http://wallowaresources.org

Wallowa Resources

Community Solutions Inc Intern

June - August 2019 • Enterprise, OR

What I liked

Wallowa County has a small population (around 7000), so the community is closely-knit. The networks between the different organizations in the county and with residents, many of whom are farmers and ranchers, are rich with potential and actual collaboration. In my internship, I enjoyed shadowing various staff of Wallowa Resources in addition to the district water manager, and I enjoyed field work such as measuring the flow rate of streams. I also appreciated having my own independent projects to work on at the office -- I gathered data on the energy use of the county and wrote a survey on soil health management.

What I wish was different

I wish I had done more of the microhydropower work so that I could learn more about the permitting and grant processes.

Advice

Anyone who is interested in learning more about environmental, economic, and social aspects of rural communities will gain a lot from any internship with Wallowa Resources. It is also a great opportunity to learn about the inner workings of a nonprofit organization and valuable experience for anyone looking to work for a nonprofit in the future. One piece of advice would be to seek out the expertise of the various staff, as their input can enhance your own work.
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