friday morning was a success in showing that we have people interested in clean air, hopefully drawing some more public attention to the issues and to our campaign.

At one point during the photo shoot, a student remarked, “I’m not sure if I should look happy to get them to agree or look stern to convey my disdain…”

Either way, we hope that our message got across. And remember, don’t kick the pump, join the fight!

Students often times assume that internships mean they will be unpaid but the reality in the environment and natural resources industry is that the majority of internships that come across my desk are paid positions.  And that pay varies greatly.  Students could be earning a weekly stipend + travel expenses to and from their work location + academic credit + scholarship money to apply towards student loans.  It could be a minimum hour wage.  It could be upwards of $17 – 25 / hour.

And then there are some that are solely volunteer positions.  Unpaid.

But from my perspective, I think what matters most is that you are receiving legitimate experience.   Where the employer is offering you a period of time in the beginning to train you in your position as well as the inner workings of the organization.  A position where you are contributing in a meaningful way.  Gaining new knowledge.  Acquiring marketable skills.  Given an opportunity to network with other professionals in the field.

In your first year or two of college, you have more freedom to explore opportunities but as you progress into your final years of college, WHERE you intern and WHO you know become critical.  What does that mean?

That means that as you draw near to your college graduation you should be seeking out internship and/or seasonal / temporary positions with an agency that has growth potential.  A place where your efforts will not go unnoticed and may likely be rewarded with a full time job offer after graduation.  Employers like to hire “known” entities.  Who wants to take a risk on a potential candidate when you can hire someone who comes with great recommendations and a proven track record?  Who you know is crucial when it comes to employment opportunities.

This article in Time Magazine touches on an interesting discussion about who can afford to take on an unpaid internship.  For some students who are fully or partially financing their own education, finding a paid internship is critical.  But sometimes the most glamorous and exciting opportunities are unpaid positions which is left to those who can afford to work for free while living off of their savings.

When I recently asked a federal employer what they thought in terms of the value of experience a student presented on a resume – paid vs. unpaid – this employer indicated that a student who made the sacrifice to work an unpaid internship illustrated a greater passion in the industry.  They said that when a student wants it that bad, then their sacrifice and hard work should be rewarded.  But not every employer sees it that way.

For some in the private environmental consulting field, an unpaid internship has little value.  It’s assumed that with an unpaid internship comes less responsibility and therefore, not translatable skills.  They viewed paid internships as being more important and more valuable in terms of what the student was learning on the job and the professional level they had attained.  Factually true or not – that is the reality of the differing employers viewpoints.

So where do you stand?  Are you a student who has worked in a paid or unpaid internship?  What were your experiences like?  Are you an employer who utilizes paid or unpaid interns?  What kind of value to you place on that experience the student is earning?

And as you head off this summer to your internships, you might want to give this a quick read.

I recently had a student ask me a series of questions about my career experience as a law enforcement officer / park ranger as they were also considering that career field.  I had the pleasure of working as a Park Ranger for Glacier National Park, Hamilton County Park District, Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks, Ohio Department of Natural Resources – Division of Parks and Recreation, and also as a county deputy sheriff in Ohio with a total of 12 years of law enforcement experience.

Here’s what they asked and a little bit of what I shared:

1. what was the main goal of your job?

I was a commissioned police officer working for various park and police agencies. My main goal was to protect the resources, protect the people – make arrests, conduct investigations, create a safe atmosphere for the visiting public.

2. what was a typical day in this position? <–most important question.. so the more detail the better!

There is never a typical day as a park ranger (saying that is a sure way to jinx your entire day)…but my days would include:  patrolling the park by foot, car, bike, or boat, making visitor contacts, running radar and influencing drivers to drive safely through the park (aka giving warnings or writing traffic tickets), make contact with violators who are breaking the law / or rules in the park, make arrests (and thus take people to jail), hike trails checking for safety issues, and being proactive in my day to day duties as well as provide information and education on park features and natural history of the area.

I held a certification by the International Police Mountain Bike Association to ride bike patrol.  I also trained briefly to ride mounted patrol (horseback).  I additionally had training to do boat patrol.  Depending upon what park I was at, I may spend part of my day patrolling by any of those means.  Most places I worked – on good weather days, I spent the majority of my time biking during the day.  I carried my bike on my cruiser everywhere.  It was a nice silent way to patrol and discover situations without making your presence totally known. 

