Meet the Intern: Sierra Hoisington

The National Tigers for Tigers Coalition has recently partnered with  the Refuge Association to provide special internship opportunities for Tigers for Tigers members on various refuges throughout the country.

Sierra Hoisington, a Wildlife Biology major at Clemson University, is interning this summer at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia. Sierra is a rising Junior and has been involved with Tigers for Tigers for two years. I sat down for a quick Q&A with Sierra about her internship and time at Okefenokee.

C: What have you done so far/what are your duties as an intern?

S: For the month of June, I am working in Visitor Services due to the large amount of people who visit the swamp in this month (in July, I will be switching to the Biology and Forestry Departments.) Duties associated with this part of my internship include educational outreach, maintenance of the Visitor's Center & the Environmental Education classroom, taking part in the planning & implementation of our Junior Refuge Ranger Summer Camp, teaching educational programs, and the general tasks that come up on a day-to-day basis. 

Sierra pictured fourth from the left with fellow Okefenokee interns/volunteers.

So far I've participated in multiple environmental education programs in which we travel to libraries up to an hour and a half away. There, we put on our "Oke Friends Swamp Theater" Puppet Show in which the children in attendance get to learn about the importance and threats to swamp animals such as owls, alligators, and frogs. With these programs, I either get to help out preforming the puppet show, help with the program, or I get to be one of our several mascots that the children love to get their picture with. I've also helped with our annual Children's Fishing Derby at our sister refuge, Banks Lake. That was a lot of fun because there were so many activities for the kids to learn about appreciating nature and see the swamp in a whole other light. Recently though, my main duties have been focused on the execution of our Junior Refuge Ranger Summer Camp. A lot hours has gone into planning this two week event - and our first day was today and it was a total success! (6/17/15) Some of the activities that the kids get to participate in are a Okefenokee Swamp boat tour, fishing, "Be a Wildlife Biologist", a boardwalk hike, and many many more fun things. My duties surrounding this event included every aspect of the more administrative duties to right down with being with the children at all times. 

I also had a day last week where I was able to go out with Georgia DNR and help and watch them complete some of the Gopher Tortoise studies. In the field, we completed line transects in the thick brush to look for these tortoise's burrows. Once we would find a burrow, the process of finding out if a tortoise was "home" commenced. We would then feed a camera scope down into the burrow (which can be up to 40 ft long and 10 ft deep) and see if you could spot a tortoise within the burrow. It was a very cool experience, and I'm very glad I could participate. 

Sierra as an owl as part of a library program focused on swamp education

 

C: Have you been to a refuge before your internship?

S: No, I have never been on a refuge prior to this internship. But now that I've seen what they can include, I'm determined to visit a bunch more!

C: What were you expecting out of your internship?

S: I was expecting a well-rounded view of what takes place on a National Wildlife Refuge. I had always heard about US Fish & Wildlife, but had never really gotten to fully see first-hand what the organization does. And honestly, after only being in this internship for about two weeks - I can say that I definitely want to work for US Fish & Wildlife at some point in my career. 

Sierra assists with the puppet show

C: What's one thing you've learned so far?

S: One thing I've learned so far is the extreme importance of education and outreach. These younger kids are our future. And if we want our wilderness to stay wild and protected, we need to educate the importance of appreciation of our wildlife and habitats to younger generations. They love to learn about animals and the environment, and it's a great joy to see their faces when they learn something new. 

C: What's it like interning on a refuge?

S: Interning on a refuge is a lot of fun! You start off the day with driving a government vehicle into work on one of the most historic swamps in the world and life can't get much better than that. Your view of the swamp lets you see American Alligators every time you look out to that water. Preparation for programs is the day to day work and the fact that you are surrounded by an awesome staff makes every day fun and different. 

C: Would you recommend the internship to other students?

S: Oh my goodness, yes! Again, I've only been on the refuge for a short amount of time but I love it and never want to leave. 

C: What's been your favorite moment/day so far?

S: My favorite day thus far was today, our first day of summer camp. The kids just had such a great time all day, but my favorite part was when we all took a boat tour on the swamp together. The kids would get so excited at every gator we saw (and we probably saw around 40-50 on our 1 hour boat ride) We got to show the kids a pair of Barred Owls perched on a Cypress tree on the edge of the canal, egrets, Great Blue Herons, and even a what we believe was a Spoonbill. Giving kids that appreciation of the swamp is something that is super invaluable and something I'll cherish for a long time. 

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Okefenokee has been nominated as one of the top 10 camping sites in the US by USA Today, and it is the only national wildlife refuge to be nominated! Please cast your vote for Okefenokee by clicking the following link www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-scenic-campground.

Go Tigers!

Carrah Lingo

Communications Associate

NT4TC

Meet the Intern: Robin Lloyd

The National Tigers for Tigers Coalition has recently partnered with  the Refuge Association to provide special internship opportunities for Tigers for Tigers members on various refuges throughout the country.

