2024 Water Resources Internship – Now Accepting Applications

Have an interest in the environment, conservation, and agriculture, particularly water and soil quality?

We are seeking undergraduate student interns for summer 2024 who are self-motivated, detail-oriented, strong communicators, enthusiastic, and have a sense of fun!

Interns’ time will be split between outreach and research, all centered around environmental issues and challenges in Iowa. Summer interns have the opportunity to:

• Work with two award-winning Iowa State University education and outreach programs:
  • Water Rocks!, focused on youth outreach, and
  • Iowa Learning Farms, focused on adult/community outreach
• Develop strong oral communication skills as you help children and adults better understand environmental and agricultural issues
• Travel throughout the state of Iowa with the fleet of Conservation Station trailers
• Contribute to water and soil research projects with the Conservation Learning Group, including a project exploring soil health and water quality impacts of relay intercropping as method of sustainable intensification
• Gain technical skills related to agricultural and biosystems engineering, environmental science, soil health and water quality through both field and lab research

The program is based on campus at Iowa State University and will involve travel to various outreach events around the state, which includes some scheduled night and weekend events, as well as select research sites. This is a paid internship, $14.50 per hour, with students working up to 40 hours/week. The internship program begins Wednesday, May 15 and runs through Saturday, August 3, 2024.

The Iowa State University water resources internship program serves as an outstanding springboard for careers in agriculture, engineering, the environment, and/or further studies. Past participants in our internship program have gone on to such careers as project engineer, watershed coordinator, environmental educator, field research specialist, and USDA-FSA program technician, while others have pursued graduate school opportunities.

From a relatively small beginning as student research assistantships in 2007 with a single trailer-mounted rainfall simulator, to the addition of a second and the launch of the Conservation Station fleet in 2010, interns were integral to the program. Today, there are multiple Conservation Stations in regular use, and the teams of interns go out with them for nearly every visit.

Learn about the Water Resources Internship Program experience in Learning Life lessons as ISU Water Resources Interns, published in Wallaces Farmer.

Job Skills and Requirements:

• Currently enrolled undergraduate student at a U.S.-based college, community college or university (open to all majors)
• Demonstrate interest and/or background in environmental science, natural resources, conservation, soil and water quality, agriculture, and/or education
• Evidence of strong communication skills
• Ability to learn new tasks quickly
• Teamwork skills
• Self-motivated
• Detail-oriented
• Time management skills

Additional internship requirements include:

• Valid US driver’s license
• Background check with ISU Risk Management for working with youth

How to Apply:

Required application materials include:

• PDF Resume (Be sure to include your GPA, major, and previous work experience)
• PDF Cover Letter (Tell us what interests you about this internship and why you’d be a great fit!)

The internship application deadline is 5:00pm CT on Monday, February 5. Please submit your complete application package to Ann Staudt via email – astaudt@iastate.edu using “Water Resources Internship Application” as the subject line. We will conduct interviews with qualified students in early- to mid-February.

2023 Water Resources Internship – Now Accepting Applications

Have an interest in the environment, conservation, and agriculture, particularly water and soil quality?

We are seeking undergraduate student interns for summer 2023 who are self-motivated, detail-oriented, strong communicators, enthusiastic, and have a sense of fun!

Interns’ time will be split between outreach and research, all centered around environmental issues and challenges in Iowa. Summer interns have the opportunity to:

• Work with two award-winning Iowa State University education and outreach programs:
  • Water Rocks!, focused on youth outreach, and
  • Iowa Learning Farms, focused on adult/community outreach
• Develop strong oral communication skills as you help children and adults better understand environmental and agricultural issues
• Travel throughout the state of Iowa with the fleet of Conservation Station trailers
• Contribute to water and soil research projects with the Conservation Learning Group
• Gain technical skills related to agricultural and biosystems engineering, environmental science, soil health and water quality through both field and lab research

The program is based on campus at Iowa State University and will involve travel to various outreach events around the state, which includes some scheduled night and weekend events, as well as select research sites. This is a paid internship, with students working up to 40 hours/week. The internship program begins Wednesday, May 17 and runs through Saturday, July 29, 2023.

