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An Appreciation Discovered
By Amy Knissel
People are wrapped up in money, business, work, and all the technical aspects of life. We live our days indoors behind a desk, either in class or working a job that may seem meaningless. In our daily routine, we may suddenly lose appreciation for what truly matters and lose sight of the planet around us.
During my ten weeks as a student researcher at the Wetlands Institute, I gained tremendous insight about our local New Jersey habitat. It was remarkable to work everyday in such an incredible environment and to feel like I was part of the wetlands ecosystem. I come from a rather rural location in Sussex County, NJ. As a result, I had never witnessed such a vast wetland landscape. I was unaware that such as expansive habitat was present in a state known more for its highways and urban sprawl. Arriving at the Wetlands Institute on the first day of the internship program, I was in awe of my surroundings and anticipated working with the local wildlife.
I never imagined that my internship experience would include working in a setting that involves daily terrapin interactions, as well as stomping through marsh mud, boating to observe birds at Gull Island, or searching for juvenile horseshoe crabs in tidal mudflats. Routine bug spray applications became common after realizing that greenheads were a real threat in the marsh. To be working in close proximity with wildlife at all times was amazing and I never felt so in tune with the natural world. I felt as though I had left the real world behind to work each day subject to the tides rather than a time clock.
My internship experience was not only about rolling around in the mud with turtles and bugs. I learned so much from the researchers as well as my fellow interns. It was exciting to arrive each morning at the Wetlands Institute to plan out our days. Will I help check crab traps on Ring Island for curious little terrapins that were trapped? Will I take a car trip to the New Jersey shores of the Delaware Bay in search of the spirally tracks that reveal the presence of tiny young horseshoe crabs? Did I sign up for a road patrol to traverse 40 miles of coastal roads, recording data on female terrapins looking to nest near busy roads? Perhaps the terrapin barrier fence needs repair, or maybe data needs to be entered into the computer. I loved the mornings when I planned out my day with several exciting adventures, moving from one to the next to the next, learning different things from each.
As the summer came to an end, everyone began to part ways, heading back to their school in preparation for the fall semester and returning to the stress of college life. But I know that each student researcher has taken something special from the summer internship program at the Wetlands Institute. We all have an appreciation for that unmistakable marsh smell which brings us back to the warm, sunny days where we would be covered in it. Always remember that, while some days the most important thing at that moment might be to study for exams, work 40 hours a week, or meet your deadlines. However, keep that appreciation for nature within you and never forget it. My internship experience was something I’ll never forget, and it will always be a part of me. Everything I learned in those ten weeks will stay with me as I continue on with college in the hopes of successfully entering into the field of biology and environmental science. I know that I am doing what makes me happy, which is being a part of the environment around me.
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