Fall 2014 Internships in Conservation and Sustainability

Our Internship Program in Conservation and Sustainability allows students to put principles of sustainability into practice under the mentorship of local experts, business owners and community activitsts.  Students reflect on their internship experiences below.  Read on!

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Maxwell Fleming (Environmental Studies, University of Colorado-Boulder)

Small Business Development for Punctata: A local sewing service

This internship gave me the opportunity to be a functioning part of a small business in a developing country. I now have a greater appreciation for the importance and value of small businesses to those employed, and their place in the surrounding community. I learned about local market dynamics and business expansion, which are relevant to my interest in environmental economics. I enjoyed the opportunity to expand my Spanish, and to interact with so many members of the community. 

This is the Punctata workshop, which runs out of the owners' home. Maxwell shows some of the results of market surveys, conducted to determine the directions for Punctata's future development.

  

Maxwell and the owners of Punctata, Humberto and Elieth Coto.

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Abby Lutmer (Sustainable Development: Sustainable Agriculture and Agroecology, Appalachian State University)

Sustainable Landscaping for Local Landowners in the Monteverde Zone

By being able to work for a month with my hands in the dirt, my feet in the midst of sustainable grey water and wind management, the internship freed my mind and ignited my passions in a myriad of ways. Just by being able to make decisions for the benefit of Monteverde community members through sustainable landscaping implementation, this experience fundamentally connected me to the Costa Rican landscape and gave me greater incentive for furthering my activism within our food system. I hope to one day be a teacher of holistic healing, natural medicines, and sustainable agriculture by connecting people with the earth's natural biodynamic cycles. This internship gave me the knowledge and patience understand the troubling disconnections of urbanization and climate change effects, and how I can work to do my part being a steward of the earth. 

Abby in the grey water garden

 Abby and Orlando Calvo, supervisor and sustainable ag guru.

Abby answers questions from the symposium audience as her Costa Rican host family listens

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Benjamin Russin (Department of Biology, Oberlin College)

Gardening with Native Plants at the Bajo del Tigre Nature Reserve

Working with ProNativas to construct and design a sustainable native plant garden at the Bajo Del Tigre nature reserve has been a vastly rewarding experience. My idea of what a garden is and how it can function to support biodiversity has been drastically altered. This internship gave me the opportunity to express myself creatively through the medium of plants, whose biology/natural histories are my passion, and there's no doubt in my mind that the experience will further me along in whatever career path I go down and enrich me as a human being.  

Benjamin, landscaping in the Monteverde Conservation League Bajo del Tigre Reserve.

Local materials, natural features, and native plants are used to create the Birdwatcher's Corner.

Benjamin and supervisor Felipe Negrini celebrate a presentation well done!

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Impact of Community Art: Fostering a dialogue about sustainability in Monteverde, Costa Rica

Rachel Weber (Public Policy Studies, Duke University)

Rachel in the studio, preparing art to accompany poetry

 I am so grateful that I was able to spend time in Monteverde making art and celebrating others' artwork. In the past, I've often separated what I study--sustainability and energy--with what I considered to be non-academic activities such as painting and writing. This project helped me to understand how connected environmental issues are with artistic expression. I look forward to continuing to find ways to express my ideas about sustainability and the environment in creative ways and engage others in the ecological arts and the culture of sustainability. It was wonderful sharing creative energy with Ana, and I hope that my contribution to the Banco Nacional mural can serve as a small thank you to Monteverde for all that the community has given me.  

This internship, and the people involved, gave me a better understanding of art's relevance to environmental protection. Artistic expression is a form of universal communication, which allows for deep and meaningful reactions.  Creating a stronger connection between people and nature is vital for not only the survival of the environment, but also humanity. In reality, art cannot be the sole method in promoting such a relationship and ultimately conservation, but its presence is crucial in making real and sustained progress.

The artists (Ana Ovares, Rachel Weber) prepare to install framed poetry at the Banco Nacional de Costa Rica mural.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Artist and supervisor Ana Ovares makes comments during the symposium

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Emily Valencia (Environmental Studies, University of Colorado-Boulder)

GIS Mapping for Wildlife Corridors and Passages

This internship opened my eyes to how mammals are impacted by human activity. I learned how to use GIS and camera traps to better understand habitat fragmentation. I enjoyed this experience because of the new skills I learned and the fun I had doing it! Hopefully I will be able to take the new skills and knowledge I have and apply it to my future career. 

Emily shows maps she produced in QGIS and ArcGIS A puma is caught on the camera traps! Emily with supervisor and GIS guy, Morgan Boyles Emily's  puma!

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Celebrating after symposium presentations are over!