The Iowa State University water resources internship program serves as an outstanding springboard for careers in agriculture, engineering, the environment, and/or further studies. Past participants in our internship program have gone on to such careers as project engineer, watershed coordinator, environmental educator, field research specialist, and USDA-FSA program technician, while others have pursued graduate school opportunities.

From a relatively small beginning as student research assistantships in 2007 with a single trailer-mounted rainfall simulator, to the addition of a second and the launch of the Conservation Station fleet in 2010, interns were integral to the program. Today there are multiple Conservation Stations in regular use, and the teams of interns go out with them for nearly every visit.

Learn about their experiences in this Wallaces Farmer article.

Job Skills and Requirements:

• Currently enrolled undergraduate student (open to all majors)
• Demonstrate interest and/or background in environmental science, natural resources, conservation, soil and water quality, agriculture, and/or education
• Evidence of strong communication skills
• Ability to learn new tasks quickly
• Teamwork skills
• Self-motivated
• Detail-oriented
• Time management skills

Additional internship requirements include:

• Valid US driver’s license
• Background check with ISU Risk Management for working with youth

How to Apply:

Required application materials include:

• PDF Resume (Be sure to include your GPA, major, and previous work experience)
• PDF Cover Letter (Tell us what interests you about this internship and why you’d be a great fit!)

Internship application deadline is 5:00pm on Tuesday, January 31. Please submit your complete application package to Liz Ripley via email – ejuchems@iastate.edu. We will conduct interviews with qualified students in February.

Building on My Background

My name is Garrett Little, and I am a rising senior in Agricultural Engineering at Iowa State University. I grew up in rural Hershey, Pennsylvania where I developed a love for the outdoors. I was also involved in 4-H where I enjoyed showing pigs and sheep at local fairs.

My passion for raising livestock as a youth inspired me to study animal production systems. My early coursework and experiences, however, shifted this focus towards land and water resources. My summer with the Water Rocks! team has further solidified my confidence in making this change.

The short amount of time I have spent interning with Iowa Learning Farms and Water Rocks! has been extremely rewarding. Every day is a new adventure and packed full of learning opportunities. Whether it be an outreach event at a county fair, school visit or working in the field, I leave work knowing more about conservation and water quality than the day before.

I expressed my love for the outdoors while growing up and this summer has had no shortage of working in an outdoor environment. Working in the field is where I have the most fun. From monarch monitoring in prairies to analyzing soil health through infiltration testing, it always feels like you are contributing to something larger than yourself. Some days it may be hot, humid and a lot of walking, but assisting with research alongside other amazing interns always ends as a good day.

In addition, this internship has allowed me to explore Iowa more than I ever have. Growing up on the east coast, it is sad to say, I was very unfamiliar with the Midwest. This internship has made me extremely familiar with Iowa and driving to every corner of the state has been a blessing. I have seen many of the conservation practices discussed in the internship being applied across the state including prairie strips, saturated buffers, treatment wetlands, bioreactors and more. Learning about these best management practices is one thing but exploring the state and seeing them be applied has been exciting.

Travelling the state has allowed me to meet and talk with people from many different backgrounds. Early in the summer, I was nervous to talk with community members for fear of not knowing how to answer questions or contribute to the conversation. The knowledge I have gained from the internship and my coursework made these conversations go quite well and I was more than comfortable answering their questions. I particularly enjoyed talking about our new wetland models and answering questions about them. I am looking forward to attending more events to share the importance of wetlands with adults and youth alike.

Overall, my experience to date has proved to myself that conservation and soil and water quality are my true passion. It is rewarding to not only educate, but to also be educated by those around me. I am excited for the remainder of the internship and grateful to have had this amazing opportunity.

–Garrett Little

Now Accepting Applications for 2020 Water Resources Internship

Have an interest in the environment, conservation, and agriculture, particularly water and soil quality?  We are seeking undergraduate student interns for summer 2020 who are self-motivated, detail-oriented, strong communicators, enthusiastic, and have a sense of fun!

