Demmer Scholars: Juggling policy and tourism responsibilities
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Blogger: Brooke Merrill, one of 23 MSU students in the Demmer Scholar Washington, DC, program, a senior-level class in natural resources policy that meets one night a week and all day Saturday while working full-time as paid interns at federal agencies or non-governmental organizations that focus on natural resources.
I had the busiest week I’ve had in a while! At work I was writing a report on cleaning up abandoned mines,
who would have thought inactive mines had such a great effect on the environment, especially streams? It’s incredible what I’m learning here. I got to go to a House hearing focused on the Endangered Species Act, and how lawsuits are potentially blocking conservation progress.
Later in the week I looked up some facts focused on how coldwater fisheries are found to be affected by climate change. I was able to read a bunch of scientific reports done by Trout Unlimited; it was interesting to see the science side of my organization! I also made a whole lot of coffee, and I’ve discovered my office manager makes coffee better than me, so I’m holding off.
Field trip update: we went to Shenandoah National Park to learn about wildfire ecology and some of the fire management practices. Once again, we got to see where science meets policy. It was very informative, and it was a much needed break from the hot city. A girl in my group claims she saw a bear, which I’ll admit I’m a tad jealous of! I saw some cool bugs though!
Some monuments were seen this week as well. I was slacking in the sightseeing department, and decided I’ve got to get moving! I walked around the national monument park and saw the Lincoln Memorial; I bought a book in the gift shop! I went to the different war memorials, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and a few others.
My favorite outing has been Arlington Cemetery. I found my great-grandfather’s grave. I didn’t know that I had family in Arlington until right before I left for DC. I sent pictures to my family, and they really enjoyed seeing his site.
Other than those exciting things, I go to work, come home, and eat food. Then I read (almost done with Lord of the Rings) or watch 30 Rock (I’m slowly falling in love with Alec Baldwin).
