2019 Mosaics in Science Interns have been selected. It is a difficult decision each year, but final decisions have been made and 24 interns selected to participate in Mosaics in Science (MIS). Interns will work side-by-side with scientists and other professionals. Interns are part of bat research, bird surveys, seed collection projects, geological surveys, archeological explorations, and much more. Interns receive additional training through weekly webinars and help to share the mission of the program through this Blog. During a post-internship career workshop, participants have a first opportunity to meet other interns face-to-face and share their summer’s work during an oral or poster presentation. Guest speakers provide additional information about science careers and federal jobs. The goals of MIS are to provide science-based internships for racially and ethnically undergraduate and graduate students, and recent graduates to increase relevancy, diversity and inclusion in the National Park Service (NPS). We also strive to promote the mission of the NPS and to support high priority natural resource management and visitor education and interpretation projects in some of America’s most beautiful places.
Hi there! My name’s Tut, and I’m serving as the Mosaics in Science Paleontology Assistant at Dinosaur National Monument in Jensen, Utah this summer. My position doesn’t begin until June, but earlier this month, I Read more…
Mosaics in Science Diversity Internship Program is special in many ways. I am Susan Bonfield, the Director of Environment for the Americas. As a biologist and educator, I love the opportunities MIS provides you to Read more…
Welcome to the National Park Service and the Mosaics in Science Diversity Internship Program! I am happy that you are joining us as a Mosaics in Science intern this summer. Your role is critical in fulfilling the Read more…
Hello and Welcome! I am the NPS Program Assistant for the Mosaics in Science Diversity Internship Program. I was first exposed to careers in the National Park Service through the Geoscientists-in-the-Parks Internship Program, where I Read more…
It’s the end of week 12, and thus my summer adventure has reached its conclusion. My how time flies! It seems like only yesterday that I was preparing for my road trip to California and Read more…
Perhaps you’ve always wondered what it’s like to be a field scientist, maybe you’re considering applying to the Mosaics program, or perhaps you’ve never really given it much thought but now I have you questioning Read more…
Like I mentioned in my last blog, during the beginning of this month all of the Mosaics in Science interns (including myself) attended a 5 day end-of-internship conference in Colorado! While at the conference we Read more…
This week I had the opportunity to help out on a brand new bat monitoring project over in the Everglades. Just a bit of background – there are currently 5 bats in the species list Read more…
It’s hard to fit all my experiences this summer into this last blog post. It was not only an internship at Glen Canyon; it was 12 weeks of traveling, friendships, good food, and even better Read more…
What a time it’s been. I’ve finally successfully adopted my 6:30 wake-up call, gotten my much-delayed personal identity verification card (which grants access to the park’s data store of years bygone), and gotten into the Read more…
Mt. Rainier played host to a wonderful summer season of meaningful connections and vibrant beauty. The experience could not have been more perfect. The ribbon that tied this beautiful gift together was the entire staff, Read more…
Established as a national park in 1899, before the National Park Service was created in 1916, Mount Rainier National Park is a prized jewel of the Pacific Northwest. 2 million people visit annually, most coming Read more…
Less than a year ago, I was selecting classes for my spring 2018 semester with the intent to graduate. I was 2 courses away from graduation. Due to the unavailability of a second class in Read more…
As the MOSAICS internship is coming to a close, and my time in Rocky Mountain in nearing an end, I’d like to review my time here and where I’ll be going forward. Overall, I’ve learned Read more…
Going over the last 11 weeks I been here in Coronado National Memorial, I have learned many new things that will help in my future in the Geosciences. This summer has a been a a Read more…
Over the course of the last 12 weeks I have participated in a number of projects for the NPS; however, my primary task has been to conduct field work and write the preliminary report for Read more…
This past week my fellow interns and I, along with our Youth Conservation Corps members, went to see Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences. We did the usual rounds and saw dioramas of African, Asian, and Read more…
It’s a great hike!” About seven and a half miles round-trip, 3000 feet of elevation gain. No problem. You’ll only reach the saddle, but you can do a ten-minute scramble to reach the peak. “A Read more…
August 2, 2018 For the past few weeks, Karl and I have been tracking 7 Western Pond Turtles in Redwood Creek. Using the transmitters attached to their shells, we can get a pretty good idea Read more…
This past week, I’ve teamed up with the The Point Reyes Fisheries Crew (and their Mosaics intern, Katlyn!) to collect data that can help determine population numbers of Coho in Redwood Creek. This time of Read more…
