Meet Summer Intern, Mallory Rosenfeld
As she begins her final school year at the College of Charleston, Mallory Rosenfeld is reflecting on how her summer internship at Lowcountry Land Trust connects to her studies. A marine biology student in the Honors College, Mallory wanted a meaningful internship that expanded her knowledge base and experience this summer. Her primary coursework to date has been focused on marine life, assisting graduate students with research related to invasive species of algae and their effect on juvenile fish in estuaries.
But Mallory recognizes that the connection between land conservation and water quality is substantial. Her minor in environmental and sustainability studies has focused on conservation, and the opportunity to intern at Lowcountry Land Trust provided her a chance to see what it looks like in a work environment.
Mallory spent the summer alongside Lowcountry Land Trust’s conservation team digitizing baseline documentation reports – important files accompanying conservation easements held by LLT that document the condition of the land at the time an easement is signed. Baseline documentation reports reflect an easement’s public benefits, conservation attributes, purposes, use limitations, and reserved rights.
Additionally, Mallory spent time interacting with local landowners, fostering important relationships in the process. She frequently got out in the field to visit private properties under the protection of Lowcountry Land Trust, including a property where Forrest Gump was filmed. “One of my favorite parts of this internship was going to a controlled burn and getting to use a drip torch,” Mallory shares. “I also loved floating down the Edisto River with the LLT staff. It was rewarding to enjoy the environment that everyone works hard to protect.”
Thinking about her future career endeavors, Mallory notes how much her time with Lowcountry Land Trust has opened her eyes to the great work that nonprofits do. “There are jobs in the nonprofit sector that can cater to anyone’s interests,” remarks Mallory. “From fieldwork to communications to GIS mapping, the Lowcountry Land Trust team has shown me that there are many opportunities for work within the conservation field.”
Lowcountry Land Trust is grateful to have worked with Mallory this summer and we wish her the best of luck in her final year of courses and future roles.
We will be accepting internship applications for next summer in January 2023. If you would like to receive more information about upcoming internships when it is available, please email Bea Girndt, Director of Outreach & Events bgirndt@lowcountrylandtrust.org
