What sandy trails and drain dips taught me about life. As my crew walked along the trail, our sights set on a big project about a mile ahead, I noticed a large sandy section through a low point in the trail. As we passed by it, I addressed my confusion regarding the oddity. I said to our...
2023 Land Stewards Field Note: Michael Anzivino
A haiku about my site Green canopy spreads Umatilla's tranquil grace Nature's grace thrives Michael anzivino
2023 Land Stewards Field Note: Jake Kauzlarich
Though intimidating at first, this field season has started off wonderfully. With this position (Biotech at Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge) being my first-ever field job, I knew I had much to learn. And that I have. The focus of Conboy Lake’s conservational effort revolves around the Oregon...
2023 Land Stewards Field Note: Grace Leonard
My time working on the Entiat trail crew so far has been some of the most rewarding work I have ever done. Every day, I’m awed at the fact that I’m lucky enough to do work that I love in such beautiful places that many people may never get to see. I have learned so much about the area and the...
2023 Land Stewards Field Note: Elijah Claybaugh
The Chelan Ranger District is such a unique place to work. Chelan itself is hot and dry with rolling hills typical of Eastern/central Washington, yet when you get on the boat and take a ride uplake into the wilderness; the landscape takes a dramatic change. The mountains suddenly become much...
2023 Land Stewards Field Note: Sienna Krulis
Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge features a unique collection of flora and fauna set in a beautiful valley southeast of Mt. Adams. Most notably, the refuge is home to the endangered Oregon Spotted Frog (OSF), Sandhill Cranes, and Mardon Skipper Butterflies. While the property is primarily...
2023 Land Stewards Field Note: Hannah Sebring
Everyone seems to want to know what a typical day in the life of an interpretative ranger on the Mt. Hood National Forest might entail; it is my intense pleasure to tell them I do not ever have a typical day. The flexibility and creativity of my position allows me to experience a great breadth of...
2023 Land Stewards Field Note: Kyle Strachan
After a few months of routine, I wake up minutes before my first alarm goes off. Rolling out of bed before seven has been tough to adjust to, but that was never my strong suit. Most of my gear was packed the night before, but I put the finishing touches in a hurry: sunglasses, full bottles of...
2023 Land Stewards: Eamon McNeil
I grew up in Portland, Oregon, playing baseball, surfing, and hiking. I am a middle child with an older sister who is married and living in Nashville, as well as a younger brother who lives in Philadelphia. My mom's side of the family resides on the east coast, from North Carolina to New York. My...
2023 Land Stewards: Jacob Kauzlarich
Hello, my name is Jacob Kauzlarich, but I like to go by Jake. I was born 20 minutes outside of Saint Louis on the east side of the Mississippi River. My family and I moved to North Carolina in 2017, where I started my first semester at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. I loved my...
2023 Land Stewards Field Note: Jake Kauzalrich
The back half of the season at Conboy Lake has been wrapping up well. While everyone is feeling a strong sense of completion and a job well done, I can tell everyone has grown really fond of each other, and there is a bittersweet feeling of all of us going our...
2023 Land Stewards Field Note: Grace Leonard
I’ve spent the past six months as an Americorps intern working for a trail crew in the Forest Service, and I can easily say that it has truly been the most fun chapter of my life so far. The season went by so fast that it’s hard to believe we actually accomplished...
2023 Land Stewards Field Note: Eamon McNeil
During my time in Ukiah over the past few months, I have had invaluable time to reflect and plan in a peaceful, beautiful setting. I have made some lifelong friends and cherished memories, in addition to developing important career skills. Some of the skills I’ve been...
2023 Land Stewards Field Note: William O’Brien
Six months or roughly half a year participating in this internship. At times it feels like it was more than that, at other times it feels like I just started yesterday. In terms of reflecting on this experience it is difficult, because so much happened but at the same...
Veteran Interns Build Their Skills Supporting NOAA’s Habitat Restoration Efforts
"NOAA partners with several groups to recruit, hire, and support veteran interns throughout Washington, Oregon, California, and Alaska. In 2023, we have several interns supported by one of these groups, Mt. Adams Institute. This Washington-based non-profit is...
2023 Land Stewards Field Note: Hannah Sebring
The Land Stewards program appealed to me from the beginning for its focus on fostering a strong sense of place and developing professional skills and experiences. I knew I wanted to stay in the Mt. Hood National Forest, and was unsure of where and how to find pathway...
2023 Land Stewards Field Note: John Mathewson
The last six months have been some of the best I've had. I have met so many insanely cool and inspiring people who have such a contagious enthusiasm for life. The people surrounding land stewardship and public land management, in general, are some of the best I have...
2023 VetsWork Field Note: Joey Anderson
As a Recreation Resources Technician on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Randle, Washington, my main job is to conduct dispersed campsite inventories. A dispersed campsite is basically anywhere that the national forests are that anyone can camp just about...
2023 VetsWork Field Note: Exploring Alaska’s Secrets from Mines to Glaciers with Austin Kief
The year started off slowly but that gave me plenty of time to get familiar with Juneau and Forest Service systems. I had great opportunities to gain some GIS familiarity, learn about the mines that we work with, learn about the culture and history of southeast...
2023 VetsWork Field Note: Clearing the (Fish) Pass by Alexander Apelis
Alexander Apelis here, a Vetswork intern with the Petersburg Ranger District serving as a Natural Resource Specialist Intern. In this picture, at Duncan Creek Fish Pass on Kupreanof Island NE of Petersburg, AK, I'm seen picking up a 100+ lb boulder that was found...