"Through my joint internship with the Morris Arboretum and the Academy of Natural Sciences I'm gaining valuable experience in field, research, and curatorial methodologies as related to the conservation of the local flora. As an intern project I have undertaken a comprehensive project to inventory, assess, and develop management recommendations for the vegetation at Evansburg State Park in Montgomery County, PA. Specifically, I'm involved in collecting biodiversity data, documenting the spread of invasive species, sampling plant communities, and creating geospatial maps to record and analyze vegetation patterns in the landscape. At the Academy, I assist with numerous curatorial tasks in the herbarium to both maintain the collection and aid research efforts. My responsibilities include preparing and accessioning new material, entering special collections information into a database, and processing loan requests. I also assist with pest management, responding to research inquiries, and re-organizing the general collection."