Interns’ time will be split between research and outreach, all centered around environmental issues and challenges in Iowa.   Summer interns will have the opportunity to:

• Work with two award-winning Iowa State University education and outreach programs:
  • Water Rocks!, focused on youth outreach, and
  • Iowa Learning Farms, focused on adult/community outreach
• Develop strong oral communication skills as you help children and adults better understand environmental and agricultural issues
• Travel throughout the state of Iowa with the fleet of Conservation Station trailers
• Contribute to water, soil and wildlife habitat research projects with ISU’s Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and Conservation Learning Group.
• Gain technical skills related to agricultural and biosystems engineering, environmental science, soil health and water quality through both field and lab research

The program is based on campus at Iowa State University and will involve travel in university vehicles to research sites and various outreach events around the state, which includes some scheduled night and weekend events.  This is a paid internship, with students working up to 40 hours/week.  The internship program begins Wednesday, May 13 and runs through Saturday, August 1, 2020.

The Iowa State University water resources internship program serves as an outstanding springboard for careers in agriculture, engineering, the environment, and/or further studies.

From a relatively small beginning as student research assistantships in 2007 with a single trailer-mounted rainfall simulator, to the addition of a second and the launch of the Conservation Station fleet in 2010, interns were integral to the program. Today there are three Conservation Stations in regular use, and the teams of interns go out with them for nearly every visit.

Over the years 50+ individuals have served as water resources interns and have gone on to such careers as project engineer, watershed coordinator, environmental educator, field research specialist, and USDA-FSA program technician, while others have pursued graduate school opportunities.

Learn more about past internship experiences in this Wallaces Farmer article.

Job Skills and Requirements:

• Currently enrolled undergraduate student (open to all majors)
• Demonstrated interest and/or background in environmental science, natural resources, conservation, soil and water quality, agriculture, and/or education
• Evidence of strong communication skills
• Ability to learn new tasks quickly
• Teamwork skills
• Self-motivated
• Detail-oriented
• Time management skills

Additional internship requirements include:

• Participation in 4-week spring training course for internship (one night per week, beginning week of March 23)
• Valid US driver’s license
• Background check with ISU Risk Management for working with youth

How to Apply:

Required application materials include:

• PDF Resume (Be sure to include your GPA, major, and previous work experience)
• PDF Cover Letter (Tell us what interests you about this internship and why you’d be a great fit!)

Internship application deadline is 5:00pm on Friday, January 31, 2020.   Please submit your complete application package to Liz Juchems via email – ejuchems@iastate.edu.  We will conduct interviews with qualified students in early February.

An Experience in Learning

When asked to describe my time as an intern with Water Rocks! and Iowa Learning Farms, the first thing that comes to mind is that it’s been a learning experience.  I’ve learned a lot about myself and my specific interests within environmental sustainability and natural resource conservation.  But with a bit more thought, I think it’s more appropriate to call it an experience in learning.

Everybody has different preferences for learning new things.  There’s visual learners and auditory learners, those who learn by observing and those who learn by doing.  

One of my favorite things about Water Rocks! and Iowa Learning Farms is that these organizations cater to a variety of different learning preferences.  The Water Rocks! music videos help to spread the message of conservation to young audiences by providing fun and catchy sing-along opportunities that kids can enjoy at any hour of the day.  The classroom visits and assemblies provide a unique opportunity for students to learn by watching and listening to our educational materials, and then applying their newfound knowledge through trivia questions and team games.

The team’s Conservation Station Fleet is able to reach both urban and rural audiences with our three trailers, which feature examples of ways that any audience member could improve water quality.  With our rainfall simulators, we can show the impacts of various tillage practices on water drainage and quality.  Our on-the-edge trailer shows how two of the newest edge-of-field practices work (bioreactors and saturated buffers).  Lastly, our Enviroscape and poo toss games help us to show kids of all ages what they can do to improve the quality of their neighborhoods and watersheds.  

The past few weeks with Water Rocks! and Iowa Learning Farms have helped me to see that the best way for me to learn is by teaching others.  But that task can’t be done alone – it requires a team of passionate individuals to work together in order to spread our message across the state of Iowa.

Working with a cohort of seven other interns (in addition to all of the full-time staff members) has been a rewarding and interesting experience.  From watching a saturated buffer installation in eastern Iowa to digging a fellow intern out of a mucky mess, I can confidently say that no two days on the job have been the same!

And with each new day, I learn new things about myself, my teammates, and what we can do to improve the quality of the world we live in.  Above all, I’ve learned that it takes a strong team to be able to go out and teach the public about our initiatives.  I’m thankful for all that I’ve learned so far this summer and am excited to continue to add more knowledge as I approach the last month of this internship!