I would be in a car at night which is when we had the majority of DUI and drug or domestic arrests (or other incidents in the campgrounds, etc).  I also had to do a lot of facility checks so monitoring to be sure all the buildings were locked up at night, make sure alarms were set or respond when alarms were tripped.

3. what skills were utilized? 

Communication skills are very important.  Good listening, good judgement / common sense.  Physical fitness is a must.  Ability to speak and write well.

4. what were the pros and cons of the position?

Pros include making a difference, helping to protect natural resources, being a “hero” and helping with emergency medical or backcountry rescues or intervening in criminal offenses against people. 

Cons…threat of death everyday is kind of a bummer.  Because the reality is that everyday on the job brings you in contact with potentially life threatening situations.  The fact that you sometimes come in contact with people who yell loudly at you and throw punches or run when you try to arrest them, spit or kick you is not a plus of the job.  And sometimes, emotionally, its taxing.  You very often see the worst of people which can be sad.  You may see someone on their very worst day and you just hope that the way you conduct yourself and what you do that day makes a difference for someone in a positive way.

5. if its not too nosey.. what was the compensation like?

Depends on the agency you work for and their structure and where they get their funding.  In Ohio, the average starting salary for a commissioned Park Ranger for a major municipal park district is around $50,000 / year.

6. were there any perks or benefits to the position?

Perks?  Not really, unless you include that some establishments like to offer you a cup of coffee while on duty.  Or a perk, like living IN a national park with the most amazing scenery in the world as the view out your back door.  But otherwise, no.  Benefits for a law enforcement career may include an opportunity to retire with 25 years in as opposed to 30 and at an earlier age.  You may also get a greater contribution to your pension than other public service jobs.

7. what kind of environment were you in? In relation to work environment

Depends on the agency.  Some were over the top very supportive and positive (Hamilton County Park District was amazingly organized and efficient and fair and offered quarterly training.  Other agencies had their own best qualities as well that I enjoyed).  Depends on who is in charge and the tone they set and how they value their staff.

8. how was the work to life balance?

See #4.  You often have to work nights and weekends which is actually not so bad and I never had an issue with work / home life balance as an officer.  You went home, work was at work.  As opposed to working for the university as I do now – I’m “on call” more frequently to be available for questions all the time and it is actually, in some ways, more demanding.  My husband is also an officer so our schedules and relationship with work meshed well.  But it’s not for everybody.

9. were there any quirky requirements or tasks for this job?

No.  Do you do some unusual things sometimes?  Yes.  But that is par for the course with this type of job.

10. most interesting or best part of the job, and how often you got to do it

Working undercover and doing detective work / investigations was very interesting and rewarding when you can help solve a case.  But I think I liked working nights best and actually making DUI arrests or domestic / drug offense arrests.  I felt like I was actually helping someone by being the person who intervened, although through arrest – it was an opportunity to give that person a time out and hopefully, time to make a life changing decision to do better.  My mantra when I made arrests usually was to remind people that although they did a bad thing, that didn’t make them a bad person and they had this moment to make a decision to change their life and do better and be better.  Some listen.  Some just spit at you instead but at least they were off the road.  Maybe what I had to say and the way that I conducted myself with them would come back to them later and be an encouragement.  But some…some I just shrugged my shoulders and went through the process because repeat offenders are kind of annoying.

Another positive aspect that I enjoyed was education and public outreach.  My personal interests allowed me to be able to offer safety programs and nature programs as a Ranger on occasion.  I created a Bike Rodeo program, An “Adventures in Safety” program (like a Safety Town program for preschoolers and kindergarten graduates), administered a county wide safety belt education program, and offered interpretive nature hikes as well.  Being able to interact with the public in such a positive and meaningful way was part of the diversity of the job that kept it interesting for me.

11. what skills or interests would you think would be ideal for this position

You have to enjoy people, be not only tolerant of lots of different cultures and races and viewpoints but more so – listen, accept and learn about perspectives that are different than your own, an interest in the outdoors but also the ability to be a straight up street cop if you had to because essentially, much of what you do as a park ranger is the same job – just done in a park. 

And some days, it truly is…a walk in the park.  I would have to pinch myself to remind myself that riding my bike on the trails, talking to visitors about the history and nature of the area and being immersed in the middle of the forest was in fact, a dream come true.

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.