Everyday working at the Henry’s Fork Foundation has been a little different. Usually there’s a mix of working on my own independent project –both in and out of the office–, helping out with some of the other interns’ projects and general HFF events. Then after work, anything can happen! Exercising, fishing, going to concerts in near towns, or just relaxing in the intern suite are some of the options. Today I’m gonna write about my first day working out in the field for my independent project, which was Friday, June 8th.
In case you haven’t read my past blog post, this summer I’ll be working on a review of all of the Foundation’s “on the ground” conservation projects, and seeing what their status is now. The projects I’ll be evaluating span many locations across the Henry’s Fork, all the way from Henry’s Lake to the South Fork. Taking what I’ve read about the projects in the Henry’s Fork quarterly newsletters, together with other documents and consulting staff members, I’m determining if the original goals of the project are still being met.
On Friday, together with my fellow intern Abigail, I visited 8 areas in Ashton and St. Anthony. We left the Henry’s Fork Foundation at 9 AM, excited to get to spend the day outside. I prepared the day before by planning a driving route, making a packing list, and most importantly, developing a protocol to follow at each location to make sure I collected all the relevant information.
We started off with the sites closest to Ashton, and ended up at Chester Dam. There were a few mishaps along the way, but nothing we couldn’t fix! The lack of cell phone signal sometimes messed up our planned route, but thankfully some friendly locals helped guide us around. Then, at some sights we felt we were walking too near the private property, and locals again came to our rescue, showing us the correct way to go. It always feels a little less daunting to know that most Idaho residents will be more than happy to show you around, especially when you are so far away from home.
Abigail and I finished our planned route at around 3PM, and I collected plenty of useful data and pictures for my project. I ended the day organizing the day’s findings, and planning for next week’s visits. I always like to process at least some of my day’s work before leaving the office, that way I can keep it present in my memory before I have to write my complete report on all the sites visited.
After work, the interns and I headed over to Rexburg for dinner. We’ve tried to make it a routine to get dinner together outside of Ashton at least once a week. This time we went to a Hawaiian restaurant, people watched, and got to know each other a little more. It was a great time! Finally, we headed back to Ashton, I watched a few episodes of Breaking Bad, and went to sleep.
Overall, a typical day in my life!
Visiting Chester Dam
Visiting Vernon Bridge River Access Site