Hi! My name is Emma Buckardt and I am one of the spring 2020 interns at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. I grew up in Deerfield, IL, a Chicago suburb. I grew up playing and learning about the natural world in the Lake County Forest Preserve District. From birding to flipping logs to look for salamanders, I wanted to do it all. Throughout middle school and high school I participated in Science Olympiad studying for events about water systems, trees, and rocks and minerals to name a few. I became older, I became more and more interested in learning about ecosystems and ecology.

To continue this interest, I went to State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) to study Environmental Biology. I was able to take classes focusing on different groups of organisms and environmental education. As a part of my studies, I fortunate to study abroad in the Okavango delta in Botswana with Round River Conservation Studies. While in Botswana, I helped local communities conduct herbivore density and demography surveys. I loved that I had the opportunity to learn about the local ecosystem from the people who live there and also be able to study the wildlife that was there. Also during my time at SUNY-ESF, I conducted a honors research project on the environmental triggers of nesting Blanding’s turtle. This project allowed me to gain experience working with herps and conducting research. From my time at SUNY-ESF I learned that the most fulfilling way for me to explore the world is though community interaction and research.

After graduating from SUNY-ESF, I used my new found interests for herps, research, and traveling to search for seasonal positions. Last year, I had an internship with the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex. There I continued studying Blanding’s turtles and other endangered turtle species, as well as wood frogs and spotted salamanders. This position allowed me to grow my interest in studying amphibians and turtles and learning more about the field techniques it takes to understand and monitor these species. It also gave me an understanding of how the Fish and Wildlife Service works and a wanting to explore more refuges.

At St. Marks, I’m excited to learn about the frosted flatwood salamander and be able to help with head starting to improve their populations. Also, I’m excited to be able to explore this area and St. Marks through a variety of different monitoring programs like Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers and shorebird surveys. St. Marks is a completely new habitat from where I have been, so I’m so happy to be able to see this part of the country through the wildlife and people that lives here. With this position and the field techniques that I hope to learn, I would like to continue my education by getting a masters working with herps. Thank you for provided us with the opportunity to live and work in this beautiful area. I’m looking forward to the experiences to come!