Living in a border town in Deep South Texas, I was unable to truly appreciate the fauna and flora of the Rio Grande Valley, but after my internship, I learned the importance of knowing the environment of my own habitat. As a Wildlife and Fisheries Science major, I am required to take an internship in my respective field. After seeking an internship, the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge in Alamo, Texas, my hometown, granted me the opportunity to become an intern at their site for the duration of the summer of 2012. During my time there, I was able to assist in many research projects and help in the everyday tasks that needed to get done to run the wildlife refuge effectively.
Internship Duties
I agreed to live on-site in a government funded trailer with a small stipend for buying groceries. Honestly, it was not enough to live off of, but I cherished the opportunity. The wildlife biologists at the refuge were incredibly knowledgeable and allowed me to participate in many research opportunities.
The first day on the job, I was assisting in a fisheries project. I had to help relocate 175 alligator gar
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I began my days opening up the Visitor’s Center at the refuge. Throughout the day, we had visitors come from all over the country. Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge was notorious for its birdwatching. Because of the many people who visited the refuge, I began to develop a working knowledge of the local wildlife species that were present in South Texas. Some of these species included the federally endangered ocelot (Leopardus paridalis), bobcat (Lynx rufus), the crested cara cara, white collared peccary, turkey vultures, etc. After studying the wildlife and vegetation that was a part of the South Texas ecosystem, I was able to identify the markings and types of species. This greatly helped to provide accurate answers to questions I received from visitors at Santa Ana