Becca Wiarda is participating in the 2019 Water Resources Internship Program at Iowa State University.  Wiarda grew up near Ackley and is a senior in Agricultural Business and Finance with minors in sustainability and agronomy.

Discovering My Passion

This is my second summer working with Water Rocks! and Iowa Learning Farms, my first being the summer of 2017. There have been a few moments throughout this summer that made me realize how much I have changed since I first began my internship here two years ago.

Back when I started, I had just changed majors to become a biosystems engineering major, and I was set that I was going to do the bioprocessing/biofuels track. Through my experience with the water resources internship, I found what I really wanted to do, which was working with water quality and other environmental issues.

When I first began the internship, I knew nothing about agriculture, water quality issues, or anything about what I wanted to do in the future. Now, besides the knowledge and experience I have gained through my education and my internships, I also have some solid ideas about what I want to do.

I realized this very recently through two very different workdays.

The first was field work we did for the monarch butterfly survey. We had to trudge through thick, soggy grass taller than me and fight off mosquitos and ticks while looking for milkweed plants in CRP fields. It was miserable, annoying, and painful, but also somehow fun! It was cool to learn how to identify the different species of milkweed, and it was a great feeling when you finally found a plant while walking in circles in chest tall grass for what seemed like hours (even though it was probably 5 minutes).

It was simultaneously one of the most fun and most miserable days of the summer. And with the help of an entire can of bugs pray, I’m still here! If you had asked me at the beginning of the summer 2 years ago to do that, I’m not sure what I would have done. I do know that I would have had a much worse attitude about it, and that I would not have had any fun whatsoever. I think that represents one way that I have grown, which is to be better at taking things as they come and dealing with it. I think is a very valuable attitude to have in the environmental field, because nothing ever goes as planned when it comes to nature.

The other day was one where I had to present the Conservation Station On the Edge trailer at a field day in NW Iowa. I had been on field days like this before, but with a staff member, and so I had heard this being presented but had never done it myself. I was nervous about doing this myself, because I was worried that I would get questions I couldn’t handle or forget to mention something important. I knew that I had learned a lot of this stuff through coursework and the internship, but I somehow felt that I still wasn’t prepared. But everything went well. I presented the models and information for both the saturated buffer and woodchip bioreactor, and it seemed like I was keeping the audience’s attention.

When it got to time to ask questions, I was nervous, but as they came, I found myself naturally answering them. It turns out, shockingly, that I learned something in college. I think that a major reason that I was nervous for grad school was that somehow, I felt that I wasn’t ready, and that I had managed to fake my way through college. That presentation was one of the first times that I felt confident in what I had learned and my ability to explain it to someone effectively. This has given me a lot of confidence for the future. Going from not knowing a thing about this field two years ago all the way to explaining edge of field practices to landowners is quite a jump, and something that I’m proud of.

Water Rocks! and ILF have really shaped my educational career, and it is an experience that I will take with me and remember for a long time.

Andrew Hillman is participating in the 2019 Water Resources Internship Program at Iowa State University.  Hillman grew up in Bettendorf and graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Biosystems Engineering. He is off to North Carolina State University to pursue a graduate degree in the fall.

Celebrity Status

I have always been around people younger than me.  Whether it was my thirteen-month younger sister, my six younger cousins, or the kids that I provided care for during the summer.  No matter the relation, these small humans were in every corner of my life, not that I was complaining.  I love being with kids and seeing their unique perspective of the world and how they continuously grow.  Which is why this Water Rocks! internship truly jumped out to me.

In the short amount of time being involved in this program, I have visit been able to educate and inform numerous young minds about the world around them, and what they can do to make Iowa a healthier and cleaner place to live.  Little did I know; I was also going to get the honor of being admired in some of strangest yet heartwarming ways possible.

The first experience was some one-of-a-kind hand-crafted money.  Which was bestowed to me by a sixth grader claiming we were not getting paid enough for what we do.  Each of us that day received two of these unique hundred-dollar bills.  That was not all, the same child came back moments later with three whole pieces of paper and gave each of us large gold replicas of the previous bill, and said, “Here’s a bonus because I actually learned something today.”

