Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation: 2006 Interns

This article was written and posted on INHF's website in May 2006.

The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) has selected 11 Iowa college students for our summer 2006 internship program.

This year’s land stewardship interns headed out into the field in mid-May. The crew includes Elizabeth Ward of Epworth and Jacob Rogers of Tiffin, who returned to the team after both working on INHF’s Eastern Iowa land stewardship intern crew last summer. These two will join six others: Becky Groshens of Plymouth, Allie Rath of Kalona, Chris Hall of Sioux City, Jason Carlberg of Stratford and Sarah Ceaser and Cory Sanderson, both of Marshalltown.

Previously, land stewardship interns worked in two teams of four, but this year the program was streamlined so all eight interns can travel together. Over the next three months the team will camp and work together, conducting restoration efforts on natural lands owned by INHF or by private landowners who have opted for permanent land protection agreements with INHF. The crew’s duties include removing invasive species from native prairies, conducting controlled burns, hand-collecting native prairie seeds and restoring cold-water trout streams.

This year’s interns come from a variety of backgrounds, majoring in everything from environmental science to political science. However, they all have one common thread.

“When we hire, we’re not necessarily looking for a biology background,” said Brian Fankhauser, INHF Land Stewardship Specialist. “We’re looking for individuals who have an interest in restoring natural resources.”

All the interns thoroughly enjoy their work.

“I love doing the dirty work and seeing the product at the end of the day,” said Rath. “It’s very fulfilling.”
Rogers said that fulfillment—and the promise of learning even more—drew him back to the internship.

“The vast knowledge I acquired last year motivated me to learn even more this year,” he said. “The people at INHF really believe in what they do and that inspires me as well.”

Three other students were selected for the as the “indoor” interns. Heidi Miller of Coon Rapids, Jessica Nanke of Decorah, and Linda Yang of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, will work in the INHF office in downtown Des Moines.

Nanke was also a land stewardship intern last summer and has returned this year as the grant-writing/program support intern.

“Working on the INHF land stewardship crew last summer was an extremely diverse and rewarding experience,” she said. “It was what brought me back. The people here have a real connection to the land, to their work and to each other. I look forward to combining my love for English with my love for the Iowa environment.”

INHF internships are sponsored by the Buckmaster Internship Program through the R.J. McElroy Trust of Waterloo, the Svare Family Internship Fund, the Ding Darling Educational Fund through the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust of Muscatine, and other private donations.

INHF has now filled all 2006 internship positions, but interested college students should explore our 2007 internships.

For more information, e-mail Cathy Engstrom, Director of Communications, or call (515) 288-1846.