Gator spotted in Washington state

Gator spotted in Washington state

Hello, my name is Rhys Joaquin. I am from a suburb of Jacksonville, Florida called Orange Park. I am a senior studying for my B.A. in geology at the University of Florida with a minor in soil and water science. I have made a long journey, driving 3000 miles across the country to work as an interpretive intern at Mount Rainier National Park.

This will be a unique experience because geological features found in Washington state are much different from those found in Florida. The internship overall has me full of excitement that my head may blow before the summer’s end! The mountains and volcanoes in the northwest are a steep contrast from Florida’s sinkholes and beaches. I am looking forward to learning more about, and seeing first-hand, the beauty of the environment foreign to me in this part of the Cascades Range.

5 Comments
  • Fabiane Speyrer
    Posted at 13:45h, 23 May

    Hi Rhys Joaquin,
    I have a similar school background I got my B.S in Environmental Science with Soil and water concentration and a minor in Geology. I can say that the MIS internship was one of the best experience of my life. I can’t wait to keep reading about your experiences.

    • Rhys Joaquin
      Posted at 07:17h, 26 May

      Hi Fabiane!
      Are we MIS twins that were separated by different summers?! I hope you enjoy my musings. It would be great to hear more about your experiences as a former MIS intern. What park were you placed at?

      • Fabiane
        Posted at 19:26h, 07 June

        I did my two internship at the Gulf Coast Inventory and Monitoring Network (GULN), which is located in Lafayette Louisiana. My first MIS internship I worked with digitizing historical 35mm slides from the Gulf Islands National Seashore barrier Islands (Mississippi and Florida). On my last MIS internship I worked with radio tracking Texas tortoises at the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park.
        I now work with the same network, the GULN, as a biological science technician.
        Good luck on your internship, have a wonderful Summer, and fell free to reach if you have any question.

  • Thomas Pham
    Posted at 15:35h, 23 May

    Looks like we’ve traded states!

    • Rhys Joaquin
      Posted at 07:20h, 26 May

      It appears so! I hope you enjoy my home state…although to me, this is the best trade deal in history..can we permanently trade places? (Just kidding, Florida. Please don’t disown me…can I apply for dual residency though?)

      Looking forward to hearing about your experience in Colorado, Thomas. Take care and enjoy!