"A Foot in the door"
by Charlotte Pitt

The Contra Costa Resource Conservation District (CCRCD) is a special district of the state that works to help manage, conserve, and restore watersheds throughout the county. As an intern for the CCRCD, I was able to experience many different work opportunities in the resource conservation field and I really enjoyed the diversity and flexibility of options available. 

Over the summer I received training with Friends of the Creeks on removing invasive Arundo from creek systems, as well as training for using GIS software to map and monitor invasive plant species. The CCRCD also provided the opportunity to work in the California Native Garden with their partners at the John Muir National Historic Site, where I learned how to grow and care for many different native species. The final project I worked on as an intern at the CCRCD was native plant identification, inventory, and mapping at Grayson Creek in Pleasant Hill with Friends of Pleasant Hill Creeks. Native plants are crucial to healthy ecosystems and support many native birds, such as the Great Snowy Egret. 

My summer internship with the Contra Costa Resource Conservation District was a great experience that offered diverse work and project opportunities as well as beneficial contacts in the field. While my internship mainly focused on California native plants and restoration, there were many other project options available such as farm and range enhancement and educational outreach. With such a broad reach throughout many different ecological opportunities there is truly something for everyone as an intern at the CCRCD.
 
If you, or someone you know, is interested in interning with the CCRCD, please contact our intern and volunteer manager Lisa Anich at lanich@ccrcd.org. 
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