This summer, Wild South has recruited seven college and graduate students to assist us in protecting the biodiversity of the Southeast. In their own words, here are the 2009 Summer Interns…

Cheryl Geiger

I am a New Jersey native who moved to Western North Carolina to pursue a degree at Warren Wilson College. Deciding to further my education, I enrolled in UNCA with a major in Ecology and Environmental Biology, and this summer I am fulfilling the internship component at Wild South. I have assisted in Cerulean warbler surveys, explored the Blue Ridge escarpment surveying for Green salamanders, and look forward to working with our largest salamander, the Hellbender. My work with these animals has fostered an understanding of the management, conservation, and preservation of our invaluable public lands.

I am grateful to have this opportunity to work with Wild South as it has provided the chance to explore Western North Carolina and work with like-minded people, who are passionate about our unique and delicate ecosystems.

Lynn Austin

I am originally from Baton Rouge, LA and am entering my third year of law school at Louisiana State University. Through my internship, I have had the opportunity to work on the Grandfather National Scenic Area campaign, which will preserve and protect 25,500 acres of the Pisgah National Forest near Blowing Rock and Grandfather Mountain.

I am particularly interested in the preservation of the Pisgah Forest, as I have spent eight summers living in the area and believe that it is one of the most beautiful and pristine places in the country. I am also very interested in studying the environmental effects of Hurricane Katrina and plan to practice Environmental Law in North Carolina or Louisiana pending graduation.

Will Kovalchik

This summer I will be working on Wild South's Grandfather Mountain National Scenic Area campaign. As a recent graduate of Appalachian State University's Sustainable Development and Public Policy programs, this seemed like the perfect way to turn my education into real life action. After spending four years in the shadow of Grandfather Mountain and surrounded by the Pisgah National Forest, I am quite familiar with the High Country's natural beauty and have spent much time hiking and enjoying the pristine forests, streams, and mountains that make up the proposed GNSA area.

I am thrilled about having the opportunity to ensure that the ecological resilience and scenic wonder of the region I love will remain intact for future generations. After gaining some practical experience in the realm of conservation and policy, I hope to study environmental law.

David Henshall

Wild South: the name alone brought images of adventure and excitement to mind. I knew that I wanted to do something with my summer that would be meaningful, both to myself and to the organization I would be working for, and enjoyable; the opportunity to help map canyons in the Bankhead National Forest was the perfect opportunity to accomplish both.

As an undergraduate at Duke University, I knew that I wanted to do something fun and off the beaten path with my summer rather than spend it caged inside working for a large corporation in one of the big cities on the east coast. Wild South’s Canyon Mapping internship has allowed me to do just that. I have already helped to map some of the breathtaking canyons in the beautiful Bankhead National Forest and I can only imagine that the rest of the summer will be even more exciting and spectacular.

Despite not quite having the proper background in forestry and environmental science, I have taken every opportunity to learn more about the forest and the places that I have been to and seen. After finishing with the canyon mapping at the end of the summer, I will take a closer look at what I can do with my major in Public Policy to help environmental grassroots organizations like Wild South. I will also continue to respect and help conserve the few remaining wild areas left in the world, starting at Duke and ultimately transitioning to the wider world.

Jesse Rickard

I attend Warren Wilson College, where I’m an environmental studies major with concentrations in forestry and conservation biology. During the school year, I work on the college’s forestry crew maintaining trails, harvesting firewood and timber, and cultivating Shitake mushrooms in the college’s 600 acres of forest. I was attracted to the Wild South internship because I wanted a job working outside where I could get experience in conservation that would build on my forestry major and supplement my education.

Warren Wilson has a special department called the Environmental Leadership Center, which is responsible for most of the college’s many environmental initiatives. The ELC offers internships to students with nonprofits like Wild South. When I initially applied for an internship Wild South was not my first choice, but after learning more about the canyon mapping project I was hooked. The chance to get out and explore territory that is only rarely seen by human eyes was very exciting. But the main thing that attracted me to Wild South was the ability to take on a project all my own, the chance to make a quantifiable difference in the management of the land.

I would consider many jobs in natural resource management as my dream job, bringing conservation-minded management to the land that is so desperately needed. That’s why I chose to work for Wild South; to help protect the natural landscape and resources that we depend on more than most of us realize or are willing to admit.

Kevin Lloyd

I am in my second and final year at Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment. I’m pursuing a Masters in Environmental Management with a concentration in Ecosystem Sciences and Conservation. My work with Wild South is on the Indian Trails Mapping project.

I grew up in Lexington, NC and attended undergrad at NC State. Even though I visited the Smokies many times and loved nature growing up, it took me quite a while to settle on the environment as a career. I still have my rock collections and “National Geographic for Kids” magazines, but it took four majors in college to settle on the environment. Now, I love what I’m doing and am excited to be working with Wild South!

Jason Riggio

Most people would not expect my upbringing in the North Jersey town of Paramus to set the stage for my passion for the outdoors and wildlife conservation. However, living in New Jersey taught me the importance of preserving open space and fostered a strong desire to work in the environmental field.

After high school, I attended the University of Vermont where I pursued two majors in Environmental Studies and Philosophy. With a solid environmental background beginning to develop, I moved to Durham, NC to study at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. There, I am in pursuit of a Masters of Environmental Management degree for Ecosystem Science and Conservation.

The Stanback Internship Program has provided me the amazing opportunity to work with Wild South for the summer here in Asheville on the North Carolina Wildlife Action Plan. For this project, I am conducting field surveys on several state and federal species of concern (the Green salamander, Cerulean warbler, and the Hellbender) researching their life histories, monitoring known populations, and determining their local distributions with the hopes of providing them the protections they need for continued survival.