Besides working on G.I.S. and data points for trees I have been given the chance to work on other things also. One my most faorote side projects was working on the Mount Vernon Trail along Read more…
As my final project deadline approaches I have began to create my first Story Map using ArcMap online. This is an new tool and website for me but it is very critical to present my Read more…
This summer has gone by in a the blink of an eye! As I come to my final days in the park, I have been reflecting on all I have learned and experienced in Yellowstone Read more…
I know when you start an internship you are supposed to have an idea of what you are getting into and what your goals are to grow within the positon. I remember telling my supervisor, Read more…
This past weekend the National Park Service and Point Reyes National Seashore Association hosted the 38th annual Big Time Festival at Kule Loklo. This annual event celebrates the First People, the Coast Miwok, who once Read more…
This summer has flown by, just as I knew it would. This is my last full week at Capulin Volcano National Monument, before heading to Denver for our Mosaics in Science workshop in Lakewood, Colorado. Read more…
As part of our Summer Challenge series meant to expose park employees to park experiences outside of their day-to-day departmental duties, I recently attended an iron moulding and casting event at our sister park, Hopewell Read more…
Eleven weeks sure do fly by when you’re having fun. I swear I was just sitting in a room with 30 strangers learning about what the difference between a national park and monument was. Those Read more…
I’ve had a blast this summer at Jewel Cave. I’ve done so many cool things in such a short time! Although I didn’t answer every question I had about this place, I know my efforts Read more…
The overall purpose for this project was to get started on a 5+ year plan to predict how moose herbivory impacts vegetation on Isle Royale. As stated in a previous blog because of the limited Read more…
This week, Karl and I turned an errand to pick up fish food from the Don Clauson Hatchery (for an experiment later this summer!) into a field trip to learn about the Russian River’s Coho Read more…
Reflecting back on my past 10 weeks, I’m asking myself, “what haven’t I done?” One of the first things I did when I got to Lava Beds was to analyze the last two years of Read more…
Before coming to Estes Park for my internship, I did not know what to expect. I had never lived in a small mountain town where the tourist seem to outnumber the residents and was anxious Read more…
Over the last few weeks, we have categorized and cataloged many trails and roads that are considered valuable assets for Coronado National Memorial for the Unstable Slope Management Program (USMP). The project conducted by me Read more…
It is now week 6 at the South Florida Caribbean Inventory and Monitoring Network here in South Florida. So just an update on what I have been doing: as I have mentioned before I am Read more…
The weather here at Capulin Volcano National Monument is much different than what I usually experience in coastal California. California’s Mediterranean climate means cool wet winters and hot dry summers. Here at Capulin we tend Read more…
I just wrapped up week 6 of 12 of my internship, officially putting me at the “halfway mark” of my summer with the Mosaics in Science Diversity program. I can hardly believe that it’s been Read more…
This past week, the fisheries crew and I have been surveying Pine Gulch Creek, a small watershed that runs through Bolinas, CA. To get a better picture of how the environment and fish community structures Read more…
Prior to this internship, I had never been camping, repelling, or on long hikes. Today, I can now say I have done all three! My co-workers and I went on a camping trip to Crater Read more…
I’ve talked a bit about the phenology project at Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, so now I’d like to update you on what’s been happening the last few weeks. Once a week, I Read more…
It was a beautiful, clear and sunny day for a day hike. I set my sights on reaching Indian Henry’s Hunting Ground with hopes to summit Pyramid Peak. My route was the Wonderland Trail. Total Read more…
In the last week over here at Coronado National Memorial, we have been placing acoustic monitor devices all around the park to monitor the sound of “Barking Frogs”. These frogs come out after the Read more…
This week we had a special event at Capulin Volcano National Monument, BioBlitz 2018! Our BioBlitz is a yearly event where we invite the public to take part in several fun and educational activities not Read more…
One of the focal birds that I am working with on my project in the great white heron. Prior to this internship I wasn’t aware of this bird but it is quite interesting with his Read more…
Natural resource professionals in Muir Woods National Monument are gearing up for a Salmon Habitat Enhancement Project scheduled for next summer. This project will restore sections of Redwood Creek by removing large boulders cemented into Read more…
One of my five housemates is an intern for the geology department at Mount Rainier. As part of the imminent threats team, Ian collects water samples from glaciers around the park to build comparative data Read more…
Last week I was invited to go on a mobile acoustic survey with in the park. I went with the Cuyahoga Valley National Park biologist and a Cleveland Metroparks bat biologist. We first met in Read more…
