Undergraduates from UW-Eau Claire, UW-River Falls and UW-Stout spent the summer collecting and analyzing data that will help show the impact of restoration efforts in the Red Cedar Basin.
They were interns for the Red Cedar Basin Monitoring Group, a long-term community-based project led by faculty members at UW-Stout and supported by a grant from the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin. Read more about the project in Summer Interns Assess Red Cedar Basin Health; Gain Valuable Job Skills.
A few of the interns from this year’s crew shared their experiences.
- Grant Abelson, Environmental Science major, UW-River Falls
- Cayanna Erickson, Environmental Science major, UW-Stout
- Faith Fogarty, Environmental Geography major, UW-Eau Claire
How did you hear about the Red Cedar Basin Monitoring project and why did you choose to participate?
Abelson: I found out about the internship by asking my UW-River Falls advisor, who has many connections to the Freshwater Collaborative. I saw it as a good opportunity to grow my career and gain connections outside of my school. Additionally, the style of work looked fun, which gave me an extra push to apply.
Erickson: I heard about the Red Cedar Basin Monitoring Project through my professors at UW-Stout. I thought it would be a good opportunity to learn even more from my professors as well as focus on the Western Wisconsin area, which is where I grew up.
Fogarty: I heard about this internship through an email that one of my UW-Eau Claire professors sent out. It sounded like a great field opportunity in the realm of water resources, which I am pursuing a certificate in.
What was your role in the project?
Abelson: My role in the project was to do stream sampling, which includes collecting data that will assess the health of the Red Cedar Basin watershed. I also helped with an array of other projects, such as sampling Lake Menomin to assess harmful algal blooms and taking the diameter at breast height (DBH) measurements of trees to evaluate their health and determine how black ash is dying off.
Erickson: My coworkers and I were tasked with routine monitoring of streams and lakes in the Menomonie area. This involved collecting data on the oxygen levels in water, pH and conductivity. We were also tasked with entering data from our sites and running experiments such as nutrient limitation on lake water samples to see whether the algae reacted more to nitrogen or phosphorus.
Fogarty: My role in this project was as one of six student interns. I collected various samples from streams to lakes to woodland areas looking at the various factors that impact water quality.
What skills did you learn?
Abelson: Skills I learned include taking a project from start to completion. Furthermore, I learned many sorts of identification skills (whether that be macroinvertebrate ID or plant ID). Lastly, I did learn basic lab skills, which I can use in my future career.
Fogarty: I learned many skills in this position, such as sampling procedures, lab procedures, as well as making cross university connections with other students and faculty.
What did you enjoy most about working on this project?
Abelson: The part I enjoyed most about the project was being able to work many hours outdoors. The outdoors will always beat working in an office. Another part of the project I enjoyed was seeing an array of stream sites between urban, agricultural, restored, and unrestored streams. It was thought-provoking to see the difference in data across all these stream sites.
Erickson: What I enjoyed most about this project was getting hands-on experience in the field. I had previously changed my major, so I have not had many fieldwork experiences until this summer. The best way I learn is hands on and that is exactly what this experience was.
What was most challenging or surprising?
Abelson: The most challenging part of the project for me was one of the storm sampling days, where we went to the urban stream, Galloway Creek, to collect storm-related stream data. The very first time we did this, the rain was pouring down, and it was difficult to keep a positive attitude when it was cold. No matter how much gear we had, we were all a little wet. Although it was difficult, we persevered through the challenge and collected meaningful data!
Erickson: What I found most challenging was the different terrains that we had to work in. Never having had field experience before made it difficult to keep up at first. I was surprised by how quickly we as a team picked up the skills to finish our tasks efficiently.
Fogarty: The most challenging aspect of this project for me was stream sampling on hot days with poor air quality.
Did you find it valuable to work with students from another university?
Abelson: I found it valuable to work with other students, as it gave me a chance to gain more valuable connections and see the differences between schooling programs. Overall, it widened my perspective of how beneficial UW schools are.
Erickson: I found it very valuable working with students from UW-Eau Claire and UW-River Falls. To work with individuals who share the same interests professionally was very beneficial for my career development.
Fogarty: I very much enjoyed working with students from UW-Stout and UW-River Falls. It was eye opening to see how the different universities teach as well as what areas they focus on. The summer freshwater course facilitated by Sarah Vitale was also a great way for us interns to get to know each other and get on the same page before starting our summer work.
What are your career goals and how will this experience help you attain them?
Abelson: One of my career goals is to progress my research and analysis skills. This internship allowed me to be the head of my own project and to explore my own interests more deeply. I had to come up with a project design, collect the data, and now I have been given the time to analyze the data. I will put it in poster format to be presented at Research in the Rotunda.
Erickson: My career goals involve water monitoring specifically in the Eau Claire area as that is where I am from originally. The skills that I learned this summer directly relate to what I want to do in the future. Having experience with monitoring will give me a step up when it comes to the job market after graduation.
This internship opened my eyes to what it means to be an environmental scientist as well as what I truly want to do with my future. I would recommend this internship to everyone interested in water.
Fogarty: I would like to attend graduate school in fall 2026 or begin an entry level environmental job focused on water quality. This internship will give me a leg up on other applicants because I have hands-on experience working independently and on a team to test the various factors that impact water quality.