A major highlight was the amount of travel and hands-on learning experiences I gained. I attended intensive training in Utah and Missouri focused on building core skills, as well as several high-level conferences where I engaged with leading experts in Connecticut, New York City, Washington D.C., and Atlanta. I also pursued professional development around personal interests, including coursework in geospatial analysis, machine learning, website development, and even American Sign Language.

My independent flowering dogwood species research, conducted under the guidance of station ecologists, was an extremely impactful project. Using the latest FIA field data, I helped update a 2012 assessment on the habitat range and health of this species. Our analysis uncovered a concerning 45% decline, reinforcing the need for ongoing monitoring and protective efforts. I presented a poster of my findings at an Invasive Species Expo, where I had meaningful discussions about local observations of flowering dogwood loss. (Also, I was able to meet my mentor, Rachel Reimann in person as she is stationed close to the meeting site. See attached photo of the two of us alongside the poster.)

Moving forward, I'm thrilled to be continuing with the Forest Service full-time. I'll be utilizing new BIGMAP modeling tools to support the sustainability mission I’m so passionate about. My internship gave me invaluable experience and connections that will serve me well in this permanent role analyzing and communicating essential forest health data to both agency and public audiences.