The next form of admiration was a fourth-grade begging for the autographs of everyone that presented to him that day.  To say the least all of the interns that day, myself included were a bit dumb-struck.  We had no idea what to say, except asking our supervisor if it was allowed.  When we got the nod of approval, we all started scribbling down our names on the paper. As soon as we were all done the student clung the paper to his chest and gave us a quick thank you before joining the rest of his class lining up at the door.Leaving each event, our team discusses the event on the trip back to Ames.  Talking about how we would buy a fancy house with our new found money, get stopped on the street for a picture, or be asked to be featured in Times magazine.  Although small gestures, I knew that what we did truly touched theses students, we helped shape their future in some way.  Whether they do something as small as picking up a piece of trash or going into a career that helps the environment.  I knew this was possible with children that I saw repeatedly, but I did not comprehend that it could be accomplished in fifty minutes or less.  What these kids did reassures me that the same can be done in the outreach events later this summer.   Now I know I have the power to inform all ages of the importance of the environment and conservation.

Clara Huber is participating in the 2019 Water Resources Internship Program at Iowa State University.  Huber grew up in DeWitt and in the fall, she will be starting her sophomore year at Iowa State University, majoring in Biosystems Engineering.

Learning By Doing

If you’ve been keeping up with Water Rocks! for anytime in the past six years, you know we love to teach a wide variety of audiences all about our environment and how to conserve it! What you might not know is just how much we learn from our audiences, from young to wise. Even only being on the team for just under a month, I have been able to learn tremendous amounts from students, adults, and communities across Iowa.

From the small things, like learning carrots are not part of a healthy diet for rabbits during a soils presentation from a 4th grader, to the big things like realizing just how much influence the right knowledge can have on our future generations, I have been absolutely loving what this internship has been able to impart on me in such little time. Of course, I’ve also been able to brush up on my knowledge of the environment through training and teaching our modules, too. It’s been inspiring to see such a young generation so aware of conservation and our environment!

Given an imaginary plot of land and five million dollars, one student constructed a buffer strip of prairies and wetlands without even knowing what a buffer strip was! Another student constructed a hydroelectric powered greenhouse! I’m not sure I would have thought to build anything but a giant treehouse and an ice cream shop in 4th/5th grade. Both urban and rural schools alike have shown tremendous knowledge on conservation, although rural has been more related to farming and urban to consumption.

I’ve gained valuable insight on to how audiences of different ages respond to activities and have been able to enhance my communication skills greatly. Even on the commutes across Iowa, I have been able to better understand the different landscapes, agricultural practices, and arrangements of different parts of the state. Each piece of this internship has been valuable to me, and I know I will continue to learn more and more as the summer goes along!

From learning it’s way more fun to be vibrant (check out those awesome nails), the power of a freeze pop in a 5th grade classroom, and just how competitive a game of hopscotch can get, I have been thoroughly enjoying my time at Water Rocks and can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store!

 

– Emma Flemming

Emma Flemming is participating in the 2019 Water Resources Internship Program at Iowa State University.  Flemming grew up in Des Moines (Roosevelt High School). In the fall, she will be starting her junior year at Iowa State University, majoring in Environmental Science and International Studies.

Meet our 2019 Interns!

We have a great crew of interns in the Iowa Learning Farms/Water Rocks! water resources internship program this summer and we’re excited to introduce this year’s team of college student interns to you!

Pictured above left to right:
Front Row – Becca Wiarda, Emma Flemming, Ashley Armstrong, Taylor Manneman
Back Row – Josh Harms, Andrew Hillman, Clara Huber, Scott Grzybowski

Becca Wiarda, a native of Ackley, IA, is double majoring in Agricultural Business and Finance with minors in Sustainability and Agronomy.

Emma Flemming is originally from Des Moines, IA, and is studying Environmental Science at Iowa State University.

Ashley Armstrong, originally from Montezuma, IA, is studying agricultural education at Dordt College is Sioux Center.

Taylor Manneman, a native of Huntington Beach, CA, is majoring in Environmental Science at Iowa State University.

Josh Harms, from Ellsworth, IA, is serving as an AmeriCorps Volunteer with Water Rocks! and we’re thrilled to have him on board with us until August.

Andrew Hillman, a native of Bettendorf, IA, graduated from Iowa State University this spring with a degree in Agricultural Engineering. He will continue his education this fall at North Carolina State University. We are thrilled to have Andrew back with our program for a second summer!

