I apologize for being a bit late with this post. In my defense, I was busy wrapping up the summer and my internship with the Henry’s Fork Foundation and Friends of Harriman. Part I of this blog was about rejection. Part II is about everything else: small lessons, strange encounters, and the bittersweet feeling of closing a chapter.
This internship was educational in unexpected ways, and I learned a few things:
Not Just Work
Of course, it wasn’t all data collection and sending emails. I got to do some exploring- Sawtelle Peak, Mesa Falls, swimming at Cliff and Wade Lake, and road-tripping to the Tetons. I even managed to see Lord Huron in concert.
And then there were the people. I had Dara (another W&L student) plus plenty of catch-ups with old friends I hadn’t seen in over a year. Being back in Island Park reminded me of how weird and wonderful small-town connections can be. You can leave, but somehow, everyone still knows exactly where you’ve been.
This summer wasn’t about dramatic breakthroughs; it was about showing up every day, asking questions, and listening when people let me. It was about remembering what Harriman means to people and the reasons they visit year after year, generation after generation. And it was about realizing that even when the goats are on the table (literally or metaphorically), the mess is still worth it.
So, that’s it, my second and final blog post of the summer. I’m walking away with a bit of sunburn, a lot of stories, and the reminder that sometimes the best work is the kind nobody sees, but everybody benefits from.
Until next time,
Ella Paini
I know my last blog post left you on the edge of your seat. Today I’m going to answer the question that has doubtlessly been on everyone’s minds: did I catch a fish? Let me tell you, it was getting down to the wire. I’d been out many times with the incredibly patient Claude, to no avail. Not even a bite. Claude’s patience was really commendable as I stubbornly, astoundingly refused to improve.
As my time here at the foundation wraps up, I have been doing a lot of reflection. As such, I have concluded that the amount you can learn in one summer internship is unrivaled. It can range from scientific technical skills to office interpersonal skills, and anywhere in between. Some things are self-explanatory, and some are learned through trial and error. This range is what makes internships so valuable. I’ve compiled a list of the
Putting in the hours. Credit: Estelle Edwards Fish are omnipresent. Whether Claude’s talking about his latest catch, an angler is asking me what fly to use (I don’t know), or I’m taking Utah suckers out of gillnets, I am drowning in fish… but I have never caught one. I have yet to be blessed with a bite on a Parachute Adams, Zebra Midge, or Montreal Whore, but thanks to fishing-adjacent research experiences, I’ve gotten a
I grew up fishing on the North Carolina coast. From flounder and speckled trout (not actually in the trout family) deep in the creeks to Spanish mackerel and bull redfish right off the beach, all the way out to what feels like the middle of the ocean trolling for king mackerel and cobia, I loved the wide variety of fish. One sunny July morning a few summers back, my dad and I headed offshore in
