I truly cannot believe that my summer is already over. These last 12 weeks have flown by faster than I ever could've imagined, but I am incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to work the greatest internship ever! I have learned so much during my time with Virginia Cooperative Extension, the Virginia Department of Forestry, the National Park Service, and the Virginia Master Naturalists, I struggle to put into words just how thankful I am to have such amazing supervisors, coworkers, and friends.
Last week, I wrapped up some final projects at the Battlefields. Kaleigh already moved out of park housing (we miss you!), so there were only a few odd jobs left to complete before Aliya and I left the office for the final time. I spent the rest of the week doing some beautification work at Conway Robinson, cleaning the informational signs posted throughout the forest and finishing the preparation of the hunting stand locations for the deer management hunt that will take place this fall.
This week, my main focus was wrapping up the Conway Robinson State Forest user survey project. Compiling the data from the survey period in June, I wrote a short report outlining some of the community's thoughts about the value of the forest. This information will be used by the Department of Forestry and Virginia Master Naturalists when planning future management and educational outreach initiatives.
On Wednesday, I visited Whitney State Forest for the first time. Whitney is a 148 acre recreational forest in Fauquier County where management plans are similar to those at Conway Robinson, but many differences exist between the forests. One of the most striking differences is the presence of living mature ash trees at Whitney. Emerald ash borers have caused significant damage to all of the ash trees at Conway Robinson, but prevention methods at Whitney have been much more successful. Imported parasitoid wasps were released at Whitney in at least two separate rounds within the past several years. Foresters monitor the success of this biological control by periodically scraping the bark of ash trees, collecting EAB larvae, and examining them for wasp larvae. During these inspections in the past, foresters found that many EAB had been successfully parasitized by the imported wasp. If this continues, EAB damage will remain minimal and there is a chance that some of the Whitney's ash trees will survive. (For more information on EAB prevention, see Week 6!)
Another notable difference between Conway Robinson and Whitney is the invasive species on each property. While Conway Robinson's most problematic invasive plants are Japanese stiltgrass and multiflora rose, Whitney has an issue with kudzu. Though the forests appear similar at first glance, these contrasts make it clear just how variable forest management plans must be to accommodate the needs of different lands.
To wrap up my internship, I presented the findings of the Conway Robinson user survey to a group of regional Virginia Master Naturalists on Friday. The seminar took place at the Manassas National Battlefield Park headquarters where we had great conversations about visitor demographics, trail maintenance, forest management, and future educational initiatives at the forest.
I believe that this project offered some very beneficial information to those who will be managing and sharing the property in years to come. After meeting dozens of the community members who visit Conway Robinson on a weekly or even daily basis, it is clear just how much the Gainesville/Manassas region loves and appreciates this valuable resource.
My summer as the 2019 Manassas LEAF intern was an experience that I will never forget. The things I have learned about myself and natural resource management were absolutely vital for my growth as a student in this field. Thank you to Adam Downing, Sarah Parmelee, Bryan Gorsira, Kaleigh Keohane, and Aliya Khan for all of your guidance, kindness, and passion for the work that you do. None of this would be the same without you!