The Conservation and Community Engagement Internship has officially come to its 15-week completion, launched in the Spring of this year and hosted by partnering groups, the Institute for Agricultural and Conservation Research and Education (ACRE) and the Wolf River Conservancy (WRC).

Internships are a vehicle for students to form the relationships that could ultimately shape their careers. The ACRE Institute is devoted to training the next generation of innovators in agriculture and conservation at the University of Memphis. Often, it creates new grants and job opportunities for students to apply and relies on its connections and alignment with industry scientists, engineers, farmers, and other professionals. WRC is an accredited land trust and works with public and private partners to conserve ecologically valuable lands, improve public access and recreation, and deliver education and volunteer programs. Initiating this alliance, the duo planted 200 trees with Ducks Unlimited and the UofM Ecology Conservation and Management class. Their partnership now culminates with the launch of this unique internship, truly embodying the advancement of conservation, environmental education, stewardship, and community engagement.

The William B. “Billy” Dunavant, Jr. Foundation, which supports numerous education and conservation efforts in the Memphis and Shelby County area, seized upon the opportunity to merge this partnership long-term. Furthering student learning in land conservation work, the partnership will continue to support this prestigious internship for a total of 10 cycles each Spring. Ms. Tommie Dunavant, who sits on the ACRE Advisory Council, intended to make the program available to undergraduate and graduate applicants of all majors at the University of Memphis.

“ACRE is grateful to the William B. “Billy” Dunavant, Jr. Foundation for the generous support of this new internship program and proud to partner with Wolf River Conservancy,” says Jennifer Mandel, PhD, ACRE director and William B. “Billy” Dunavant Endowed Chair, Agritech and Sustainable Agriculture. “Their mission connects our students to real-world experiences that are making a difference right here in our community.”

WRC granted the internship to Delmer Rodriguez, a PhD candidate in Earth Sciences who carries previous experience in statistical analysis and geographic information systems (GIS). He completed his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and his Master of Science in the same discipline as his current field of study. His doctoral work focuses on weather and climate research, specifically investigating how jet stream and tornado variations in the U.S. are impacted by drought and climate teleconnections. Teleconnections are patterns revealing the connectivity of climate anomalies across large geographical distances. Despite the somewhat new and unfamiliar terrain of land conservation work, Delmer eagerly kept pace with the diverse demands of his role.

Over his 15-week assignment, Delmer gained exposure to many essential aspects of conservation work: managing invasive species, inspecting protected lands and property, mulching and planting trees, and raising community awareness through coordination of volunteer events. His most proud achievement was developing a visual tool for WRC to quantify the value of its protected lands which, in his words, “offers unique messaging opportunities that the organization can further expand upon and share with the community and stakeholders”. The public will be able to access this tool (i.e. Story Map) through the Conservancy.

The mission of WRC is to protect and enhance land in the Wolf River watershed as a sustainable natural resource. Great effort is put into fostering a coordinated network of stakeholders from those in the local community to land trust members, property owners, organizations and local governments. As a conservation and community engagement intern, Delmer was surprised by the extensive collaboration required to ensure conservation and preservation of the watershed located so close to his family home. Hosting volunteer events on the Wolf River Greenway gave him direct contact with community members to spread awareness of the land’s ecological value from the protection of biodiversity to recharge of the Memphis Aquifer.

According to Delmer, transitioning to a new work environment in an unfamiliar field was made easier by the support of his team, which demonstrated passion and knowledge of the work. His recommendation to those interested in applying for the opportunity next Spring would be to seek out knowledge of the Memphis metropolitan area, including its rivers and water systems, have genuine interests in applied environmental sciences, and gain experience using relevant tools (e.g. mapping software).

“The partnership that we have with the University of Memphis ACRE Institute has quickly impacted our ability to positively deliver on the mission of the Wolf River Conservancy. Being able to bring in a subject matter expert like Delmer helped us tell our story in new ways and leverage mapping tools we would not have otherwise had the time or ability to create,” says Wolf River Conservancy Executive Director Erik Houston. “We are thankful for the support of the William B. “Billy” Dunavant Jr. Foundation and Dr. Jen Mandel throughout the establishment of this long-term partnership.”

Thanks to the generosity of the William B. “Billy” Dunavant, Jr. Foundation and the skilled cooperation of parties involved in conserving the Memphis-area’s natural resources, students at the University of Memphis can make measurable impacts now toward shaping a resilient and sustainable future for our local communities.