Our wild summer

Few experiences can rival spending a summer working on a national wildlife refuge. In partnership with the Hispanic Access Foundation, the Connecting Latinos to Natural Resource Conservation program has provided this experience through a highly competitive application process.  Last summer, 11 college students participated in 12-week internships to help connect them to work in conservation. The interns were introduced to careers in natural resources at seven wildlife refuges and participated in training that included real-world public education, interpretation, communications, conservation, and wildlife rehabilitation.

Meet the interns!

2018 HAF Intern Ingrid Chavez, 23 holds a fish she reeled in.

Ingrid Chavez, 23 – San Francisco, CA

Refuge: Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge

Interests: Hiking, traveling, Bay Area sports, animals, Latin American news

Dream Job: Working in conservation

“…We take for granted all that our natural environment does for us. We need to protect our natural resources for future generations, especially for communities that are disproportionately affected by environmental injustices… The HAF internship has taught me to be flexible and open to new experiences. I have worked on a variety of projects from environmental education to water chestnut picking to working with endangered Puritan tiger beetles.”

2018 HAF Intern Daniel Correa, 24.

Daniel Correa, 24 – Old Bridge, NJ/ Medellin, Colombia

Refuge: Lenape National Wildlife Refuge Complex –  Great Swamp, Wallkill River, Cherry Valley, Shawangunk Grassland National Wildlife Refuges

Interests: Hiking, traveling and exploring new places domestically and abroad, learning about international news and developments

Dream Job: Work as a state or federal official that focuses on environmental restoration and mapping

“…I believe that protecting natural resources is connected with the well-being of communities. We can ensuring that communities throughout our country have good living conditions, and are be able to enjoy the outdoors by protecting our natural resources and promoting good sustainable ideas… The HAF Internship has taught me about the importance of becoming part of the community in which you would like to support and connect. Putting time and effort into that community carries a lot of importance and outreach is key to connecting with that community.”

HAF Intern Oscar Hernandez, 18

Oscar Hernandez, 18 – Lakeville, MN

Refuge: Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Interests: Wildlife and family

Dream Job: Urban outreach specialist

“…Being in nature is a great place to just be in and explore. Nature is beautiful and I want other people to enjoy it for a long time. The HAF internship taught me to reinforce my belief that the work that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is important and that conservation is a widespread issue; it impacts the quality of everyone living on this Earth.”

2018 HAF Intern Cindy Garcia, 22 from The Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

Cindy Garcia, 22 – New Haven, CT

Refuge: Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Interests: Environmental humanities, especially political geography and indigenous ecological knowledge

Dream Job: Professor of non-western environmental history

“…It’s about fostering profound experiences with nature on a societal level. I believe that they make a difference in our environmental ethics and stewardship, which is critical in this day in age. As an environmental educator, I do my best to have kids explore their local environment through a variety of sensory activities. This approach can help minimize the fear of dirt, the disgust of insects, and the rejection of unappealing objects. While it’s hard to quantify how much my work positively influences these children, personally it’s the amount of effort that matters… The HAF internship has taught me the importance of building relationships in order to accomplish a common goal. I believe relationships are meant to foster creativity and intersect ideas that would facilitate that process of accomplishing it. For instance, Providence Playcorps staff and I shared an interest in using play as a means to activate Providence’s neighborhoods. They relied on me teach groups of children about nature, while I relied on them to send me to different local parks. While the process of meeting and coordinating was not easy, at the end of the day the people who benefit most are the children.”

HAF intern Jorge Abraham Lopez Trejo

Jorge Abraham Lopez Trejo, 26 – Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico

Refuge: Patuxent Research Refuge

Interests: Environmental education, environmental justice, Latino empowerment, urban planning. sustainable development. I love plants and history too.

Dream Job: Working with communities to develop green sustainable spaces that fulfills the community needs.

“I want to make sure that future generations have a planet to enjoy, clean air to breathe, fresh water to drink, wildlife to be amazed, and nature to be inspired. Environmental conservation with education are our biggest allies in this battle for our planet… The HAF internship has taught me to never give up! Perseverance and flexibility were major key players during my internship. Speak your truth, tell your story, connect with people and listen. It only takes one action, little or big to inspire a change; be the change, be the answer, be the solution.”

HAF intern Gabriel Jimenez

Gabriel Jimenez, 31 – Saginaw, MI

Refuge: Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge

Interests: Community service, mentoring youth, fishing, hunting, any outdoor related activity

Dream Job: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement Officer

“It is bigger than who I am. What I do now though, matters. I do this for my children’s children and do it for their best interest. We must all decide what is best for the environment and continue to keep protecting our natural resources… The HAF internship has taught me additional knowledge of the many different career paths within the FWS and networked with many FWS professionals. I believe it’s one of my biggest things I value most from this internship.”

2018 HAF Intern Kelly Vera, 22, holding a goose.

Kelly Vera, 22 – Toms River, NJ

Refuge: Lenape National Wildlife Refuge Complex –  Great Swamp, Wallkill River, Cherry Valley, Shawangunk Grassland National Wildlife Refuges

Interests: Reading, writing, hiking, and thrifting

Dream Job: A writer for National Geographic

“If there is one thing I love to quote it’s “If you think the economy is more important than the environment, try holding your breath while you count your money.” The earth and it’s endless giving of supplies is what gives us life everyday… No matter how tired I am or how overwhelmed I may feel from the work, I never quit because this is my passion. It is much greater than myself and the work could never keep me from conservation and environmental work.”

HAF intern Gabrielle Perez.

Gabrielle Perez, 19 – New York, NY

Refuge: John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge

Interests: Environmental policy, conservation, environmental education, women’s empowerment

Dream Job: Being the head of the EPA!

