From The City to Silver Creek

Every summer The Nature Conservancy hosts interns from around the country to help us run Silver Creek and Flat Ranch Preserves. Veronika Horton, a recent college graduate from Atlanta, Ga., is our newest edition. In this Q&A she shares a bit about herself and tells us what it's like to work at Silver Creek:

Veronika doing some water monitoring. Photo by TNC staff.

What school did you attend, when did you graduate and what was your major?
A: I attended Morris College in Sumter, SC. I graduated May 5, 2012 with a BS in Biology.

Where are you from?
A: I am from Atlanta, Georgia.

How did you become an intern for TNC/Silver Creek?
A: I applied for the internship while I was in school and received an email from Shawneece Hennighan to schedule an interview with Dayna Gross. The interview went well.  A few months later here I am.

Why did you decide to become an intern for TNC/Silver Creek?
A: I decided to come to see what I could do with my degree besides research.  My school was mainly focused on research and tried to encourage all of the students who majored in biology to do research and my attention span is too short for a career in research for longer than a few years if that long.

What was your first impression of Picabo/Silver Creek when you arrived?
A: The first thing I thought when I arrived in Picabo was Where am I and what have I gotten myself into? When I came the weather was bad, it snowed, and it was extremely dark. Everything was closed which was definitely new for me. My first impression of Silver Creek was that it was a beautiful place.

Planting aspen trees. Photo by TNC staff.

What is a typical day like for an intern at Silver Creek?
A: A typical day depends on what needs to be done. When we come in we have a list on the things that we need to do and throughout the day we complete them.


What are your favorite and least favorite things about interning at Silver Creek?

Preparing to spray for weeds.
Photo by TNC staff.

A: My favorite thing to do is probably watering because to me it seems like time flies when I’m watering.  My least favorite thing to do is cleaning the outhouses; I’ve only done it once but once was enough for me.

What kinds of animals have you seen?
A: I have seen cats, dogs, chickens, sheep, cows, horses, deer, antelope, elk, ducks, fish, a variety of birds, seagulls, a badger, field mice, and an owl. 

Do you fish?
A: No, but I fished for the first time yesterday (June 30). I caught four fish.

How long have you been an intern?
A: I have been an intern for a little less than a month.

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