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.
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