As my eleven-week fellowship comes to an end, it’s hard to imagine that barely three months ago I sat at this computer writing my first emails with my new Fish and Wildlife Service email address. Today, I wrote my last. It doesn’t feel real. It doesn’t feel like I’ll be going back to school in four short weeks. But it is. My calendar doesn’t lie. Neither do my packing lists, my calls home to family or friends, or the textbook receipts for my classes this fall.

         I can’t make this amazing summer as a Directorate Fellows Program intern last any longer. But I can recount the moments that became memories and the challenges that became life lessons. The photos I took are little reminders, and I want to share them with you.

         Halfway through June, my supervisor Deb and I drove up the Big Sur coast on our way to Monterey for a three-day work trip. We visited a plethora of Smith’s blue butterfly habitat, met many stakeholders, and learned so much about the habitat and status of the species. I took this butterfly photo next to the Big Creek bridge, right off Highway 1. Deb and I parked on the side of the road and ventured down an old Caltrans access path. Smith’s blue, and its buckwheat host plants were thriving! It was amazing to see the plants and butterflies doing well even in a site with so much disturbance.

         At the Fort Ord Dunes State Park, we met with many stakeholders interested in preserving Smith’s Blue Butterfly for generations to come. I wasn’t the only one to bring a camera! These were many of the individuals I worked with this summer to get data on butterfly and buckwheat surveys. Getting out there and communicating with one another is a crucial takeaway from my summer with the Ventura office. We must work together in order to make progress in conservation.

Some of the best quality buckwheat I saw this summer is located at the Santa Lucia Preserve. Nestled in the Carmel Valley, the preserve is part of the Santa Lucia Conservancy, which oversees the property and conservation of the area. The Seacliff buckwheat here teemed with butterflies! I followed Christy Wyckoff, the preserve conservation manager, through a presence/absence survey, and saw many butterflies. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see this pristine habitat.

         In May, I joined a Teams call for the first time with other DFP interns. We were green, nervous, and excited. Our mentors had big shoes for us to fill. Today, I logged off for the last time. Each email I sent, teams call I made, and hour spent mapping or programming was valuable.

My half-virtual, half-in-person internship had its ups and downs, but overall, it’s been one of the best summers of my life. I’ll never forget the long days – whether it was programming my Smith’s Blue Butterfly database, or out in the field from morning to evening with Ally and Alicia. I can’t wait to graduate and apply to work for the US Fish and Wildlife Service. It’s a dream come true!

Agency: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Program: US Fish & Wildlife Service - DFP

Location: Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office

   On June 17^th, I had the opportunity to accompany two interns into the field to map Smith’s Blue Butterfly habitat. Fort Ord Dunes State Park, where we surveyed, is only a few miles from Monterey, and the scenery was gorgeous! However, because we started in the morning, I got to camp overnight in the Fort Ord Natural Reserve (FONR). Camping is a fun, exciting, dare I say – college budget friendly – way of getting outdoors. Getting to pitch my tent at the FONR was a blast. The reserve itself preserves rare maritime chaparral habitat. However, there was one glaring difference between my time at the reserve and every other time I camped before: I was alone. 

   Solo camping as a female can be intimidating, but it doesn't have to be! I learned three things during my solo camping trip which reassured me and increased my camping confidence.

1. Select a safe location.

I can’t stress this enough. Not all of us have black belts in Karate, so safety was a paramount concern for me. As a DFP intern, I was lucky enough to be given entrance into the Fort Ord Natural Reserve, which isn’t open to the public. The reserve is gated and visitors from surrounding colleges are logged, so I felt really secure.

   2. Test your gear out beforehand.

Imagine pitching a tent in the dark, only to discover you need to do the splits before the fly will hook across the tent itself! It is not fun to discover your tent takes two people to set up. I didn’t encounter many issues with my tent, but there was a lot I could have done to prepare for my night on the dunes. I arrived at the park right before dusk. For obvious reasons, it’s better to set up a tent in daylight. I was lucky enough to have a headlamp, but it could have ben much worse! My propane stove guttered badly in the wind. It took almost an hour to boil the water for my dinner. If I’d tested the stove before leaving, I might have spotted the problem and been able to fix it.  

