For the summer of 1999, the Pew Grant Initiative  provided me with the opportunity to participate in many internships, field and lab research projects, and leadership positions relating to the field of conservation biology.
 

...I was given the chance to build my leadership skills, to develop personal initiative and direction, to learn many field and laboratory techniques, and to develop connections with professors and peers who are working on projects related to my academic and career interests.
 
 
 

...My project, led by Williamette University biologist susan Kephart, was concerned with the pollination dynamics of three varieties of a rare wildflower called Douglas' catchfly (Silene douglasii).  For our field studies, we worked both in the high rocky outcrops of basalt in the Columbia River Gorge, and in xeric (dry) wildflower meadows near the mountain pass of the Cascade Range, which had, only a week before we reached them in July, been covered with snow pack.
 
 

...Working with the volunteers, the staffers, and Prof. Kephart was a wonderful opportunity to learn about wildflower biology, rare plants, and conservation issues.  What all of these people shared in common was a tremendous respect for the natural world, and for the intricacies of plant community dynamics.
 
 

...Although I enjoyed my summer research, all of my time was not spent working!  I had many opportunities to explore the beautiful lava caves form by volcanic basalt flows, hike in seemingly untouched river valleys, go whitewater rafting, and ski on Mount Hood's glaciers.
 

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