"This summer I interned full-time for the Bureau of Land Management at the Carlsbad Field Office in New Mexico as a Planning Intern. Literally not even a full day after graduation I took off on a plane to New Mexico. I flew back to Los Angeles on the last day of my internship and the next day left for Ithaca (so not even a full day back at home either)! Regardless of the circumstances, this internship was truly rewarding as it provided me a lot of insight on the extractive industry and the BLM's multiple-use and sustainable yield management. There are a lot of resources worth protecting and I was fortunate to have gained exposure from different departments (Wildlife, Botany, Geology, NEPA, NRS, etc.). As a Planning Intern my responsibilities consisted of ensuring NEPA compliance, facilitating NEPA meetings, and attending meetings with project developers. Near the end of my internship, I performed a final presentation on the incorporation of the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases in air quality analysis as a result of recent litigations.
I definitely recommend interning with the BLM, it was such a rewarding experience, the work environment and people made it a summer to remember."

"This summer, I interned with the BLM Arizona State Office as a Natural Resource Specialist. I worked closely with Geoff, my supervisor and state National Conservation Lands lead, to consolidate annual reports and update science plans for national monuments. Some of my work included visiting monuments, participating in bird surveying, and scheduling meetings with natural and cultural resource specialists & collaborators. Through this internship, I was exposed to a wide range of career opportunities, both with the Bureau of Land Management and at the Department of the Interior, and was able to explore my interests in tourism and sustainability by coming in contact with many professionals in that intersection. I’m interested in a career as a sustainability consultant, and am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with the BLM. This was a great networking opportunity for me and I was able to gain much insight from professionals in environmental roles. My advice for future interns is to be willing to learn, ask questions, and find ways to incorporate your interests into your current work."

"Overall, I had an educational and enjoyable experience as a remote Public Affairs intern for BLM Eastern States. Most of my work involved redesigning their internal SharePoint site, making it a better communications tool. I learned how to draft public social media posts and edit news releases as well. The internship expanded my communications skills, improved my time management skills, and taught me how to network with a vast group of diverse people.

The greatest advice I can give is always be open to learning wherever you stand. If you are doing work that does not feel the most exciting, or are in an unexpected place, remember that there is a lesson in every moment and go from there. Another piece of advice is make as many connections as possible throughout your time. It will go by much faster than expected, and you will appreciate having connections on the side that you can keep in touch with and continue to learn from."