The morning was beautiful and hot spent out on the rocks doing raptor surveys. It was a briefly intense hike to the site but once in place the view was amazing. Although early in the Read more…
There are many bright minds on the resource management team. One intern who has stood out the most in my mind is Hunter, a Geoscientists-in-the-Park intern. Hunter and I were both hired to do the Read more…
Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been learning a whole new set of skills. I have been able to go with my supervisor out in the field to check humidity loggers in old mines Read more…
Since starting my internship, I have had the opportunity to live at McGraw Ranch, a historical ranch built in 1884 that has been preserved and repurposed as a space for researchers to live and work. Read more…
Two weeks ago, we began the Big Meadows Sampling in Shenandoah. The Big Meadows is a large open area on the ridgeline of the Blue Ridge Mountains that was cleared by Native Americans. After Read more…
Here is something to know about me: I love talking to strangers, but give me a formal presentation and I clam up real fast. I took this internship to get me to practice being able Read more…
Here at Capulin Volcano we continue to monitor our migratory hummingbird species. So far we have only captured broad-tailed and black-chinned hummingbirds, but the rufous and calliope hummingbirds should be joining us shortly! Our feeders Read more…
This 4th of July and past weekend I spent time in Everglades National Park where I am currently living. Everglades is the largest tropical wilderness area in the United States, the third largest national park Read more…
Within the last week I’ve begun a series of box turtles surveys. In Pennsylvania, box turtles are threatened by habitat destruction and fragmentation, pollution, pesticide application, vehicle strikes, and predation. As box turtles are important Read more…
The river is a magical place. I haven’t been journaling much recently, but I filled about 15 pages as soon as I got back from this river trip. I wanted to capture everything I was Read more…
Quick! What’s ginormous, seemingly always yelling, reeks of fish, and weighs thousands of pounds? Don’t know the answer? Why, it’s an elephant seal, of course! This past weekend, a couple of fellow National Park Service Read more…
I had the opportunity to spend a weekend in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota, I could not be happier for saying yes to the trip. The weekend was full of great conversations about Read more…
Now that I’m about 75% of the way through my Jewel Cave internship, it’s only right that I update you on the work I’ve done these last few weeks. Time just keeps flying by; I Read more…
A majority of my fellow interns will be finishing their internships within the next few months. I on the other hand, will just be starting my internship. For those of you who might be dispairing Read more…
This past weekend I went to Jewel Cave and Wind Cave with some of my fellow interns thanks to the efforts of EFTA (Environment for the Americas). We went to Jewel Cave first, which was Read more…
Nick Bartush is a brilliant coworker I have had the pleasure of working alongside this summer and has truly made hard days a little brighter! Often arriving to work early and leaving the last second Read more…
In last week’s blog I talked about a couple different survey techniques that the Fisheries Crew and I had been using while out in the field. I mentioned that we were (at the time) working Read more…
Capulin Volcano National Monument (CAVO) is of course known for its nearly intact cinder cone volcano, but that’s not all that makes this park so special! CAVO is on the migratory path of four species Read more…
Last week the resource team went on an adventure to Washita Battlefield National Historic Site in Cheyenne, Oklahoma. The drive from Capulin Volcano National Monument took approximately five hours, and we camped in Oklahoma for Read more…
Willow plants are of the genus Salix and Rocky Mountain has a variety of species growing. Recently I have worked on identifying different species growing, exciting stuff! I have become familiar and capable of identifying the Read more…
This weekend, I went down scenic trail ridge road on the way to the East Inlet Trail to help a researcher in the park with her sampling. Her research project focuses on antibiotic resistant bacteria Read more…
While working on the George Washington Memorial Parkway and conducting witness tree surveys I have had to go from place to place as far as West Virginia to as close as Union square in Washington Read more…
Our natural resources team uses pesticides to moderate the spread and propagation of invasive plants. It’s part of our integrated pest management initiative, used to maximize invasive species removal and minimize associated costs. In this Read more…
Good news: the first week of fieldwork was a success!!! This past week marked the beginning of the summer field work season for the fisheries crew and myself! It was a busy week filled with Read more…
Jewel Cave keeps me both mentally and physically busy during the work week. In addition to photo monitoring and structure mapping, there are always side projects that need to be done. One such project was Read more…
When you are following an SOP (standard operating procedure), you never know where you are going to go until you read it all the way through and they line it out for you extensively. With Read more…
