Jumping Onboard with Fauna as an Intern

As I write this, I admit that I am far from the warm humidity and the sounds of sandhill cranes beginning their migration north from Florida, where Fauna Conservation & Analytics is based – I am typing away up in the mountains of Colorado, surrounded by snow, spruce & pines, and peaks towering over 13,000 feet.

So how is someone interning with a Florida-based company located 1,700 miles away, you ask?

I first connected with Fauna around a year ago while still living in my hometown of Gainesville, Florida, while sleuthing into ways to become involved in the emerging “environmental tech” field. Up popped Fauna Conservation & Analytics, a Florida-based company “performing applied science at the nexus of ecology, technology, and management.” Score!

Towards the end of 2023, I received an e-mail announcing that Fauna was looking for support with Digital Communications, and here I am, your digital ambassador who will be contributing towards bringing you insights into the work that Fauna will be doing in 2024.

After several web call chats with Fauna’s director, Tina, I have learned so much more about the work that is required to run a successful environmental consulting firm. Although maybe the first thing that’s pictured is field biologists working outdoors in swamps and forests, trapping wildlife and collecting data (yes, that IS part of the job!), there are so many other responsibilities needed to be carried out to keep a conservation company moving forward: financial management, business strategies, developing partnerships, learning new technology, attending conferences, etc.

I truly believe that the work that is being done today to better understand how to best protect wildlife and our environment is not only important for our own generation, but will be instrumental for the future generations to come. I am looking forward to sharing more about Fauna’s journey!