Robin Lloyd, a Zoology and Animal Biology major at Auburn University, is interning this summer at Clarks River Refuge in western Kentucky. Robin is a rising Junior and has been involved with Tigers for Tigers this past year alongside sophomore Jessie Schieler. I sat down for a quick Q&A with Robin about his internship and time at Clarks River.

Robin Lloyd helping to manage a beaver dam. 

C: What have you done so far/what are your duties as an intern?

R: As an intern as Clarks River it is hard to say what my duties are in a routine nature. Something new and unexpected happens everyday. The internship is 75% maintenance work and 25% wildlife biology, education and policy work. A few examples of things I have done on the refuge is beaver dam control to preserve bottomland hardwood habitat, migratory bird banding with mist nets, environmental education from small children to college adult level, raptor rehabilitation from an injured kestral we are taking care of at the refuge, animal rescues in the community (turkeys, raccoons, groundhogs, etc.), community outreach with the people of Benton, KY and of course Landscaping of the refuge. Each day is something new that keeps the internship exciting.

C: Have you been to a refuge before your internship? 

R: The only other refuge I can think of that I have been to is Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia. Although when I went to Okefenokee at the time for a fishing trip I did not know the major difference between a refuge and a park. A short version of a difference is that a refuge is for conservation and a park is for preservation. 

Landscape shot on a beautiful day in Clarks River. (C) Robin Lloyd

C: What were you expecting out of your internship?

R: I was expecting a good work environment to develop crucial work ethic skills that I could later use in life. Working at Clarks River has given me just that and much more. I have learned valuable skills that will help me to become a better biologist and have acquired some great connections.

C: What's one thing you've learned so far?

R: A few things I have learned working at Clarks River is bird banding, working with other people, educating other people about conservation, public policy, and some of the complex problems working in the government.

C: What's it like interning on a refuge?

R: Interning at Clarks River is great. The land is absolutely beautiful and the people I work with I feel like I have known them for years! Clarks River has given me nice lodging and work vehicles to use for work around the refuge. My boss Michael Johnson is a great guy and is very approachable, knowledgable and fair with everyone who works at the refuge. He is a straight shooter and does not beat around the bush. I am taking an online genetics class at night and everyone at the refuge has been real understanding and have been helping me out in anyway possible. 

C: Would you recommend the internship to other students?

R: I would recommend the internship to other students. It is a great experience and you will learn a lot working here, but I will warn it is a lot of work and someone who does not have a good work ethic could not work here. 

C: What's been your favorite moment/day so far?

R: My favorite day was the first day of migratory bird banding. In one of our mist nets we caught a huge and beautiful pileated woodpecker. I got to help out with the survey, and I released the bird. 

Robin Lloyd pictured with a biology class visiting Clarks River.

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In addition to interning at Clarks River, Robin just finished up his first trip to Washington D.C. advocating for better wildlife trafficking policy. Go Robin! Stay tuned to hear more about other T4T members who are interning this summer.

Go Tigers!

Carrah Lingo

Communications Associate

NT4TC

T4T Tackles Wildlife Trafficking in D.C.

Hello Tigers!

Last week we had students, alumni, and faculty from four of our Coalition Schools make the trip to Washington, D.C., to speak to their Congressmen about supporting international conservation efforts. T4T’s objective was to gain an increase in funding for the Multinational Species Conservation Fund (MSCF) and to obtain co-sponsors for bills in the Senate (Wildlife Trafficking Enforcement Act) and the House (Global Anti-Poaching Act).

The MSCF is used by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to provide grants for on the ground conservation projects that benefit not only tigers, but also elephants, rhinos, great apes, and sea turtles. Additionally, the two bills we were looking for supporters for are incredibly important in the United States’ effort to combat illegal wildlife trafficking.

(Pictured L to R) Pete Stone, Taylor Tench, Dr. Baker, Robin Lloyd and Sienna Fisher.

I had the privilege of working toward our goals on the Hill last week with Sean Carnell, our National Coordinator, Robin Lloyd of Auburn University, Sienna Fisher of the Rochester Institute of Technology, Pete Stone of Clemson University, and Dr. David Baker of LSU.

For most this was their first time meeting with their Congressmen to discuss issues important to them. “I was very surprised on how accessible people in Congress really are,” remarked Robin of Auburn University.

In our meetings, we communicated to the Congressmen and their staffers the importance of protecting our mascot in the wild, and exactly how the initiatives we were asking them to support would do so.

Dr. Baker, Director of Laboratory Animal Medicine at LSU and in charge of the care for their live mascot Mike, mentioned, “It was interesting to see how much the legislators have to ‘juggle’ at one time. It’s understandable that their personal knowledge of Acts might be minimal…if it is not in an area in which they have particular interest.”  This is exactly why our voice on the Hill is so important, and as constituents to these Congressmen protecting our mascot is of importance to them. They are well aware of the tiger schools that so many of their constituents identify with, and many times are alumni or fans of those very same universities. In fact, when we walked into Representative Duncan’s (R-SC) office, he and Pete were wearing the exact same Clemson lapel pin!

