See You Later Alligator!

It’s hard to think that my 6 months here at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary has come to an end. I have learned so much personally and professionally in my time here. When I first embarked on the 19 hour journey from my home in Indiana to Florida, I was pretty nervous. I have never driven that far by myself or lived in another state so far from home for that long. I can say now that I am much more confident in myself and abilities after this experience. 

On a swamp walk.

After graduating with my degree in Wildlife from Purdue University last May, I wasn’t really sure what direction to go in with such a broad major. My courses at Purdue covered many aspects of wildlife including biology, research, resource management, policy, and even forensics. My first job out of college was a field technician conducting research for an environmental consulting company. Many of my courses were research focused and I thought that's what my career would be, but I found that I didn’t like my job. Feeling lost, I began looking back on my past job experiences and involvement in different organizations and I saw that I often held some sort of leadership and/or educator role. I began to think that environmental education may be a better fit for me.

Learning to drive the swamp buggy.

This internship has provided me with the opportunity to explore and immerse myself in this field. I am truly grateful for Corkscrew and Audubon for showing me that I could make a career connecting my passion for the environment and love of people. I have learned that one of the most important ways to conserve and protect nature is through education. People will not care about something if they know nothing about it. Environmental education and outreach inspires people to take action: to donate, to volunteer, to teach, and to advocate for the natural world. 

Guiding a Girl Scout troop field trip.

All in all during my internship I have helped hundreds of children experience the sanctuary through our field trips and interacted with the public through swamp walks, guided boardwalk tours, swamp buggy rides, and after hours events. I have developed a great appreciation for Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, the Everglades, and Florida’s diverse ecosystems. I even had the opportunity to take the Florida Master Naturalist Upland Systems course taught at Corkscrew by Sally Stein, which further developed this appreciation for Florida’s natural systems.

Assisting the CSS Research team on a Wood Stork flight.

While my focus at Corkscrew has been
youth and public programming, the staff at Corkscrew helped me make the most of this learning experience as an intern and allowed me to assist with other departments. I was able to help the research department by participating in monthly bird surveys and a wood stork monitoring flight. I was trained by the resource management department in their prescribed fire practices and I also helped with invasive snail egg removal. By assisting and learning more about the other departments at Corkscrew, I was able to better educate the public about how all the staff work together conserve and protect this area of the Western Everglades. Resource management preserves and protects the wildlife that visitors come to see, visitors are informed by the education department and volunteers, the admission and nature store profits as well as donors fund the research and resource management operations, research supports management and policy decisions, and the facilities and administration team keep the place running. It has been amazing to see how all the different staff support this wonderful place that is Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

The best way to experience the swamp.

My departure will of course be bittersweet. I will miss the friends that I have made here and the beautiful sanctuary that has been my home, but I will be taking all that I have learned with me. I have accepted a position as an Interpretive Specialist with Turkey Run and Shades State Parks back in Indiana and I am thrilled to be continuing my journey as an environmental educator. I am also excited that my long distance engagement will be coming to an end. Wedding planning from afar and being away from my fiance has been hard, but I am very much looking forward to being together again and getting married at the end of June. I am happy to be returning to Indiana and seeing all my friends and family that I have missed, but I am equally happy to have gained many more friendships.

This internship has helped me to develop my career goals and define my place in the natural resources field. I am truly grateful for this opportunity and all the experiences I’ve had. Thank you to all the staff, interns, volunteers, and visitors that have made my time here so incredible. I am excited to see how Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary will change and grow in the coming years and I am sure that I will return to Corkscrew at some point in the future. So it’s not truly goodbye, it's just, as my supervisor Debbie Lotter and I like to say, “see ya later alligator!”

-Amy, Education Intern

One of my favorite views at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.