CONSERVATION INTERNS
Hands On in the Tallgrass Prairie An intern’s perspective on learning and living in the grasslands
regular obligations and time in nature. Conservation fieldwork melds my worlds together, allowing me to apply the physical and mental muscle memory of working outside while finding enjoyment in the task itself, something that is familiar through hunting, fishing, barn work and camping back home. Restorative work this summer was incredibly gratifying, because I was actively learning new skills with outdoor equipment, and I could see the impact of our work at the end of every day. Felling cedars, brush cutting small woodies and applying herbicide treatments are skills that I was fortunate to learn. They are tasks that make it possible to see the before and after in real time. This was rewarding, a labor of affection for the ecosystem that encouraged my desire to continue the work. My time at Dunn has only reaffirmed my commitment to seeking an environmental science career. The people I met and learned from are connections I will continue to revere, and I am grateful for the opportunity
to work with individuals from The Nature Conservancy, Missouri Department of Conservation and the natural resources departments of Iowa and Missouri. Madelyn Christian is a Drake University student and a member of the university’s Jay N. Darling Institute Student Conservation Corps program. DarlingCorps students are helping to conserve and restore native grasslands in the Grand River Grasslands region of Missouri and Iowa through collaborative public and private land management strategies. The program is a partnership between the Iowa and Missouri environmental organizations, including the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Iowa Department of
Working and living at Dunn Ranch Prairie was an invaluable experience. The tallgrass prairie ecosystem is magnetically immersive, unlike anything I had experienced. When leaving, I found I had become emotionally invested in Grand River Grassland conservation efforts. Seeing restored prairie in person, it was shocking to truly realize the amount of human effort needed to destroy something so vast and unforgivingly powerful. Growing up in Midwest farm country, a life outdoors has been a constant since childhood. I find my joy in life comes when I am able to balance
Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy, the Jay N. Darling Institute, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever, and the Missouri Prairie Foundation.
THIS PAGE TOP From left: Drake University students Rory Hetz and Madelyn Christian spent the summer interning in the Grand River Grasslands. © Julie Copley/TNC THIS PAGE BOTTOM Bison roam at Dunn Ranch Prairie. © Madelyn Christian
10 MISSOURI : ACTION AND IMPACT
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