Featured internship in the
Department of
Geography-Earth Science
Interns: Matt Stefanic, Dustin Lowry and Patrick Moulden
Placement: Renfrew Institute
Website: http://www.renfrewinstitute.org/
Matt, Dustin and Patrick all completed
internships with the Renfrew Institute for
Cultural and Environmental Studies in
Waynesboro, PA. The Renfrew Institute
specializes in hands-on, experiential learning
programs for young students and also
maintains a stream monitoring program in the
Antietam Watershed. Student interns
participate in projects related to
environmental education, water quality
monitoring, and GIS.
Matt’s experience: As I was searching for an
internship, I wanted to find something that
was going to broaden my horizon’s as well as
work experience that I was going to learn and
grow from. My internship was focused on water
quality monitoring along the east and west branch
of the Antietam watershed. In order to be able to
collect samples and accurately conduct the
necessary testing I had to undergo a short training
session. I was also able to help with the “Waterstriders” which is an after school program hosted
by Renfrew. The kids were able to delineate the
quality of the stream by comparing types of macroinvertebrates found in samples to their ranking on
the biotic index. The students’ results were pretty
exciting for me, especially as a fly fisherman. The
best thing about this project was watching
these young children get so involved in
understanding our environment. My internship
at the Renfrew Institute was a very positive and
wonderful learning experience that I will carry
with me for throughout my professional carrier as
well as my life. Not only did I gain valuable
work experience in and out of the field, I was
taught a new appreciation for the outdoors
that I love.
Interns: Matt Stefanic, Dustin Lowry and Patrick Moulden
Placement: Renfrew Institute
Website: http://www.renfrewinstitute.org/
Dustin and Patrick were assigned a project to
help mitigate environmental concerns
associated with the poor water quality of
Antietam Creek. The West Branch is
experiencing major degradation due in part to
agricultural runoff and livestock intrusions
along the creek and its tributaries. The project
includes two major parts: developing a GIS
database of property owners along the West
Branch, and monitoring the water quality at
several locations along the creek.
Dustin’s experience: I was primarily involved in
water quality monitoring, and I was especially
interested in a recent dam removal and stream
channel restoration site. These projects are rarely
followed by monitoring or assessment. Some of the
most valuable aspects of this internship was
meeting with staff from state and federal
agencies to work towards a common goal of
enhancing water quality in the Antietam
Watershed, and getting to know better the
procedures involved with water quality
monitoring. My internship certainly encouraged
me toward pursuing my career goals. I have
recently applied to a job that requires skills
that are virtually identical to my internship
duties.
Patrick’s experience: As a GIS major, I was interested
in the part of the project that focused on building a
large digital database for the creation, processing
and storage of spatial data related to the Antietam
Watershed. This effort included collecting property
owner information from Franklin County tax
records and maps. These tax maps are crucial
for understanding how land use affects the
water quality in the creek. My internship
strongly encouraged me to pursue my intended
career goals. The people I worked with and the
variety of skills I applied to the completion of
my internship only strengthened my resolve
to pursue a career path in GIS.