At my specific internship, it is easy to feel helpless or think that there aren't things for you to do, when in reality there are a ton of things to do, you just really have to be motivated to find the things to do. You really need to advocate for yourself; ask other people questions, and just introduce yourself to them often. I have tried to demonstrate this attribute by making sure that if I am confused by something, need something, or want something, I talk to my mentor or their colleagues so that I can find help. One example of that is two out of the three project I am working on currently are thought up by myself, so that I can have multiple work while there are nothing to work on the other projects. I've talked and tried to introduce myself to other docents or hosts to get to know them better and use them as resources in case I ever need help with something. I don't think I will be exactly "the intern everyone remembers," but I think my work there should leave at least a little bit of impact to the organization and help out the people working there. Making the things I do be something that ends up being useful or important in the end would be enough for me and (in all likelihood) my mentor to think that my internship at Batiquitos Lagoon was worthwhile.
-Bilal Salinggih
1 Comment
For my internship project I will be doing several things to help out the lagoon whether in regards to tracking or otherwise. My first real task involves creating a tracking brochure that will inform any person who goes to the nature center of what tracks of animals they may encounter during their visit. I am creating a front cover, 3 sub-pages with pictures of tracks and the animals they belong to, and also their measurements. Another aspect of my project is to log all the tracks I myself have and will encounter at the lagoon and make a data collection of them online, and also log the tide pattern of the lagoon every day Monday through Friday at specific times. There might be more opportunities for other tasks of work to do, but for now these are the ones I am sticking with. The skills I need to be successful in my project is the dedication to come everyday on time and do all these data collection, and also patience to do make sure that I complete everything that I need to do. I don't need much support but I will probably get in touch with my mentor to help me succeed at what I need to do and complete my project.
Interview with James Brown:
Questions about the organization
Questions about this career
A good final question
Internship Reflection
It strikes me that while the Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation is an important and good organization, it really relies mostly on the help of volunteers. It is a vast place and is part of many people's jogging place, and the place houses many varieties of animals and plants. My colleagues are mostly adults who are well into their adult life, sparing their important time to volunteer for the lagoon. They are very knowledgeable about the lagoon about it's history and importance, something I'm still learning about. It strikes me that my job is mostly something that is observational and about logging data. I will check for water testing, and perhaps some restoration work, in addition to my daily check of tracks and logs of the tide. I am currently in the process of creating a brochure for the nature center there. I am excited about the potential of really enjoying the internship, but I am also nervous about the possibility that I might run out of things to do there.
-Bilal Salinggih For internship I will be going to Batiquitos Lagoon in Carlsbad. I will be mentored by James Brown a tracking professional, and I will be assisting in identifying mammals that calls the lagoon and nearby area their home. I will be doing this by checking several hot spots that animals regularly visit or pass by and check for footprints, furs or feathers, scat, and carcasses. There are also several possibilities that I would help several other people that are in charge of the lagoon and help them with their work such as water testing or some other work. I am mostly excited about the prospect of exploring and perhaps getting to understand more about animals, their daily routine, and the impact the presence of people has on their habitat. On the other hand, I am apprehensive that I might not have enough to do while I am at the site and do my work too fast and run out of things to do for one day. Starting May 18th, Monday, I will head to Batiquitos and begin my work.
-Bilal Salinggih |