As my internship comes to an end, I’m grateful for the opportunity that followed to work as a seasonal employee with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. During the last months of my internship, I was able to attend various conferences and courses that provided me with so much insight and knowledge on various aspects of wildlife and natural resource conservation.

I attended a course in Human-Wildlife Conflict at the Denver Zoo with professionals that work in Colorado and around the world. I was able to hear about current conflicts in conservation and some solutions that have proven success and the processes needed to get closer to solutions. We discussed the importance of basic concepts in mediation, facilitation, and negotiation to reach solutions all parties can agree on and feel heard. We also participated in scenarios to highlight the importance of cultural values, past issues, and the quality of life for humans and wildlife in coexistence.

After this course, I was able to attend the Partners in the Outdoors Conference in Breckenridge, Colorado. It was an incredible experience, I got to meet and connect with so many people, but most importantly, I felt so empowered seeing so many Hispanic leaders in this field. For the reason of still feeling like a minority in conservation, throughout my internship I struggled with the internal pressure of having to do it all in the conservation field but seeing so many of us collectively improving this field and connecting it to our youth and families, relieved me from that pressure but also encouraged me to continue to pursue my career in wildlife conservation.

Lastly, I took a Wildlife Management course presented by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Wyoming’s Department of Fish and Game. This was an opportunity for both agencies to share how similarly and differently they manage wildlife, coexistence, disease, invasives, and habitat. As neighboring states, Wyoming and Colorado often work together to resolve common wildlife management issues, like aquatic invasive species that enter the lakes and reservoirs by watercraft, which led to both states to set up inspection stations to prevent AIS like the zebra mussel to get to the waters. I gained so much insight on current wildlife research, I hope I can continue to learn and work with these conservation professionals.

From all of these professional development opportunities to all of the work experience I gained at Eldorado Canyon State Park, I am so grateful to CPW and HAF for this internship. I hope I can meet and work alongside other HAF interns throughout our careers as we continue to step into incredible roles in this field.