1-19-11

Today began from where I left off earlier. I had one more application to create a soil map for, but had been unable to find an address in the application. Thankfully, google was able to find me a location so I wasn't scanning a map over and over again. After that was completed, I helped go through receipts for a project that was currently happening. The client was getting funding to do brush control (remove vegetation) to maintain his pastures as well as range planting (planting pasture seeds). My job was to go through the receipts and add up the cost to see if he would exceed his funding and where the money was going to. Not exactly the most exciting day, but it was just another aspect of the job. I felt like an accountant and was very greatful that I don't have to do that everyday.

We then had some time to discuss what exactly do these projects look like. With the guy clearing brush and planting pasture grasses, he was mostly removing the understory of the forest that was incroaching on the pasture area. This helped with the fire control of that area. Its extremely important to manage your pasture well or it no longer is useful as rangeland and grazing. Many ranchers allow their livestock to have a large rangeland and during the winter this results in compaction, erosion, runoff, all of which don't allow for the grass to grow back for them to graze. I also asked about what do ranchers do with the brush they cleared. Rich said that they could either spread it to create habitat or chip it, or possibly send it to greenwaste. We also discussed the lengths of grass each livestock prefer and the benefit of fencing to help allow for pasture migration.

This all led to a possible senior project (a requirement for my internship) in which I could make a diagram to use at workshops to teach better land practices. There is one upcoming in February that is for horse owners and how they can keep their pasture in better shape by using better land management. My possible senior project could be to create a diagram showing how water reacts with different soils. Whether it runs off due to compaction from horses or if it goes into the soil due to vegetation growing. I'm not exactly the most handy person around, but I think I can definitely come up with something. Then I can go to the workshop and see something I made being used to teach others. It would also be nice to have my senior project done so early in my internship.

I feel like today, while not the most productive day, was really good because I learned a lot about what the NRCS does. I think its really important to inform people and give them an incentive to do things more environmentally friendly. I also might get to go into the field on Monday and help survey a clients land. I better remember to wear comfy shoes!

First Day! 1-18-11

So today was my official first day for my internship. I met some of the staff and then it was immediately time to throw me into my work. I began the day by going through clients applications for a conservation project. They were applying for funding from the federal government to start better land management practices on their land. My job was to go through their paperwork and fill any blank spaces I could. It was amazing to see how much work was saved in their applications. They had all correspondence, maps of their land, price estimates, everything imaginable to make sure they got the funding.

My next task for the day was to make soil maps for the applications that didn't have any. The site I used was actually created by the USDA-NRCS and is absolutely free! Its amazing the things it lets you see too! Based on how well they surveyed the land (they do better when its large acreage and range land) you can get a map of your land showing the various types of soils found there. There are also other tabs that let you know where the best locations for your land practices are as well as how erodible your soil is. I have only just begun, but I plan on exploring the program a lot more in the future. Check it out! http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov.

It seems like it wasn't much, but before I knew it, it was already over. I think I made a good choice for a 2 quarter internship. Not only will I be getting work experience, networking for a possible job in the future, but I actually enjoy the work I'm doing. So far it seems like exactly what I had wanted to do after graduation. I get to combine fieldwork and office work without research, and it manages to have both my interest in policy and my interest in monitoring. I'm really glad I was able to find this internship after all.

Initial Meeting 1-11-11

So I'm beginning my senior internship to graduate from environmental studies at UCSC. Since I had done blogging before and really enjoyed it, I figured why not try a blog as my journal requirement for my internship. I am currently working with the US Department of Agriculture under the Natural Resources Conservation Services division. I was originally taking an ENVS seminar in an intermediate GIS course but ended up dropping it and therefore I was in a state of panic searching for an internship opportunity. Fortunately, the Envs internship advisor Chris Krohn helped out by providing me with USDA-NRCS.

I first met Rich Casale, my agency sponsor, on the day all of my paperwork was due. He had wanted to make sure this would be a good fit, but I already knew it would be. We spent the first part of our meeting discussing the benefits of working with the Federal Government and how the benefits and job security outweigh the paycheck associated with other jobs. I fortunately had already been encouraged by my mother to search for jobs with the federal department after graduation, so I pretty much agreed with everything Rich said. We also discussed the benefits of the USDA and how there were locations across the US that I could possibly find a job after graduation. I was excited to hear they even had locations in Hawaii, the main place I was looking at for relocation after graduation.

Then we got into the important stuff. We discussed my interest in environmental studies, which has been vast indeed. Because I originally began as a policy focus, I am getting my legal studies minor and took a couple policy classes. After New Zealand, I was much more focused on resource management and monitoring and so I've been trying to gear towards that direction now. This internship sounded perfect because it works with both of those. We help private land owners to do natural resource reports of their land. This requires helping them know what resources they have, how to best manage them, what permits are needed. This means there is going to be some office work making maps, working with GIS, doing write ups, as well as some field work. I am definitely excited to do both.

My first assignment is to try out the web soil survey provided by NRCS. Its a mapping program that allows anyone to put in an address and find out what type of soil is available on your land. This program can do anything from acres upon acres to someones tiny backyard. Knowing your soil type can help farmers know what crops would be more successful, or let someone know how erodible your backyard is. I am excited that there is such a sophisticated mapping program available to anyone. I look forward to getting really comfortable with the program.