This week is my last week of the LEAF internship and today is my last day. Today I spent the day taking data on a property with Northern Virginia area forester, Sarah Long. The data that was taken included tree height, species composition, tree diameter, forest age, and other things that could assist Sarah while making a forest stewardship plan for the landowner. These stewardship plans give landowners advice and management recommendations for their forested property. This can be really helpful for people who are thinking about harvesting on their property or changing their management technique.
It was so nice to be able to go out with a forester today and see what kind of research they gather in the field to be able to write one of the stewardship plans. Being able to work with the VA Department of Forestry was such a neat part of my summer internship because Forestry is an industry that I had pretty much no knowledge on coming into the summer. I was able to learn so much from the foresters in the Northern Virginia work area and I am so appreciative of everything they taught me.
Growing up I was often told "it's not always about what you learn in the classroom, its about experiences you have in the field," and this summer I was able to realize this first hand. Not only have I learned plant and animal identification, I have learned about using resources wisely, wildlife conservation, invasive species control, and how all these aspects tie together. Thank you Adam Downing of Virginia Cooperative Extension, Jeremey Falkenau and Joe Rossetti of the VA Department of Forestry, and Courtney James and Brian Gorsira of the National Park Service for an amazing summer!
Growing up I was often told "it's not always about what you learn in the classroom, its about experiences you have in the field," and this summer I was able to realize this first hand. Not only have I learned plant and animal identification, I have learned about using resources wisely, wildlife conservation, invasive species control, and how all these aspects tie together. Thank you Adam Downing of Virginia Cooperative Extension, Jeremey Falkenau and Joe Rossetti of the VA Department of Forestry, and Courtney James and Brian Gorsira of the National Park Service for an amazing summer!