“…I know that without a healthy natural environment, every single living thing is at risk of having having seriously damaging health issues. Our well-being depends on the well-being of the planet more than many people realize and I just want to help people become more aware of not only their connection to, but there dependence on nature!.. The HAF internship taught me that it is important to help people love and appreciate nature before hitting them with the hard and scary facts about what’s going on with the planet.”

HAF intern Stephanie Melara.

Stephanie Melara, 22 – Elizabeth, NJ

Refuge: Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge

Interests: Animation, marine biology, wood working

Dream Job: Researcher studying deep sea hydrothermal vents

“…it is simply a responsibility. As an adult it is my responsibility to care of the place I call home and to make sure I am leaving a suitable, beautiful environment for all the other adults who will come after me… The HAF internship taught me that everything you get out of a job, a hobby or a passion is highly dependent on what you put in. This means that anyone and everyone can make a difference, if they are willing to put in the effort.”

Take it Outside!

Connecting with the natural world has been shown to positively influence both physical and mental well-being for kids.

The average child today has fewer and fewer opportunities to enjoy the experience of unstructured outdoor play that is so essential for forming those connections.

Our New York Field Office helped launch a landmark project called the Hands-on-Nature Anarchy Zone, in collaboration with Ithaca Children’s Garden.

Getting dirty digging in the mud at Ithaca Children’s Garden

Featured on the Katie Couric show and recognized on NPR, the Hands-on-Nature Anarchy Zone integrates models of nature play, adventure playgrounds, and city farms from Germany, Scandinavia, and the UK.

Ithaca Children’s Garden is the first example in the US of integrating playwork and nature-based learning into a children’s garden setting.

Ithaca Children’s Garden is where children of all ages and abilities are free to explore, experiment, and connect with the natural world. In collaboration with Ithaca Children’s Garden, The Service helped establish one of the first adventure playgrounds in the US, along with natural playscape designer Rusty Keeler and early childhood development specialist Elizabeth Stilwell.

Creating climbing structures using found objects, Ithaca Children’s Garden

At the heart of the Hands-on-Nature Anarchy Zone is the philosophy and practice of free play, meaning children get to decide what they do (and don’t) want to do.

In other words, this is one of the rare places where kids are in charge.

They get dirty, take calculated risks, build and destroy things. It also means that kids will make decisions, solve problems, generate creative ideas, and navigate social situations independently.

Kids are encouraged to take calculated risks as part of Ithaca Children’s Garden

Free play empowers kids to explore and connect with nature in ways that are most meaningful to them. These experiences are likely to stay with kids for a long time and stimulate greater respect and love for nature.

On site, a storage shed houses tools and materials to be used during programs. Locust logs, straw bales, topsoil, river clay, cardboard, sand, and boulders, invite children to play, create, destruct, work together, work alone, solve problems, and have fun.

Free play allows for new friendships to be formed at Ithaca Children’s Garden

Though the idea is straightforward—letting kids play the way that they want to play—the execution can be difficult for the uninitiated because it is so far removed from what many families are used to.

Adult Playworkers staff the Hands-on-Nature Anarchy Zone to provide a safety net without dictating how kids should play. In this way we are working to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards in a free play environment.

 

Father and Son Take a Volunteer Vacation

Today we’re hearing a great story from guest blogger, Larry Miller, the Hatchery Manager at Allegheny National Fish Hatchery in Warren, Pennsylvania.

Volunteer Vacation, or voluntourism, is becoming an attractive way to travel around the globe for those looking to get away, make an impact, take a career break, or investigate a new career path. Voluntourism is a great way to see and become immersed in a new town or country, and offers a unique opportunity to have fun, while giving your trip a sense of purpose. Recently, we welcomed a son and his father a vacation together volunteering at the Allegheny National Fish Hatchery. Not only did the men provide valuable assistance to the hatchery, they got to spend quality time together and fish the Allegheny River.

Craig Gaviglia is a student at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania studying environmental science with an interest in natural resource management. Dave Gaviglia, Craig’s dad, works for an engineering firm as an environmental consultant working on investigating groundwater contamination and its clean-up. Craig wanted to gain some experience in the natural resources field so together we worked out a plan for Craig to volunteer at the hatchery for a week. Craig’s dad, Dave, thought this sounded like a neat idea, so he decided to accompany Craig for a father-son adventure and also volunteer for the week.

Photo by Dace Gaviglia

Craig and Dave spent their week feeding fish, cleaning raceways, and conducting fish inventories of growth and survival. Craig’s most memorable task was adipose fin clipping the bloaters,a native prey fish being restored to Lake Ontario to help restore lake trout and land-locked Atlantic salmon. Fin clipping helps biologists in the Service, State, and Canadian natural resource agencies identify the hatchery-stocked bloaters and evaluate the success of bloater restoration efforts.

Craig told staff “This was a great experience. I really enjoyed meeting and getting to know the staff and I gained a greater appreciation for the fish restoration work occurring at the hatchery.” Indeed, the work seemed right up Craig’s alley. He said “It’s almost like a hobby, not a job,” much like the adage by Mark Twain “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

Photo by Larry Miller/ USFWS

Craig Gaviglia holds a Palomino Trout he caught in a tributary to Allegheny River.

As for his favorite part of the experience Dave said “I enjoyed working side by side with my son. I also enjoyed learning about the hatchery and how meticulous the work can be caring for the fish. I would do it again if given the chance.”

It was certainly not all work and no play for Craig and Dave. Both are avid angling enthusiasts and plied the waters of the Allegheny River and its tributaries in the Kinzua Dam area. Craig caught a nice brown trout and a palomino trout in some feeder streams to the Allegheny, and he also caught a nice rainbow trout just downstream of the hatchery on the Allegheny River.

Click here to learn more about the Allegheny National Fish Hatchery.