A Summer Spent Learning from Nature
Summer 2024 with Riverscape Restoration Intern, Harmony Brenish
In the summer of 2024, we equipped each of our interns with a waterproof film camera with no guidance other than to “capture your summer experience.”
For our Riverscape Restoration interns, Harmony and Danielle, this meant documenting their days spent in streams across Utah. Between assessing stream health along Coalville’s Fish Creek to peeping macroinvertebrates in Millcreek, our interns spent the summer developing new skills and taking notes from the natural world.
Meet Harmony Brenish and find out what summer as a Sageland Collaborative intern can look like in her photo blog and interview below.
What has been your main takeaway from your time interning with Sageland Collaborative?
My main takeaway this summer was gaining a strong understanding of the interconnection in ecosystems. Everything in nature interacts and works together as one collective living being, and an imbalance of one ecosystem function can lead to a downfall of others. Adversely, providing conservation initiatives towards impacted land can help mitigate climate change, protect biodiversity, and restore wildlife populations. Understanding connections in nature is an important step in the restoration process.
How do you see this work making an impact?
Utah's streams and riparian corridors need support to return back to their conditions prior to human development. Habitat for fish, amphibians, birds, and mammals have been severely impacted by pollution, agriculture, ranching, deforestation, and more. Conducting and monitoring ecological restoration projects is a way that we can give back to the land and help revive the riparian ecosystems not only for wildlife, but also for us.
Any memorable experiences that you'd like to share from your internship?
My favorite aspect of this internship was the opportunity for adventure and exploration. I was able to travel to so many beautiful and pristine places this summer, but my favorite memory was going camping with the riverscape restoration team in the book cliffs. It was a great way to bond with my co-workers and I was able to spend my time in an epic spot that I would not have gone to otherwise.
This work is made possible through the generous contributions of our volunteers and donors.
Will you make a gift today to sustain the future of wildlife and land conservation in the West?
What's next for you? Next steps, big dreams?
This internship helped me discover my love for conservation, and I plan to continue down a path that aligns with my experience this summer. I was promoted to a Stream Restoration Technician for the fall season, and after the fall I will be working full time as a Watershed Ranger with Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Water is vital for life, and protecting our watersheds is necessary for future generations to come. I believe that it is our duty as a society to leave the world a better place, and pursuing conservation is my personal journey to achieve this.
We are proud to foster the next generation of natural resources professionals - from the sciences to communications, it takes all of us to make an impact for the wildlife and lands we love.
Fill out the interest form on our Career Opportunities page to stay up-to-date on opportunities to join the Sageland Collaborative team.
Article by Sierra Hastings
Photos by Harmony Brenish & Danielle Terry