Interns strengthen conservation efforts
Thursday, June 17, 2010
By: Molly Lester

Students spend summer helping local land trusts

Twelve college students are spending their summer helping North Carolina’s land trusts protect land and water, solidify their recordkeeping and legal affairs, lobby lawmakers to support conservation policy and funding, advance projects that draw communities into conservation, and tell the public about all these efforts.

Four are Stanback interns from Duke University, representing a longtime affiliation between CTNC, Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment, and Fred and Alice Stanback. The other eight are the product of a unique partnership - in its second summer - between CTNC, local land trusts and the state’s historically black colleges and universities to increase diversity in land trusts’ work.

Meet the interns! They're working toward bachelors' degrees unless otherwise indicated.

Stanback Interns, Duke University:

Dave Cass (Masters, Environmental Management/Forestry): Splitting time between CTNC and Triangle Land Conservancy, Dave assists both organizations with their stewardship programs and monitoring protected properties.

Ruth Joo (Masters, Environmental Management): Ruth is helping CTNC update property baseline documentation and is assisting with development of management guidelines for landowners.

Molly Lester (History; minor in English and French): As CTNC’s first communication intern, Molly helps to write, review and produce news stories on the work of North Carolina's 24 land trusts. She also helps with new media outreach strategies for CTNC.

Maria Ruatto (Masters, Public Policy/Business Administration): Maria is helping Government Relations Director Edgar Miller at the General Assembly, monitoring and advocating for conservation legislation and funding.

Conservation and Diversity Project:

Jasmene Braden (Mass Communications, Winston-Salem State University): In her second summer at the National Committee for the New River, Jasmene assists with advance work, informational meetings, news conferences, and small group events to promote the New River Expedition

DeAnn Brame (History, UNC Asheville): DeAnn is helping Pacolet Area Conservancy implement a new Documents Policy while learning more about the field of conservation through first-hand experience.

Melissa Cates (Biology, Winston-Salem State University): Melissa joins Jasmene at National Committee for the New River, handling media relations projects, including writing press releases and managing online reporting and events for this summer's New River Expedition. She will also work with NCNR’s water quality monitoring program, New River Water Watchers.

Joshua Coley (Juris Doctor & Master of Business Administration, NC Central School of Law): Josh is helping Barry L. Williams, coordinator of the Conservation & Diversity Project, engage with communities across the state to preserve and restore Rosenwald Schools and adjoining lands for community assets, social and recreational activities, cultural events, economic development, and other sustainable uses.

Arial Kane (Environmental Engineering, NC State University): With Triangle Land Conservancy, Arial is planning a community garden on Halifax Street in Raleigh to encourage locals to grow their own healthy food and enjoy the outdoors.

Madhvi Patel (NC Central School of Law): Madvhi is helping NC Coastal Land Trust with acquisitions and closings of real estate projects. She also provides assistance to counsel regarding issues that arise from the ownership and management of land, and is helping Coastal prepare for national accreditation.

Enrique Perez (UNC Chapel Hill School of Journalism): Enrique is developing marketing materials for The Conservation Fund's Resourceful Communities Program and helping RCP's grassroots partner organizations develop and improve their online presence.

Jeremy Wilson (Southwestern Community College): At the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee, Jeremy is focusing on Project Cowee Reconnection, an effort to reunite the Cowee Mound, ancient Cherokee trails and the tribal enrolled members. Jeremy will also help LTLT with its record-keeping.