I have had the pleasure of serving as the Student Board member for the Driftless Area Land Conservancy for two years and had the opportunity to be the first Conservation Intern for DALC. I grew up in the small town of Westby, Wisconsin. A passion for conservation was instilled in me at a young age as I spent time hiking, fishing, and swimming at the beautiful parks in Vernon County. I am a student at the University of Wisconsin Platteville and will be graduating in December with a degree in Reclamation, Environmental Conservation and a GIS certificate. Upon graduation I would love to continue working with conservation in Southwest Wisconsin.
In the fall of 2018, I was asked to take on the role of student board member for DALC. In my role as a student board member I attended bimonthly board meetings and acted as a liaison between DALC and students at UW Platteville. As a board member I gained knowledge about conservation easements and planning. I also met many incredible folks in the conservation field.
In June of 2020 I began my position as the conservation intern. As an intern, I was able to be involved in many different aspects of DALC. I took part in a variety of land management activities such as workdays at Erickson preserve, trail clearing at Sardeson Preserve, and helping to organize trail workdays this fall at Sardeson Preserve. I learned about the complexity and significance of conservation easements as I went on site visits, participated in monitoring visits, worked on baseline documentation and helped to update easement information. In additon, I utilized ArcGIS to create many different maps for DALC including maps for conservation planning, a trail map for Sardeson Preserve, and a map for the DALC website. My favorite property that I worked on this summer was the Sardeson Preserve. Although it is a small property, it is very unique and has some breathtaking features. Throughout the summer I enjoyed the opportunity to work with different members of the DALC staff. I was inspired by their passion and dedication to protecting the Driftless Area. I want to thank the staff for accommodating me this summer and for allowing me to be part of the team.
I would also like to thank the DALC Board of Directors for giving me the opportunity to serve as the Student Board member and to serve as the Conservation Intern this summer. It was an incredible and unforgettable experience.
-Brianna