I spent my 12 weeks in the summer at the Baldwin Ranger District of the Huron-Manistee National Forest in Michigan as a Rare Species Wildlife Survey Intern. I was able to build my skills in wildlife monitoring and management and learn what it’s like to work for the U.S. Forest Service. Much of my internship involved working closely with the endangered Karner Blue Butterfly and other sensitive wildlife species.
Through my internship, I learned first-hand about the struggles that wildlife managers face when trying to protect imperiled species. While I have always been concerned about the plight of endangered species, I never understood the full breadth of challenges that inhibit conservationists from making progress. My new understanding of the direct impacts of climate change on wildlife has transformed the way I view my my future career in wildlife management. I also have a reinforced appreciation for the necessity of climate change mitigation and adaptation today.
One of my primary responsibilities during this internship was to conduct inventories for the Karner blue butterfly. The Manistee National Forest has been managing oak savanna patches to provide habitat for the Karner blue butterfly for many years. This summer, however, what are usually beautiful grassland ecosystems filled with wildflowers were dry, sandy patches without enough water for forbs to flower. Western Michigan experienced extreme drought during the months of May and June that drastically increased fire risk and put severe stress on all the plants throughout the Forest. Day after day, I watched Karners, newly emerged from their chrysalises, fly around with hardly any nectar sources to feed on. I saw how the increasingly common extreme weather events due to climate can have devastating impacts on endangered wildlife.
I also participated in a number of habitat improvement projects, including cutting trees and brush to simulate natural disturbances in savanna habitat and planting wildflower plugs to enhance habitat quality on the edges of occupied Karner habitat so dispersing individuals will have access to nectar sources. Because of the drought, the substantial investment into around a thousand plant plugs was at risk. To prevent the plants from dying, the other intern and I had to water each plant by hand with watering cans. I learned that managing habitat for wildlife in the face of climate change takes hard work and man power that many land management agencies may not have access to with tight budgets. Adapting to climate change requires making sacrifices and coming up with creative solutions.
In addition to witnessing the affects of climate change in the field myself, I was also able to speak with many professionals about their experiences managing wildlife. Not only did I build strong connections to people in my field, but I also saw how decisions are made between different stakeholders like the Forest Service, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and non-profit profit organizations. My supervisor had over a decade of experience at this forest and was able to explain how things have changed and how they have had to adapt management strategies over the years. I also learned about the importance of contracting, grant writing, and competing interests within federal agencies.
Prior to this internship, my professional goal was to work in wildlife management for a federal land management agency. This experience has reinforced that I would like work in this field and has given me valuable professional experience and networking relationships that will help me attain better jobs. The new perspective I have gained through my work during this internship has helped prepare me to face the challenges in my future career and make a positive impact on the environment. I am further motivated to excel academically in my final year of my undergraduate so my education can enable me to be a competent wildlife professional.