Clara Huber hails from DeWitt, IA, and she is majoring in Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University.

Scott Grzybowski is originally from Albert Lea, MN, and is a recent graduate from Iowa State with a degree in Chemistry. He will be continuing his education at the University of Iowa this fall.

There will be several chances to meet and interact with this great group of students as the summer goes on. They will be traveling to all corners of the state with our fleet of Conservation Station trailers as we visit county fairs, farmers markets, field days, festivals, camps, and more. Stay tuned to the blog, as each intern will be sharing a guest blog post about their experiences over the course of the summer!

–Liz Juchems

Learning Life Lessons as ISU Water Resources Interns

Both Iowa Learning Farms and Water Rocks! owe a lot of their successes over the past decade to the energy and enthusiasm of student Water Resources Interns. Each summer the young people in these positions have become the faces and voices of water and land resource management, conservation, and agricultural practices which benefit Iowa’s environment. The programs are closely affiliated with the highly-regarded Iowa State University (ISU) Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering which provides research opportunities as well as much foundational science for the outreach efforts.

Interns come from different degree programs, backgrounds and even states. (Know a college student who might be interested? Applications are open now through Jan. 31 for our 2019 Water Resources Internship Program!) The common thread among them is enthusiasm for engaging with members of the community through different learning and demonstration opportunities. Forty-five individuals have served in this important role over the years. We asked them to reflect on what they gained and learned from the experience, and were quite pleased with the responses.

Eleven Years and still going strong
From a relatively small beginning as student research assistantships in 2007, the internship program provided resources which enabled Iowa Learning Farms to respond to research needs, programming opportunities and expansions of outreach. From humble beginnings in 2007 with a single trailer-mounted rainfall simulator, to the addition of a second and the launch of the Conservation Station fleet in 2010, interns were integral to the program. Today there are three Conservation Stations in regular use, and the teams of interns go out with them for nearly every visit.

My favorite intern memories were taking the Conservation Station to field days. It was a neat experience to see communities bonding over conservation and their love of the land. –Emily Steinweg, 2011

Jumping in with both feet
As summer interns, there is no warmup period, the work starts on day one and keeps going throughout the ten-week term. Research projects are ready to go, Conservation Station events are booked, and since the university summer overlaps with the primary and secondary school spring semester, lending a hand with Water Rocks! school visits fills up the initial weeks.

Interns are expected to know some, learn a lot of new, and be able to put new knowledge and skills to work immediately. Flexibility and learning on your feet are fundamental requirements. Some interns have noted that it’s about learning how much you don’t know and having fun filling the gaps. Over the years many have contributed to the ILF blog sharing their experiences.

Intern duties include collecting water and soil samples, working under the direction of staff, faculty and graduate students, tabulating data, driving – and parking – trailers, participating in video projects, and staffing the Conservation Station. As representatives of Iowa Learning Farms in many venues, interns quickly become experts at listening, communicating and educating.

The Conservation Conversation
A common theme we heard from our former interns was their development of stronger public speaking and communications skills. Leading or participating in a public event, county fair, or field day would bring them face to face with people of different ages and backgrounds. The audience diversity kept them on their toes in shaping the information to make sure they connected with the audience.

The internship for me was a lot about public speaking and being able to interact with any age group or demographic. – Ryan Nelson, 2009, 2010

The biggest, perhaps most important, skill I developed was communication with the public. As a farmer myself, it’s relatively easy to communicate with other farmers. But with the public, one has to explain the basics in a way that a non-farmer can understand. –Mikayla Edwards, 2015

Working with ILF provided many of our interns with valuable experience that they continue to use in their careers – even in fields beyond conservation and water quality. From teachers to manufacturing engineers, being a part of a team and communicating information, ideas and solutions are universal skills.