This week has been full of adventure from climbing down mountains to throwing plaster on adobe walls. The week started with a very fun trip to Chiracahua National Monument were camped out and went over to Read more…
During last Monday’s low tide, a team from the National Park Service’s Inventory and Monitoring Program met at Point Bolinas to gather data on the rocky intertidal. Luckily, Monday’s low tide was later than the Read more…
Last Thursday I completed my last day of cross-training. I trained with the fish electro-shocking crew. The fish crew goes out at 6:30 every morning and visits the different streams within the park to sample Read more…
I imagine the patience a photographer must have when lying in wait for a lion to lunge upon an antelope, or a kingfisher to perform a timed dive and snatch a fish from below. Predators Read more…
At long last I’ve completed my first week at the South Florida Caribbean Inventory Network and what a change from my home state of Washington. I spent most of my week going through procedures to Read more…
As a University of Florida online student, participating in the summer 2016 UF-sponsored study abroad program in Mérida, Mexico was one of the best decisions I made. It afforded me the opportunity to get back into Read more…
Recreational caving is new to me. Sure, I’ve poked around in small caves with a flashlight, but they’d either end or become crawlways that I didn’t feel comfortable going through. Prior to this summer, my Read more…
Sometimes, things don’t go as planned. My work on the Dragonfly Mercury Project has thus far been a lot of organizing supplies, sending emails, and scouting potential sites. As I write this post, I have Read more…
Greetings from Zion National Park! Hello. My name is Camille Burrus. I am interning this summer at the beautiful Zion National Park. I have had the honor to work with the desert tortoise. Although the Read more…
I spent most of this week in park wide training for first season park service staff but at the end of the week I led a hike on the Chilkoot Trail with the goal to Read more…
When you’re a college student like me, you probably have people behind you cheering you on as you are going through school. Last summer I had an internship at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, Read more…
Working in a National Park doesn’t always mean working outdoors! That was the case for me last week, as much of my time was spent at a computer. The great thing about living at a Read more…
During the course of my internship I have participated in multiple cross-training activities with other departments in the park, as well as training courses to be recertified in first aid/CPR/AED and training to learn proper Read more…
At the end of my first week in the Park, I have a handle on the two main projects I’ll be woking on this summer. The first project will be an anthology of all the Read more…
This past week I officially moved to Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park. It is incredible to have the privilege and opportunity to live in such a special place. In addition to moving into Read more…
The project I will be focusing on will consist of implementing a plan to restore a wetland. The wetland, known as Dosey Gap, is located off Schoolhouse Gap trail. Survey methods include utilizing a Trimble Read more…
It’s o-fish-al: I’ve just completed my first week as a Fisheries Technician Intern here at Point Reyes National Seashore (PORE). Between finishing the school year, embarking on my road trip from WA to CA, moving Read more…
The week was full of early mornings, learning, meeting new people, and learning new skills. I loved every bit of it! The focus has changed to willow plant ID, which has proven to be challenging, Read more…
This week, my partner Karl and I started our habitat mapping project in Redwood Creek. Our first task for the mapping project was to collect geographic locations at the edges of the water and along Read more…
I have finally arrived in the state of Colorado for the first time! My journey from Washington to Colorado has been filled with changing landscapes, climate, and overall scenery. The drive from the Denver area Read more…
This past week I finally got out with my volunteers to do some bat surveys. The first survey we are doing is the Emergence Survey which is counting the number of bats that come out Read more…
The Great Smoky Mountains has offered an abundance of new learning experiences. When hiking to a plot for data collection, it is important to remain aware of ones surroundings, the likelihood of crossing paths with Read more…
The last few weeks have been a blast, I have had a lot of fun rating slopes and understanding the vast landscape over here in Southeastern Arizona. As I look back to where I was Read more…
Something New As recently stated my project is centered around G.I.S. which is Geographical Informational Systems. Before this internship experience G.I.S was never my strongest skill, but it was something I always wanted to learn. Read more…
This internship alternates between being physically and intellectually demanding. Last week, I spent 4 out of my 5 work days doing fieldwork, sometimes doing 5 to 7-mile round-trip hikes often times with 1300-1700 ft. in elevation Read more…
Alex is an aquatic ecologist with the Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network. His research primarily takes place at Isle Royale which was his second stop on his park service intern journey. In 1998 he Read more…
