Forestry Summer Internship – Rachel Adams
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EmailRachel Adams is spending her summer interning at Morlock Forestry and Habitat Management, out of Nevada, Ohio.
Forestry undergraduate student Rachel Adams, class of 2027, shares her experience interning at Morlock Forestry and Habitat Management this summer.
Where are you interning this summer, and what is your position/title?
I am interning as a Forestry Technician at Morlock Forestry and Habitat Management, out of Nevada, Ohio. He’s a consulting forester who works closely with the state. He’s an Ohio State University graduate, but we don’t hold that against him!
How did you find or apply for this internship?
Through the Forestry Department job newsletter that Lauren Noel graciously sends out.
Can you describe some of the main things you’ve been working on so far?
Primarily treating invasive species for private landowners, also doing forest management plants, and taking many, many plot surveys.
What does a typical day or week look like in your role?
I am doing four 10-hour days, normally, though we tend to do a lot of overtime. My record this summer was one 15-hour day on a tree planting; otherwise, I average about 10–12-hour days. We drive around to (typically) private landowners who need help with their forested lands, whether that’s for selling timber or treating invasives, or just developing a management plan for the next 10 years. Lots of driving involved, and lots of bug spray.
What are you hoping to learn or accomplish by the end of your internship?
Mostly getting an idea about what a consulting forester does, and what a normal season looks like. Also getting an idea of what the typical needs of landowners are, and what most commonly needs to be done.
Do you have a favorite moment or memory from your internship so far?
One of the first things I helped with was a giant tree planting in La Su An, Ohio, for the Wildlife Division of the ODNR. That was a couple of weeks of work, one of the days was the 15-hour day I mentioned. We planted 8,000 native trees as a reforestation effort near the Boy Scouts Camp. By the end, it was gorgeous and showed so much promise. I can’t wait to see what it’ll look like in a few years.
Any advice for students looking for an internship?
Don’t give up looking, and cast a very wide net. Don’t be afraid to ask the whole department if they know of anywhere that needs help for the summer. Forestry itself is a comparatively small industry, and it feels like everyone knows everyone sometimes. You never know where simply talking to someone will get you!