I was exposed to people ranging from a farmer who thought cover crops were ridiculous to a sixth-grader learning about soil and water interactions. Understanding how the message needs to be tailored or modified to a specific audience has greatly benefited me in my career. –Brett McArtor, 2012

The majority of problems that I work on in my career necessitate a team to be involved; however, the expectation is that I will be able to problem solve and troubleshoot to contribute toward the solution. The combination of teamwork and independence that I exercised as a student intern for ILF prepared me well for this type of environment. –Patrick Kelly, 2012, 2013

The biggest benefits of being a part of ILF for me professionally would have to be the experience of giving short, informal presentations, and the importance of honestly saying, I don’t know. There is considerable skill in taking a message, condensing it into something manageable, wording it in such a way that others without background knowledge can understand, and presenting it in such a manner to grab and hold the attention of your listeners. This is something helpful for me as a software engineer as pitching ideas to clients or management needs to undergo this process in order to be effective. –Nathan Waskel, 2016, 2017

Making a Connection
One thing we’ve repeatedly observed at Conservation Station stops is that many of our adult audience members will seek out the interns just to talk. They seem drawn to the enthusiasm shown by these young adults in sharing their stories and connecting to people through excitement and hopeful messages. Many of these folks have a genuine interest in learning about the interns’ backgrounds, how they are doing in school, and where they see themselves after graduation. In fact, older citizens seem to prefer watching the young people present than the ISU-based professionals. And the interns truly appreciate the conversations and audience interactions as well.

The knowledge I gained from community members teaching community members helped me make the decision to continue in the course of community education and engagement. –Megan Koppenhafer, 2015, 2016, and 2018 AmeriCorps Service Member

It always felt nice to have people come up and talk about their own experiences with conservation. –Nathan Waskel, 2016, 2017

While visiting the Conservation Station one dad said to me, “I want my kids to know about this stuff; a lot of people don’t realize how important it is.” It was rewarding to make that connection. –Wyatt Kaldenberg, 2018

The other strong connection we see is with children in the audience. At field days and fairs young people are drawn to the goofy games and hands-on activities – but we see the parents and grandparents leaning in and learning along the way. And when they get into schools for Water Rocks! assemblies and outdoor classrooms, the interns have a chance to teach – and sometimes get stumped – by the next generation.

Teaching youth during outdoor classrooms opened my eyes to youth development and education. I loved seeing things click and watching their excitement grow as they understood how their actions could impact the environment either negatively or positively. –Brittney Carpio, 2012

I was caught off guard when a fifth-grade student asked, “What inspires you to do this?” After a long moment of panic, and a room full of fifth-graders staring up at me, I finally came up an answer. The experience made me think and quickly translate my passion for conservation into words I hope made an impact on another generation. –Kaleb Baber, 2017, 2018

Hands-on Research
When not on the road with the Conservation Stations, the interns also spend a good deal of time conducting hands-on research. Tasks range from taking water and soil samples to things such as counting earthworms. While these simple tasks are beneficial to ongoing research, there is also a lot of learning going on. Interns learn research techniques and gain an understanding of the importance of research processes and protocols to obtaining verifiable and repeatable results.

Earthworm counting is exactly what it sounds like. We head to test plots all over the state to look at the number of earthworms within a 19” x 30” frame between the rows of crops, corn or soybeans. – Donovan Wildman, 2018

Understanding the theory or research behind a process is an important first step, but a project is far from complete at this stage. Once the system is operating in the ‘real world’, such as the working bioreactors in the ILF program, there are many unpredictable factors that can arise. –Kate Sanocki, 2016

In addition to the field research, interns have also helped conduct various social science research through the years helping with survey mailings and data collection as well as event evaluations. The event evaluations, in particular, demonstrate to the interns the importance of documenting impact on an event by event basis.

A Bidirectional Impact
Water Resources Interns are crucial to the ongoing success of ILF and Water Rocks! outreach and education activities. Every year they infuse the team with new energy, perspectives and ideas. The interns are there to learn and gain valuable career experience, but their contributions over the years have also helped make the programming and content better and more impactful for all constituencies.

What does it take to become a Water Resources Intern?
In a word, Enthusiasm.

Enthusiasm to learn, enthusiasm to teach, and enthusiasm to engage with Iowans from all walks of life. We can teach them the content, but the spark and passion for sharing what they know and learning what they don’t is what makes for great interns and great experiences.

Interns will be challenged with new ideas, new tasks and some exhausting days. We seek people who are passionate about conservation, the environment, water or soil quality, and agriculture. To learn more about the Water Resources Internship program, and for application instructions, please visit our 2019 Water Resources Internship Program page — applications close this Thursday, Jan. 31!

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This story was first published in Wallaces Farmer in December 2018.