For my practicum, I worked as a research intern at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary in Lothian, Maryland. The goal of the internship is to give students an opportunity to engage with research they are interested in that simultaneously supports the work of the sanctuary. My project involved characterizing the soil of different habitats in the sanctuary and analyzing the impacts of habitat type and restoration age on soil organic carbon content. Through my data collection, I was able to determine that the forest habitats in the sanctuary had the healthiest soils and highest accumulated soil organic carbon. I was also able to provide data to the sanctuary to support their restoration projects. For example, the soil pH data showed that several of the meadows have very acidic soils and should be treated with lime to help support the habitats’ growth.
My position involved conducting fieldwork, analyzing samples in the lab, and developing a written research report. I used flags, tape measure, and coordinates to mark out sampling sites, collecting random samples of topsoil within the specified bounds of each location. I also collected samples using a metal soil corer to conduct bulk density analyses. I conducted organic matter and carbon tests of the soil samples using a muffler furnace to determine the mass lost on ignition at extreme temperatures. Some days I took a break from my project, instead joining the sanctuary volunteers in a weekly event called Fieldwork Fridays. For example, one week we went out in canoes to pick up trash that had accumulated within the streams and marsh branching from our portion of the Patuxent.
Through observing the work being done at Jug Bay and the natural environment within the sanctuary, I was frequently making connections to things I learned in SGC. Directly measuring carbon sequestration and encouraging certain restoration focuses on the basis of strength as a carbon sink reminded me of several of the climate solutions we discussed in class. Focusing on conserving and restoring wetlands is one example of a climate solution that I had the opportunity to engage with hands-on. I gained a deeper understanding of how these habitats function and what their care and management can look like. Similarly, I had the opportunity to see and observe the differences between degraded land and healthy wetland habitats. I also saw challenges at the sanctuary in their efforts to produce effective environmental education and find the balance in function as a site of recreation and conservation. In the past, there were efforts to make Jug Bay open to pets, and even horses. However, the sanctuary has maintained its policies in order to protect the ecosystem they have dedicated themselves to serving. They even teach the students who visit on field trips or through summer camps the importance of leaving the sanctuary as they found it. Even something as simple as a rock serves its purpose to the greater ecosystem. It reminded me of the tragedy of the commons and the concept of everyone taking from the environment until there’s nothing left. We’re seeing the impacts of this through global climate change. It made me value the educational component of the work at the sanctuary, because in many ways it holds the same values as what I’ve learned through SGC and my other courses.
This experience affirmed for me that I’m pursuing the correct field of work. However, I do not believe that I want to pursue a research-based career. I enjoyed my research project and was interested in the other research efforts going on at the sanctuary. Primarily though, I liked that the research they conducted was in support of the sanctuary’s other conservation efforts. The research they do is so that they can obtain data involving streams, habitat health, and tree species distribution. They then use this data to support stream and habitat restoration projects and monitor/maintain the healthy forests covering the sanctuary. In my role as an intern, all of the work I did was research. I wouldn’t mind having a job with a research component, but I don’t want that to be the only thing I do. While I am a student, I will continue to take advantage of research opportunities to help me learn, but I’d also like to gain more experience outside of research. Despite this discovery, I am still extremely grateful for the time I spent working at Jug Bay. I had the opportunity to directly apply the knowledge and laboratory skills I learned in soil science classes to my project. I also gained more familiarity using excel for things like statistical analysis, which I had no prior experience in. This internship was a huge learning experience for me. I believe that if I had taken more advanced soil science classes prior to this internship, I could have answered more complex questions in regards to the soils’ health from a wetland perspective. Although, I am grateful for the hours of field work I conducted and for the opportunity to discover new skills as I worked. The long hours I spent in the field was the primary experience that helped me obtain another internship for the summer of 2025. This summer I will work as a research intern studying terns on Poplar Island. I am excited for this opportunity because I will work as part of a team, rather than independently as I did at Jug Bay.
Unfortunately, because of the independent nature of my internship, I did not find myself working as a member of a team when working on my research project. I look forward to future opportunities where I can be a member of a research team, because I found independent work to be somewhat limiting. I want the opportunity to learn from more knowledgeable people in the field and to be able to work together to develop solutions to problems as they arise.
I would recommend this opportunity to future SGC students. It’s a great opportunity no matter how much or little experience someone has. The staff at Jug Bay are very close and it’s a wonderful environment to be around. There are certain limitations because of the research being independent and there only being professionals with background in some fields but not others. The next several years there will be large stream restoration projects occurring, which can be a great opportunity for students interested in that field. If you know a decent amount about a topic and want to design a project to gain more experience in that topic, this is the perfect opportunity. If you’re looking for an internship because you’re unsure what you’re interested in pursuing, I wouldn’t recommend this internship for that purpose. Overall though, the hours were very flexible, the staff were very supportive, the sanctuary is beautiful, and I had a great experience working there.