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TeenNat

The five-week TeenNat conservation science summer internship combines outdoor exploration, technology, social media, photography, and forest ecology. Interns are trained to use Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers and digital cameras to document species and their locations via expeditions on the preserve. Using laptops to manage this data, interns share and upload their observations. Interns also participate in annual sword fern monitoring in our redwood forest. To enhance their field time, interns take part in lessons on a range of topics and attend a Career Day luncheon. TeenNat alumni are kept engaged through alumni events which include environmentally themed conferences and visits to partner sites. In addition to events, we also provide alumni with job, internship, and career information via regular online and one on one communication. Alumni are also eligible to apply to serve as paid TeenNat Assistants and publish on our blog.

Accepted to the Portfolio: March 2017

Target Outcomes

Short Term Outcomes

TeenNat participants will:

Develop hiking skills and confidence in the outdoors including being able to describe the “Three Living Dangers” to consider when hiking in Northern California: ticks, rattlesnakes, and poison oak
Increase their desire to spend time in nature
Identify native plants and animals including redwoods, sword ferns, and associated species
Increase knowledge of the scientific process including being able to describe sword ferns as an indicator of climate change
Demonstrate plant identification, photography, orienteering, and GPS skills
Increase their awareness of careers in the natural sciences

Long Term Outcomes