A Cheerful Crawl Covering Cub Creek

22 Jul A Cheerful Crawl Covering Cub Creek

If I had to choose a favorite part of this internship, it would be very difficult! Still, I would have to say it was being out in the field, in particular, Cub Creek. The team pictured above is some of the crew that helped search for mussels this summer. This project was a pretty big one, requiring the help of park staff, Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) interns, and two Environment for the Americas (EFTA) interns; one from the Latino Heritage Internship Program (LHIP), and one from the Mosaics in Science (MIS) program (me!). Being out in the field with young, motivated, interns was not only inspiring, but also incredibly fun! Usually, I tend to lose myself in work and make things “all business”. Being out in the field with this group reminded me that there is always room for fun, while still working towards a goal. Even on the hottest, most humid days, they always showed up ready to go, with ample enthusiasm. Just look at the fun they’re having in these pictures!

Ironically, being outdoors on these hot summer days was refreshing. It was a reminder of the importance of conserving the environment and solidified my intention to work on doing so. Even in this portion of the creek that is federally protected, trash like broken bottles and soda cans was found. Of course, we cleaned up any trash we found in addition to searching for mussels. The combination of helping clean up the park, working on an ecological project, and getting a glimpse of the promising youth, made this one of my favorite moments here at Homestead.