   3. Always have spatial awareness.

It wasn’t until the morning that I discovered I had pitched my tent on an anthill! California’s black ants are much kinder than Texas’ invasive fire ants, so I think I dodged a bullet. Going forward, an extra sweep of the tent area with a flashlight will be on my list.

Solo camping can be very intimidating, especially for first timers. Now that I’ve taken the plunge, it’s a lot less scary and a lot more fun! There are so many ways to challenge yourself in the outdoors. Joining Ally and Alicia for a day in the field gave me the opportunity to take great pictures, learn about the importance of their work, and try new things.

Agency: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Program: US Fish & Wildlife Service - DFP

Location: Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office

Wow, has it been a month already? Time flies here in Central California! My name is Anna Lad, and I’m working for the Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office this summer as a DFP intern. My official title is “Smith’s Blue Butterfly Habitat and Mapping Intern”, but I prefer “data acquisition specialist” or “professional sponge”. 

There are nearly 30 years of data to sort through, over 30 stakeholders to contact, and reams of acronyms to memorize. The learning curve is steep, but my view from the end of Week 4 is sunny and 75°F.

My first few weeks as a half-virtual, half-in-person intern were amazing. My second week, leaders at the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) crafted a fantastic orientation. I had several questions and most of them were answered before I’d even had a chance to ask. The weekly Region 8 meetings are engaging and informative. Despite Covid-19 conditions making many things virtual, the sense of community didn’t suffer in the DFP. 

At the Ventura Office, I have an amazing supervisor, Deb, who has brought me under her wing and offered invaluable mentorship. I live in Arroyo Grande, two hours north of Ventura, but Deb gave me a tour of the office when I stopped on my road trip from Texas to California. 

Next week, I’ll accompany her on a field visit. We will spend three days in Monterey meeting stakeholders and surveying critical habitat for Smith’s blue butterfly. I am looking forward to being able to thank these stakeholders in person for all the time they’ve put into capturing data on this butterfly.  

Just two days ago I drove up to Fort Ord Natural reserve, camped, and spent the day surveying buckwheat plots with interns from CSUMB and UCSC. It was so cool to see data collection in person – not to mention see (and photograph) Smith’s blue for the first time. Seeing the natural landscape in person will help me map it in ArcGIS. I also stand to get some great photos for the Ventura office. Smith’s blue butterflies are barely an inch in wingspan as well as hard to spot. I took a few photos yesterday and can’t wait to share them with Ashley and Olivia in Public Affairs. The community deserves to see more of Smith’s blue! 

It’s such a blessing to be able to be in-person on the California coast for this internship. I’m trying to see and experience it all, whether it be hiking, surfing, or exploring. The wealth of natural beauty is far beyond anything I’ve yet seen. I’ve taken advantage of that by visiting several parks, reserves, and beaches. So far, Pismo Preserve, a new nature reserve in Shell Beach, CA, is my favorite. I think it’s finally hit me – I’m working for the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife. What a dream come true! 

Agency: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Program: US Fish & Wildlife Service - DFP

Location: Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office

Anna Lad is a first-year MS student at Texas A&M University studying Science & Technology Journalism. Originally from Alpharetta, GA, Anna attended Texas A&M for her bachelor’s degree on a full-ride National Merit scholarship. She earned her BS in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences in May 2020. Anna’s enthusiasm for getting people involved is what sets her apart from others. She loves learning by doing. In the last four years, she held leadership positions in several clubs, took care of an ostrich, and taught piano lessons in Spanish while studying abroad in Ecuador. High energy, dedicated, and positive, Anna hopes to work in environmental conservation after she graduates.