Interns tell story of their summer in the Bob Marshall
Bob Marshall Wilderness interns pose for a photo along a trail. (Courtesy photo)
Pulling weeds in an alpine meadow during the day and sleeping under the stars at night — that’s the life of an intern working for the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation.
Those interns, who spent this summer working in the in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, will tell about their experiences during Stories from the Bob: Youth Edition on Monday, Aug. 20 at Casey’s downtown. The event is from 5-7 p.m. and is free.
The evening features presentations from BMWF interns who just completed their field season in the backcountry. This event serves as their intern graduation and a moment to connect the community to their stewardship work over the summer.
Each year, the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation offers internships to young, aspiring wilderness stewards looking for professional opportunities in the fields of natural resources or related fields. This year, the foundation grew their internship program to include five Wilderness Ranger Interns and four interns in the Wilderness Conservation Corps.
The Wilderness Ranger Internship is a field based training program for college students interested in pursuing natural resource related careers. Following three weeks of training with the BMWF, Wilderness Ranger Interns work alongside Forest Service Wilderness Rangers, volunteers, and other Forest Service staff to support wilderness management objectives within the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. Intern duties are tailored to the needs of the district that the intern is assigned to.
Wilderness Conservation Corps is a semi-professional crew made up of college and high school youth that are selected based upon their desire to pursue natural resource careers, a proven work ethic, and the ability to participate in extended backcountry trips. WCC Interns work as a team under the supervision of an experienced Wilderness Crew Leader. Their summer internship includes three weeks of training followed by five 10-day backcountry projects. Project work includes trail maintenance, noxious weed removal, and campsite impact monitoring.
Stories from the Bob is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served and a no-host bar is available. Doors at 5 p.m., presentations begin at 5:30 p.m. For more information, contact Jessica Shaw at trails@bmwf.org