Post by Kiera Hale

Hello LinkedIn! I'm grateful to say that I've completed another incredible summer with the Yale Conservation Scholars - Early Leadership Initiative. This summer, I spent nine weeks interning at Rock Creek Conservancy, contributing to the stewardship of Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C. Here are a few of the new experiences I'm grateful for: ⭐ Completing a research project on volunteer area code distributions to inform the Conservancy's outreach strategies ⭐ Acting as a Peer Mentor to five of my fellow scholars by hosting weekly check-ins, assisting with professional development, and planning social events ⭐ Creating an ArcGIS Storymap of Rock Creek Conservancy's Forest Restoration Sites ⭐ Gaining field experience in invasive plant management and forest restoration ⭐ Learning land management skills by completing the PRISM Plant Professionals Training, Weed Warrior Training, and Stream Team Leader Training ⭐ Communicating the Conservancy's mission to community members by tabling at local events ⭐ Attending green networking events with Resources for the Future and Green 2.0 This summer helped me solidify my interest in urban forestry, and the Conservancy's "People-Powered Restoration" philosophy is one that I hope to bring with me into my future research. Thank you so much to Dr. Dorceta E Taylor, Te'Yah W., and the rest of the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Sustainability Initiative (JEDSI) at Yale School of the Environment Staff for providing me with such a transformative experience these past two summers. You have designed a truly comprehensive program that has changed my trajectory and built a community that will last the test of time. I also want to express my gratitude to my Host Site mentor, Lindsey Cathcart, and the rest of Rock Creek Conservancy for welcoming me and allowing me to learn from you. Lastly, thank you to Cire Portegies for being an amazing co-intern. I look forward to bringing these lessons with me as I begin my junior year!