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Conservation and Land Management Interns

Each year, the Conservation and Land Management (CLM) internship program places 75-100 graduates from colleges and universities across the country in five-month paid internships with federal agencies as well as non-profits focused on conservation efforts. CLM internships provide hands-on opportunities in botany and/or wildlife-related fields that may include monitoring or assessing threatened and endangered species and habitats.

Two recent Conservation and Land Interns, brought on through the BLM Idaho's Jarbidge Field Office, shared their perspectives on their summer work.  

BLM Idaho Intern Angeline Getty reaching for the thermograph to collect a reading of the Bruneau River.
BLM Idaho Intern Angeline Getty reaches for the thermograph to collect a reading of the Bruneau River. BLM photo.

Angeline Getty, a College of Idaho graduate with a degree in anthropology/sociology, grew up in Challis, Idaho working summers for the Forest Service. She loved it and as she is between her undergraduate and graduate programs, she recognized the importance of staying within her field of interest – besides, she loves being outside and the hands on work offered through these temporary positions.  “The diversity of the work has kept it interesting – we started out monitoring long-term trend sites looking at the percent frequency of native and non-native plants at each site; most recently, I really enjoyed hiking into the Bruneau canyon and reading the thermographs in the river (record hourly water temperatures for fisheries management). I really think my experience this summer will be so applicable to any job I may have in the future – it makes a big difference!” said Getty. 

Scott Montgomery, an elementary education senior at Colorado Christian University, grew up on a farm in Eden, Idaho – so being able to work outside was a priority for Scott. He also wanted to explore parts of Idaho he hasn’t seen before and he believes his experiences inspecting fence lines, walking grids in Slickspot Peppergrass habitat, and monitoring range transects will only enhance his future teaching and shaping of young minds.  He talked about the crew camaraderie and the diversity in their team hailing from Illinois, Washington and Idaho.  “We have all gotten along really well, it’s added a neat perspective as we work long days together. I know I’m going to be able to tie in what I’ve learned this summer in the classroom, and share the beauty of our natural resources with my future students,” said Montgomery.  

Their perspectives offer just a glimpse into the lives of this important work force joining BLM each summer to collect the data that informs management decisions.

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Intern Bog

BLM Idaho Jarbidge Field Office interns gather under a tree, BLM photo

Follow excerpts of the Conservation and Land Management interns from BLM and other agencies on their blog:  http://clminternship.org/blog/