When I started as an Operations & Administration summer intern at Reflection Riding, I had no idea what to expect. Beyond my fond memories of playing at the Nature Center as a kid, I didn’t know much about the work done here. However, I was excited at the prospect of working with fellow nature lovers and learning a bit more about the conservation community of Chattanooga. I’m about to head into my senior year at UTC as an Environmental Science: Policy and Planning major, so I knew this internship would be a great way to get career experience in my field before graduating.

My goal is to work in urban and environmental planning, and so much of the work I did here will prepare me for that career. The administrative team—Mary, Mark, Heather, and Jessie—always went out of their way to provide guidance and help me get experience that would be valuable. I worked on many different projects over the course of the summer, contributing to the BEAVERLAND fundraiser event, invasive species removal projects, and writing and editing articles, among other things.

In helping to share with the community about the various happenings at Reflection Riding, I learned so much interesting information that I might never have been exposed to otherwise. I loved getting to see the process of all that goes into landscape conservation efforts, from GIS mapping and applying for grants to getting work done in the field. It was also amazing to get a behind-the-scenes view of how a non-profit organization works—all the tiny things that go into furthering the broad mission and how every little grant makes a difference.

The whole Reflection Riding staff is so welcoming and friendly. It was super cool getting to work not just with the administrative team but also with the Native Plant Nursery, education, and wildlife teams to see the valuable work they each do. Being around people so passionate and knowledgeable about nature meant that every day I was learning new things about Chattanooga’s local ecology. I had never expected to work in an office where a screeching barn owl occasionally comes in and out on the arm of our Director of Avian Conservation, Taylor, but it’s exciting to say the least. It’s also a pretty cool perk to be able to get off work and head straight into the woods for a hike. 

As it always does, the summer went by too fast! It was an invaluable experience where I’ve gotten to develop so many new skills that will serve me throughout my life. To me, Reflection Riding will always be a great example of how conservation work can go hand in hand with education and community-building—I’m so grateful for my time here!