My name is Emma Damm and I feel very fortunate to be a Winter/Spring 2023 intern at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge! I can’t imagine a better way to be spending my time than working with Frosted Flatwoods Salamanders and Red Cockaded Woodpeckers in the beautiful pine flatwoods.

I grew up in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, where I had access to many beautiful natural areas and sites of national significance. As a child I was always outside catching insects and toads in my neighborhood. I developed an interest in conservation thanks to Girl Scouts, summer camps with the local Audubon Society, and family trips to many national parks across the country.

My interests led me to attend College of the Atlantic, a very small and unique college located on the coast of Maine. There was lots of room for exploration, both educationally and physically. Acadia National Park was literally in my backyard! My interdisciplinary studies included a mix of environmental science, humanities, and arts, but I leaned heavily towards wildlife biology and ecology. My coursework included a lot of hands-on field trips and formative experiences. In the spring of my freshman year, I began assisting one of my professors in research on spotted salamanders that breed on coastal cliffs. It was then that I discovered my true passion in herpetology. After that I took any chance I could to work with amphibians. I cataloged the herpetology collections in the college’s natural history museum. I surveyed for Northern Dusky Salamanders in partnership with the Maine Amphibian and Reptile Atlas. My degree required the completion of a senior project, for which—surprise!—I decided to do something amphibian-related. I designed and conducted my own field study of spring amphibian migrations in Acadia National Park.

After graduating in spring 2022, I spent the summer as a wildlife technician in Acadia National Park, where I primarily worked on bat surveys. After this I knew I wanted to gain experience in new places with other federal land agencies. I hoped to continue working with my beloved amphibians, but I also wanted to learn about other fauna as well. When I saw the ad for the St Marks Internship, I knew it was the perfect opportunity. Rare salamanders, woodpeckers, USFWS, and a warm winter in Florida! What’s not to love?

I am so excited to be here in St. Marks. The biodiversity is simply amazing! I can’t wait to explore more of North Florida in my free time. Thank you to the Friends of St. Marks for providing such a great opportunity! I know that the variety of experience I gain here will prove very valuable in my conservation career journey.