Save The River is reminiscing another summer with a group of truly incredible interns. These young people are paving the way for a healthier environment while smiling and having fun. We are sad to see them go, but eager to watch their journey into the fields of science, public policy, and environmentalism.
Read their reflections from the summer below:
COLLIN HILL | Senior Summer Intern
When I applied to return for a second summer internship with Save The River I was almost immediately (within the day) contacted with enthusiasm based around my want to return. This response being so quick and sure not only was a motivator to do the best work possible this summer but reinforced my decision to return. It showed that the work I did last summer
was valued by the organization and my contributions did not go unseen. More importantly, it showed that Save The River was not only an amazing workplace but more of an extended family full of people who are passionate about the river and protecting the resource we all know and love.
My second summer internship officially started May 19th, it took mere days to know that this summer would be another outstanding summer. On day two of the internship I got the chance to kayak into “work” and be a part of the Blind Bay cleanup transporting pieces of large debris from my kayak to TILT’s work boat. The day was amazing, not only because I got the opportunity to clean up the bay I recreate in and love the most but also because my (Overloaded) kayak ended up as a photo in the Watertown Daily. Seeing this was a reminder that the work which is so special to me had not only been shared with a larger community but the fact that people who don’t have the connection to Blind bay that I have still care about the greater impacts to the River ecosystem.
The very next day, yes day three of the internship, I got the opportunity to join Emma and Caryn on a trip to near Chippewa Bay, where we were fortunate enough to have Jim McGary invite us on his boat to climb onto navigational cells 156 and 180 in the name of tern monitoring by counting nests and eggs. Who else gets the opportunity to climb up onto navigational cells
in the middle of the St. Lawrence River for conservation purposes? Save The River is the only organization I can think of.
As the weeks continued and the summer officially kicked off, I found that I was involved both in tasks familiar to me and some new ones as well. Events like the IRLC Field days gave me the chance to run the program which I helped create and was by far most comfortable/confident with. I also spent time in the storefront preparing for the busy season ahead by folding shirts, taking initial inventories, and setting out the educational materials we offer in the front of the store. Once people started coming to the store as the season began it was an amazing experience being able to converse with river goers as they renewed their memberships, purchased their annual T-Shirts, and supported the organization.
More often than not a simple “are you from around the area” would segway into talks about our conservation efforts and membership.
One of the accomplishments and improvements I am most proud of this summer is the increase in new members I was able to sign up compared to the previous summer. I attribute this success to my knowledge and passion of the work Save the River does, as well as my ability to connect with people and fully explain the tangible and intangible benefits of becoming a member with this organization. Besides being able to contribute to the growth of STR this allowed me to further refine and develop my communication skills particularly in conveying technical information to a non-technical audience.
Throughout this summer I was given the necessary tools and guidance necessary to succeed in the tasks and assignments I was given allowing me to grow both personally and professionally. I have become much more confident in public engagement and being a responsible representation of STR to the larger community. Reflecting on this summer as a whole I can confidently say that this second internship has been just as rewarding as the first if not more.
THEO GERHARD | Junior Summer Intern
As a life long River Rat and passionate environmentalist, I thought joining Save The River would be the perfect way to wrangle my interests. I showed up hoping to learn more about environmental conservation and non-profit work, and I’m leaving with so much more. I’ve gotten a deeper understanding of the passion that drives a community and a newfound confidence in my own abilities. Every assignment, from helping with important field tasks to taking on creative projects, gave me the chance to learn something new. Spending time in and out of the storefront also allowed me to connect with the community of the St. Lawrence on a deeper level, and it was so incredible to see how passionate people were about what Save The River does and how much they wanted to help contribute to our cause.
This internship gave me the freedom to take ownership of my tasks and think through problems myself, all while knowing I had a supportive team to turn to for guidance. It was so great to have that level of trust. It also created an environment where it was okay to make mistakes because each one
became a new learning opportunity. It was really inspiring to see how much positive change a small group of dedicated people can create. The passion of everyone at Save The River is truly contagious, and it’s something I’ll carry with me.
I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of the Save The River community. It was a pleasure to contribute to an organization that is making such a meaningful difference for the St. Lawrence River. I’ll always be inspired by the dedication of the staff and the incredible passion of the community that supports this vital work. This experience has given me so much respect for all the effort that goes into making the river a better place. It was a beautiful and unforgettable summer, and I’m excited to see all the great things Save The River accomplishes in the future.
JIM FARRELL | Deedy Intern
As an intern for Save The River, I learned much about how the public views our River ecosystem. Going into my internship, I really did not understand the value of environmental education. By helping to develop and teach STR Education programs, I came to understand how important it is to connect young students to conservation. I took for granted my experiences as a kid on the River. After interning for Save The River, I realized how instrumental the River was in shaping my interest in conservation and my chosen career path. This realization made me proud to accomplish what I did as an intern this summer.
