My name is Grace Galick and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to complete my undergraduate degree in Ecosystem Science and Sustainability through the Siegele Internship program this summer. This was my first field season, and the hands-on experience in conservation has been invaluable—far exceeding what I have ever learned in the classroom. I truly believe anyone entering this field would benefit from such an experience.
For most of the season, I had the pleasure of working alongside the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) on their Natural Resource Inventory (NRI) project. In Colorado, the NRI focuses on surveying grazing lands, both on public BLM land and private landowner properties.
I gained extensive knowledge of various data collection protocols related to water, soil, vegetation, and overall land health. My travels for NRI took me across Colorado—from Grand Junction to Cañon City, Fort Morgan, Lamar, and more—improving my plant identification throughout the state.
Working in different locations allowed me to collaborate with various NRCS crews from local offices, where I learned from experienced professionals with diverse backgrounds, including wildlife biologists, soil scientists, and rangeland ecologists. Although I entered the internship with limited knowledge of rangeland and agricultural conservation, this experience broadened my perspective and interests. While I discovered that rangeland work isn’t my passion, I found a genuine interest in plant ecology and expanded my love for the outdoors. Overall, the Siegele Internship has been a wonderful introduction to fieldwork and exposure to all the possibilities that exist in the field of natural heritage and conservation.
