Thanks to Hugh, our fall Land Conservation intern
Thank you, Hugh! (Photo by Michael Marren Photography)
FMR strives to offer internships and other pathways to support the next generation of environmental leaders.
This fall, we're grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Hugh Gabriel as our fall 2022 Land Conservation intern. Hugh came to us through Macalester College's Internship Program as part of his Environmental Studies major. His internship had three main components: data analysis, seed sorting and volunteer event assistance.
His knowledge of restoration from his previous internships gave him a turnkey understanding of the questions we hoped to answer with our data, as well as native plant species identification and how to work with volunteers.
Hugh impressed us with his motivation and willingness to take on anything we threw at him. From leading groups at volunteer events to tackling data transformations that will help us figure out trends in bird diversity at FMR sites, Hugh handled everything with professionalism and ease.
Hugh's reflections
Throughout my semester with FMR, I was engaged in data analysis work. I crafted charts and drew conclusions from over a decade of scientific data collected at FMR sites; I focused on analyzing bird surveys and honeysuckle resprout occurrence. As side projects, I sorted native prairie seeds and helped lead a couple of volunteer work days. I had the pleasure of collaborating with the wonderful staff at FMR, and learned not just how to interpret data, but how to navigate a future career in conservation work.
I'm currently a senior at Macalester College, where next semester I'll graduate with a double major in Environmental Studies and English. Looking forward, I can confidently say I have no idea what I'll be doing after graduation, but I hope to be working in the restoration field either directly or on the side in the future.
Learn more about our internship program
We're currently expanding our capacity for hosting paid opportunities for youth and young people. If you're interested in our internship program, sign up for our e-newsletter Mississippi Messages to get news about opportunities and more.