Pete Stone & Taylor Tench pose outside Jeff Duncan's Office

These types of experiences are also great bonding experiences among Coalition members and strengthen relationships between schools that can be turned into great collaborative work throughout the academic year. When asked what he enjoyed most about the trip, Dr. Baker said, “Spending time with and getting to know the students and the T4T staff, and visiting with legislators and their aides.”

When asked what he enjoyed most about the trip, Robin said, “Meeting with Senators and Representatives on the Hill was very insightful and it felt good to be doing some real political conservation and using my voice for tigers in the wild.”

As a Coalition, our strength is in our numbers. So many students, faculty, alumni, and fans from across the country working toward a common goal can make a tremendous difference for tigers. Even in the current political climate, where it is difficult to make forward progress on any issue, we can still make great strides for conservation as Sienna from RIT so excellently pointed out: 

“I have hope though, for the legislation that we were supporting. It is certainly of bipartisan interest to protect species such as tigers from poaching, as it is certainly a very broad scope as far as the impact it has on the US. Some may see the environmental implications as enough reason to act, but not everybody is willing to throw resources into conservation simply to preserve a species and an ecosystem. National security may be the primary concern of others when tackling the issue of poaching and wildlife trafficking. Still, no matter the true motive, by reauthorizing and continuing to raise the amount of money allocated to the MSCF and supporting bills that increase the enforcement of trafficking laws and further incentivize anti-poaching stances around the world, we are all helping save tigers.”

If you want to build on the work T4T does in DC, write to your Congressmen asking for their support on these pieces of legislation to help ensure the continued survival of our mascot. 

GO TIGERS!

Taylor Tench

Policy Intern

NT4TC

Meet the Intern: Taylor Tench

The National Tigers for Tigers Coalition is proud to announce that we have our first official intern at the offices in Washington, D.C.! Taylor Tench will be a Policy Intern this summer for Tigers for Tigers tackling wildlife trafficking issues, planning for our first ever leadership conference, and aiding in communication with all of our T4T students across the country. Let's just say this intern won't be fetching morning coffee!

A 2015 Clemson graduate, Taylor is getting real life experience right out of college in the conservation world. Saving our mascot from extinction is vital, but so is offering our students amazing opportunities to learn, network, and get jobs that they are passionate about. I sat down with Taylor last week to learn more about his experience with T4T, and what he hopes to get out of it!

Taylor with his T4T gear in the D.C. office!

C: How did you get involved with Tigers for Tigers?

T: I became involved with Tigers for Tigers my freshman year at Clemson University. I had always been interested in endangered species conservation and once I discovered an organization on campus dedicated to saving our mascot I was immediately hooked.

C: What have you learned through your involvement with T4T?

T: T4T taught me so much throughout my college career, not only about tigers but also about the field of conservation, teamwork, leadership, and the value of hard work. Before my involvement in T4T I had a very narrow view of conservation in that I assumed “conservation” was limited to going out to some exotic location, studying an animal, and somehow that was all it took to make a difference. I have learned that it takes collaboration from all different disciplines (science, policy, law, communications, education, etc) to enact successful conservation efforts. Through my time as a T4T member at Clemson I transitioned from an ordinary member, to an officer in the organization, to President my senior year. My experiences in T4T at Clemson showed me just how important teamwork is to accomplish your goals. It takes hard work from a team of like-minded individuals to achieve difficult objectives, and thankfully T4T is full of members across the country ready to do what it takes to save our mascot! Even now as an intern I continue to learn each day, and that is what keeps me so interested in and excited about the work this organization is undertaking.

 Taylor volunteers at Clemson's organization fair "Tiger Prowl" in 2013

C: What kinds of things are you taking on this summer for your internship with NT4TC?

T: I’m taking on any and every task the Coalition needs me to do to this summer. So far I’ve been helping out with planning for Global Tiger Day, writing letters, attending hearings on newly introduced legislation, corresponding with students and faculty coming up to DC next week, and am working on putting together information for some new Coalition publications. Soon I’ll begin putting together content for the Coalition’s fall leadership conference. So needless to say, I have plenty to keep me busy!

Taylor speaks at the 2013 5K he organized

C: What do you hope to get out of your internship?

T: I want to contribute as much as I can to help the Coalition grow and succeed. I’ve been a part of the Coalition ever since its inception and believe this organization is on its way to be a huge player in the world of tiger conservation. Additionally I’m hoping to learn as much as I can about the policy side of conservation and understand how things get accomplished here in our nation’s capitol. 

C: You’re from Florida, went to college at Clemson and are now in D.C. How are you enjoying it?

T: I love it! It’s very different from what I’m used to, but I think that’s what makes it so exciting.

C: What advice would you give to other T4T members?

T: Stay open-minded and don’t lose sight of your goals. Take chances and expose yourself to different fields and experiences outside of your main interest. As long as you continue to work hard and seize every opportunity handed to you, you will succeed.

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Taylor is currently helping lead T4T leaders on a three day trip in D.C. to talk to senators about wildlife trafficking. Stay tuned for a blog this Friday all about their accomplishments!

Go Tigers!

Carrah Lingo

Communications Associate

NT4TC