My life after the internship: Melissa Lesh

This year, we checked in with some of our past interns to find out what came next after their internship ended. Did they stay with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or land another sweet job? We hope they put those skills to good use! Look out for these stories to find out about their life after the internship. First up: Melissa Lesh. Below, find out where she started with us and where she is now.

For three years, I worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in three different states, as a biotech and a park ranger. I tagged woodcocks, tracked bats, swabbed black ducks, pulled invasive plants, photographed and filmed wildlife, and absolutely loved it. Each summer was an opportunity to explore new places with new people and learn more about the natural world. That was from 2009 – 2012, three summers I will never forget.

That’s me banding salt marsh sparrows with another biotech at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Massachusetts.

A cedar waxwing, one of my all time favorites!

Now, I make documentary films combining science, nature, and my love for the arts and I travel a lot. Check out my work at vimeo.com/melissalesh or follow me on instagram @emergingearth.

I am also an avid whitewater kayaker that believes the more time we spend in the elements, the more we appreciate those places and creatures, and ultimately the more we want to protect them… so go play outside!

We’re recruiting for an outreach, education and media position!

I’m Bethany Holbrook, and I work at our New York Field Office. You’ll be hearing from me every week! Stay tuned for tales from the great state of New York.

My office in Cortland, N.Y., is looking for an independent, energetic individual with strong communications skills to coordinate and produce outreach materials for the New York Field Office.

The person will engage our local communities, expand and enhance our communication opportunities with both internal and external audiences, and develop media that will showcase restoration projects in the office.

You will learn about conservation practices through your own research and personal experience with biologists in the field, and then share that knowledge with the public through blog articles, Facebook posts, interpretive posters, presentations, fact sheets, website updates, or any other media you would like to use to communicate with Congressional audiences, the general public, news media, and non-government organizations.

The successful candidate will share field experiences with the public, participate in outreach events and work on educational media for the Ithaca Children’s Garden to convey a positive conservation message to future generations of environmentalists. See the below gallery for examples of my work.

A day I spent teaching students about migration. Courtesy of USFWS.

A visual I designed. Credit: USFWS

This one-year, full-time paid position is available through AmeriCorps. As an AmeriCorps member, you’ll gain new skills and experiences and you’ll also find tremendous satisfaction that comes from helping others. In addition, full-time members who complete their service earn a $5,500 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award to pay for college, graduate school, or to pay back qualified student loans. Some AmeriCorps members may also receive a modest living allowance during their term of service.

If you have a creative and energetic personality, strong writing skills and outreach experience that will help develop our programs, please provide a resume directly to the New York Field Office at 3817 Luker Road, Cortland, New York, 13045, by the closing date of November 22, 2013. 


Questions may be directed to MaryEllen VanDonsel at either 607-753-9334 or maryellen_vandonsel@fws.gov.

The New York Field Office has given me some of the most memorable experiences, and I would highly recommend this position to anyone interested in outreach and conservation.

You receive a great deal of independence to make the position what you think is best, so there is plenty of room for creativity. You will work with a group of individuals who are highly committed to their role as conservationists, which will heighten your experiences while working with them.

I cannot speak highly enough of the staff at the New York Field Office for their support and inviting personalities. I am so thankful I was given this opportunity, and I hope the next outreach coordinator will enjoy it as much as I did.