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Natural Resource
Internship Program
Natural Resource Internship Program
Interns participate in a 10-week program from June to August. The internships are based in the Four Corners Region. Interns are either current undergraduates or recent graduates. In the past, the majority have been from Colorado and have attended a Colorado college or university. Students from other states add diversity to the group.
The interns work with researchers and land managers, addressing issues such as climate change, land development, air and water pollution, ecosystem restoration, and community revitalization. They worked on lakes and in forests, wetlands, alpine tundra, high desert, and in human communities.
The interns and many mentors participate in three programatic events during the course of the internship. An Orientation, generally held at Fort Lewis College, includes “get-to-know-you” activities, a regional environmental and socio-economic overview, a tour of local ecosystems, a discussion on safety and environmental issues, and a raft trip down the Animas River. Interns and mentors come back together half-way through the program, often in Silverton, to visit high-elevation sites included in the program, give informal project updates, take a mine tour, and cook dinner. The final morning of the program, interns and available mentors, go on a field trip to discuss projects, methods, and skills gained in the program. The group has lunch at the San Juan Public Lands Center and each intern gives a presentation about their project.
Interns 2008 |
Interns 2009 |
Interns gain knowledge, experience, and friends . . . and have fun!
Program Coordinator: Aaron Kimple, Mountain Studies Institute
Major Funders: San Juan Public Lands Center & University of Colorado at Boulder
Other Funders: Colorado State University, Fort Lewis College & Mountain Studies Institute
San Juan Collaboratory Overview
The University of Colorado at Boulder, Fort Lewis College, Mountain Studies Institute, and the San Juan Public Land Center (USFS/BLM) are members of a new collaborative effort for integrated, interdisciplinary studies and education on the Western Slope of Colorado. Together, we develop multi-disciplinary, problem-oriented research and outreach efforts to serve rural Southwestern Colorado. We establish on-site learning opportunities at the undergraduate and graduate levels by building bridges between educational institutions and community groups.
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