What an adventure this has been.\u00a0 Next week is the last week of my internship here in Galt, CA at the Cosumnes River Preserve.\u00a0 It has been a great experience.\u00a0 I have made a myriad\u00a0of professional contacts, greatly expanded my knowledge of California plants, and gained valuable hands-on experience with California land management.<\/p>\n
After finishing up a bachelor’s degree in 2009 from the University of Northern Iowa, I set out to find a job in the\u00a0natural resources field.\u00a0 As anyone who has ever tried this knows, it was tough.\u00a0 Jobs were scarce and the few that did exist had so much competition it seemed impossible to get in.\u00a0 I finally succeeded in securing a job with a small county conservation organization in Iowa where I worked as a natural resources technician for about 2 years.\u00a0 I loved the work I was doing, but I came to the conclusion that I wanted to go back to school to pursue an advanced degree.<\/p>\n
After\u00a0finishing all of the coursework for a PSM degree\u00a0by the spring of 2012, I needed to find an internship to complete the degree.\u00a0 This was when I found the CLM internship program.\u00a0 I applied for the program and was accepted.\u00a0 After a few interviews, I was hired to intern with the Bureau of Land Management at the Cosumnes River Preserve in Galt, CA.\u00a0 I have been working here since May of 2012.\u00a0 My work has been extremely diverse;\u00a0I have had the pleasure of doing everything from seed collection for the SOS Program to banding of endangered cranes to taking genetic samples of endangered red-legged frogs and EVERYTHING in between.\u00a0 I have been allowed and encouraged to continue my education through attendance and participation in seminars, workshops, and special events.\u00a0 These events have also been instrumental in networking with others in the field.<\/p>\n
I have applied for many full time jobs over the past several months, but have been met with limited success.\u00a0 Despite the frustrations, I am confident that I will find the right position with the skills and experiences I have gained through this internship.\u00a0 In the meantime, I have secured a temporary position with the Nature Conservancy as a vegetation technician for this field season.<\/p>\n
The CLM internship has been an awesome experience for me, and also one of the\u00a0building blocks\u00a0of my career.\u00a0 Through the CLM program, I have been\u00a0working my dream job for the last 12 months.\u00a0 The work is physical, but rewarding.\u00a0 There is nothing else I would have rather been doing.\u00a0 If you are considering a CLM position, consider this an A+ recommendation.<\/p>\n
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