This week marks one month of officially being a DFP intern! My experience so far has been positive and incredibly eye opening to opportunities that the Fish and Wildlife Service offer. I am currently working remotely from North Carolina for the National Training Conservation Center located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. At the moment, the center has no cohesive volunteer program like a refuge would. My project this summer is focused on developing a strategic volunteer program for NCTC so that the campus can be utilized to its full potential.
It has been fascinating learning about work done at NCTC. I hope that many of us interns decide to work for the Service one day so that you all can visit the campus. The training provided there is top notch and covers topics like visitor outreach, best hunting practices, and wildlife labs demonstrated throughout the campus. In addition, the area is closed to cars and exploding with beautiful forest and the Potomac river winding on by. This place is special and holds the potential to be a great community resource for Shepherdstown.
I have been exposed to the numerous benefits and rich value that volunteers can bring to a space. It has been a pleasure to listen to members of the Service from all over the country recall the great work accomplished by their volunteers. Connecting the public to these federal spaces allows for potential job opportunities and for youth to dip their toes into the water and discover what the Fish and Wildlife Service is all about. I am excited to do more outreach research and bring as many people as possible to the hidden gem that is NCTC and to continue the mission of conservation!
Agency: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Program: US Fish & Wildlife Service - DFP
Location: National Conservation Training Center